F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Spa Speed Trap: who is the fastest of them all?

Mercedes fears that Ferrari would give the German team a run for its money at Spa are panning out as expected.

On pure pace, poleman Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel are clearly in a league of their own in Belgium, where Spa's long straights cater to the SF90's low downforce qualities and to the force of its powerful engine.

Vettel blew past the speed trap at 317.7 km/h in qualifying. That’s a healthy amount of velocity but it's not quite as fast as the top speed recorded at Baku earlier this year, where McLaren's Carlos Sainz was clocked at 323 km/h.

Renault's Daniel Ricciardo was snapping at Vettel's heels up the Kemmel straight with a straightline speed of 316.9 km/h, just edging Leclerc.

After qualifying, Lewis Hamilton underscored Ferrari's advantage in Spa's first sector, and the readout shows that Mercedes' drivers were on average about 8 km/h slower than their red rivals up the straight.

Many call Ferrari's advantage at Spa this weekend an 'open goal' for the Scuderia. Let's hope they can finally score that first win.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

McLaren to review Sunday's fateful pit stop timing

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has insisted that the squad has no regrets about its…

12 mins ago

Williams' Boutsen hoists the mainsail in Adelaide

On this day in 1989, Williams' Thierry Boutsen secured his second F1 win when he…

1 hour ago

Horner: Max 'answered critics' with epic Sao Paulo GP drive

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hailed Max Verstappen’s sensational Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory…

2 hours ago

Sainz left puzzled by double crash drama in rainy São Paulo

Carlos Sainz was left scratching his head after a disastrous Sunday at the Sao Paulo…

3 hours ago

Alonso pushed through agonizing pain to complete Sao Paulo GP

Fernando Alonso braved both physical agony and mechanical challenges in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix,…

5 hours ago

Alpine double-podium in Brazil could deliver $30 million windfall

Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…

19 hours ago