Both
Ralf Schumacher and
Jarno Trulli had the chance to sample the resurfaced Spa track and the revised Bus Stop chicane when the team tested there in July, and safety campaigner Trulli was happy with the outcome of the earthworks.
"Spa is the best circuit in the world, so I am really pleased it is back on the calendar," the Italian said, "The changes to the track have taken a lot of effort, but the results are good, especially the improvements to the Bus Stop chicane. It is hard to find the limit at Spa as you really have to focus throughout the whole lap, and it is still one of the hardest tracks in the world - a real challenge for the driver."
The team returns to a more standard aerodynamic package this weekend to cope with the undulating, challenging Spa circuit, and is hopeful of a better result than in Monza.
"We are coming towards the end of the season and the Japanese Grand Prix is next, so it would be great to score more points before Toyota's home race at Fuji Speedway," Trulli admitted, "I am optimistic because the team is working very hard."
Schumacher, meanwhile, is optimistic that the TF107 can return to the sort of form it showed earlier in the season.
"We had another difficult weekend in Italy but, obviously, we will use a very different aero package for Spa compared to Monza," he said, "The track has similar characteristics to
Silverstone, where we were quick. We tested at Spa in July and we made good progress, so we are hopeful of a strong result. Our first target is always to qualify in the top ten with both cars and then we hope to score points from there."
Red Bull Racing – David Coulthard (#14), Mark Webber (#15):
If anyone is looking forward to getting out on track this weekend, it is
David Coulthard, whose Italian Grand Prix lasted less time than any of his rivals.
With Mark Webber also failing to score at Monza, the Belgian GP presents a final chance for the pair to add to the Red Bull team's tally before the circus heads to the Far East, and DC is looking forward to the chance, echoing the thoughts of others about the Spa circuit.
"Spa is a fantastic circuit, and I absolutely love it," he enthused, "I am looking forward to hopefully having a very strong weekend and, of course, that means scoring a point. It will be difficult to do, because you have got two McLarens, two Ferraris and two BMWs straight away that have got pace and have got reliability and they tend to be in the top six places. Then you are fighting with
Renault, Williams and Toyota - so there are a lot of cars trying to squeeze into the final two points places.
"We have always got to look for the fact that, despite my retirement, Mark’s car ran reliably in the race and he was so close to being in a position to score a point, which is very valuable for where we are at this time. Now we have four more opportunities to actually do that, and we are trying as hard as we can. We are in sixth place in the constructors’ championship, which may not sound wonderful, but it is better than the seventh we were in previously!"
Engine guru Fabrice Lom admits that, after the high-speed rigours of Monza, Spa could prove to be a tough event for the Renault V8s powering Coulthard and Webber - just as it will for any other driver using a 'second race' powerplant.
"Spa includes some very long straights, which means a high proportion of the lap is spent at full throttle," he explained, "There is also a high number of gearchanges, and a lot of high lateral and even vertical ‘g' loadings. But, in my opinion, the main difficulty is with the lubrication system and specifically the oil feed through the Raidillon. This is something that the engine was designed to cope with, as we knew Spa would be on the calendar and that we would have to face this unique challenge. We tested at Spa in July, and we have no particular worries in this area."
CRASH.NET RADIO RECENTLY SPOKE EXCLUSIVELY TO DAVID COULTHARD. TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW IN FULL: CLICK HERE
Williams – Nico Rosberg (#16), Alex Wurz (#17):
With just a handful of races remaining, Spa provides a perfect platform for another potentially great midfield battle between the likes of
Red Bull,
Toyota,
Honda and
Williams, but also carries greater weight for both the Grove team's pilots.
While
Nico Rosberg's performances this season have attracted attention from other teams - including Mclaren if paddock rumour is to be believed - veteran team-mate Alex Wurz finds himself under pressure to hold on to the second seat. The Austrian, however, remains unfazed by the possibility of a swift return to the rank of footsoldier and is focused on the job at hand.
"Spa is a fantastic race track, so I’m very much looking forward to racing there," he insisted, "In terms of performance, I’m not really sure what we can expect. We tested there a few weeks ago, but it’s difficult to tell how we will go in the race, although I think it’ll probably be pretty close again. As a team, we’ll go there with high hopes following Nico’s sixth place in Monza. If we can secure some more points, we’ll help to strengthen fifth in the constructors’ championship for the team and that’s my goal for the race."
