Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsPirelli

Hembery excited by Spa unpredictability

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Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery is excited by the unpredictability factor delivered by the Spa-Francorchamps circuit at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The 7.004km circuit in the Ardennes regularly sees changeable weather which can make strategy difficult due to the potential for varied conditions at different parts of the track. With Pirelli again nominating the medium and soft compound tyres - as it did in Hungary - Hembery expects strategy will be even more crucial in Belgium due to the number of incidents usually seen at Spa.

“We have the same tyre nomination for Spa as we did for the Hungaroring – which turned out to be one of the most thrilling races of the season – but the two circuits present a very marked contrast," Hembery said. "Whereas Hungary was tight and twisty, Spa is open and flat-out, making it a favourite among all the drivers.

"We’ve got plenty of high-energy loads going through the tyres in many directions due to all the different forces at work, but ambient temperatures still tend to be quite low, so the soft and medium tyres represent the best compromise between performance and durability.

"Spa is a race where anything can happen, with a high incidence of safety cars and changing weather, so tyre strategy is important, as well as each team’s ability to constantly read the race and react quickly to any opportunities that present themselves.

"The recent Spa 24 Hours – which is our biggest event of the year – featured more changes of lead than you could count, as well as a succession of incidents and safety cars in the first half of the race. That showcases just what a spectacular and unpredictable competition this amazing circuit can regularly provide.”

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.