Fernando Alonso Friday Practice Spa 2008

Felipe Massa continued showing his back to the rest of the field and finished the practice 1 on top, 3 tenths ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. Both Ferraris ran this session without the shark fin engine cover. McLarens took 3rd and 4th further 3 tenths back. Toro Rosso cars continue to impress although this time both Alonso and Webber were a bit faster. It was difficult session for Robert Kubica who complained about the handling of his BMW Sauber throughout the session. Hondas were the slowest cars on the track in this session.

Friday Practice 1 times:

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Welcome to the Live Blog coverage of Friday Practice 2 for the 2008 Belgian F1 GP:

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Welcome to the live discussion following Friday practice for Belgian F1 GP:

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The video previews are back with a look at the Belgian F1 GP:

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This video includes:

- Look back at all the Belgian Grand Prix winners since the Spa returned to calendar in 1985
- Race preview with Nico Rosberg and Christian Danner
- The H.A.N.S. device and how it protects the driver
- The P.S. with brief flashback to 2005

This video can also be viewed at F1 Wolf Club, on Facebook and on also on Dailymotion

Music: music.podshow.com

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2007 Belgian GP

The 2008 Formula 1 season continues with Belgian GP at Spa Francorchamps track, one of the few surviving historical F1 venues. The Belgian GP has returned to Spa circuit in 1985. It was missing from the F1 calendar in 2003 due to tobacco advertising issues and then again in 2006 while the track was undergoing the latest renovation. Slightly amenended, safer with larger run off areas, but still challenging, the Spa track returned back in 2007.

The location and length of the track can create tricky racing conditions and drivers can experience different weather at different parts of the circuit. It does not seem to matter to Kimi Raikkonen. He won the last three Belgian GPs - in 2004 and 2005 with McLaren and in 2007 with Ferrari. Last year’s win in Spa marked the beginning of the remarkable turnaround of Kimi’s fortunes that ultimately lead to his 2007 the drivers title. Being well aware that what he needs now is a win he sure would not mind if the 2008 Belgian GP worked out for him in similar fashion … Felipe Massa will have different ideas. He is on the roll after dominating last 2 races in Hungary (until his engine blow up) and in Valencia. With Ferrari openly stating that if necessary Kimi may support Massa in the final races of the season Massa would be well aware that a win may get him closer to getting full Ferrari resources behind his title bid.

Ferrari’s superior engine power may be an advantage on this track. That is if the Maranello guys fixed their reliability problems. But one can never discount Lewis Hamilton. He finished 4th here last year, dropping valuable points. He will not want repeat of that. The tricky and possibly variable weather conditions may also play in his favour. At the moment there is no rain predicted for Sunday, but the Ardennes forest is always ready to surprise.

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Felipe Massa’s Turkish GP win last weekend was his third in a row on the Istanbul track. I wrote in my previous post that this the first time this has happened since Michael Schumacher… Well I was not exactly right …

Michael Schumacher’s most recent hattrick of wins on the same track was his United States Grand Prix string of wins from 2003 to 2006. These were actually 4 race wins in a row. The hattrick came after the “great” win in 2005 …

There is however one more, even more recent hattrick - Kimi Raikkonen’s 3 Belgian Grand Prix wins in a row. Raikkonen won in Belgium in 2004, 2005 and in 2007. There was no Belgian Grand Prix in 2006.

Photo: Daimler Media

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