Spa-Francorchamps Preview: Pre-summer break showdown

Everyone has one last chance before the summer break to make a statement around the famed Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The title race is only getting closer and there are plenty of twists and turns in store for the remainder of the year.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Round 11 of the 2023 FIA Formula 2 season.
THE FORM BOOK
Championship leader Frederik Vesti keeps the lead in the Drivers’ Championship but there are several rivals close behind who are beginning to hunt him down. The PREMA Racing driver was able to extend his points advantage in Budapest, now on 153.
ART Grand Prix established themselves as their direct competition, arguably the quickest team on the grid at the moment. Théo Pourchaire remains second in the Standings, but the Frenchman lost ground last weekend, when it looked as though he was in prime position to threaten Vesti. The Dane’s lead is now up to 11 points having been as low as one following the Budapest Sprint Race.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
DAMS’ Ayumu Iwasa is keeping himself in the frame after another spirited performance last time out. The Japanese driver climbed up to 132 points in third and is beginning to claw back the ground he lost earlier in the season.
Victor Martins is a man in form at the moment, adding another podium to his 2023 record with P2 in the Hungarian Feature Race. Narrowly missing out on a third consecutive pole position, the rookie appears to have well and truly found his feet in Formula 2. Now fourth in the Drivers’ Championship on 105 points, could a late season charge be on the cards?
A winner once again, Jack Doohan returned to the top step of the podium following his first win of the season. The Invicta Virtuosi Racing driver is full of confidence once again, rising up to fifth in the Championship, now on 100 points.
It’s even tighter in the Teams’ Standings though, with PREMA Racing leading the way, but ART Grand Prix are now tied with the Italian outfit. Both on 247 points, who will snatch the advantage heading into the summer break?
WHERE TO WATCH THE SESSIONS
FROM THE GRID – Roman Stanek, Trident
“I like all the high-speed sections, it’s a very famous track, every time I race here I have respect for the track. You have to be very particular so I love racing here. Overtaking at Spa is into Turn 5, you open the DRS and go for it. I think it’s a different style compared to F3 because as the tyres degrade, all the teams are on different strategies, so you can overtake where it’s not usually possible to overtake. I’m really looking forward to it.
“In F3, saving the tyres was quite easy I would say with the experience I had, but with F2 it’s something new. I think when you look at the track surface, it’s quite rough so it will be quite a key point to manage the tyres. I like the podium at Spa, so of course I’ll be aiming for that again!
“Racing here is incredible but one thing I really enjoy in particular is I can ride my bike around the track before the weekend, and it’s quite hard. It doesn’t look like it from the TV but with the elevation changes, it’s quite hard, so that’s the one thing I enjoy the most. I think that’s why I was so fast last year, I rode around the circuit before the races and did 10 laps everyday. It helped me find the tricky stuff on the track.”
TECHNICAL PREVIEW
A very different challenge awaits the teams this weekend, with Spa-Francorchamps the longest circuit on the calendar. Featuring several long blasts through the forests, it’s a world away from the twists and turns of the Hungaroring. While Sector 2 rewards those who can tackle the sweeping bends with supreme confidence, the flat-out sections in the first and third sectors benefit those who trade in downforce for a reduction in drag. From La Source up to Les Combes, drivers are flat out for almost half a minute. Sector 3 is dominated by the sweeps of Paul Frere Curve and Blanchimont before one of the better overtaking areas on the track at Turn 19 for the final chicane.
The flat-out sections mean that fuel consumption is naturally higher, with three quarters of the lap spent at full throttle. As previously mentioned, the second sector requires almost the exact opposite of the first and third ones, with Pouhon through to Stavelot a stern test on the tyres. Take too much wing out, and the overheating issues will begin here.
RACE STRATEGY
Both the medium and soft compound Pirelli tyres will be in action this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. While the majority of the lap is made up of long, flat-out sections, the middle sector is where the race could be won or lost, with a challenging middle sector made up of flowing corners. Keeping the tyres under control temperature-wise is key, as overheating them in the middle sector could leave drivers vulnerable in critical traction zones such as the exit of the La Source hairpin at Turn 1.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a visit to Spa-Francorchamps without the threat of rain looming over the weekend. Being on the right tyres and the right time is always helpful. Jack Doohan was the Feature Race winner in 2022, starting on the softs and switching to the mediums on Lap 10. Able to fire up his tyres on the outlap, he pulled off the undercut on Felipe Drugovich and went on to victory.
Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director
“Although it represents a very different challenge to the Hungaroring, going from a tight and twisty track to a fast and flowing layout, the teams will use the same compounds at Spa-Francorchamps: P Zero Yellow medium and P Zero Red soft. This selection allows plenty of versatility for the different types of corners that make up this historic circuit, which subject the tyres to a wide spectrum of forces. Tyre management will therefore be critical both in dry and wet conditions, with changeable weather being a hallmark of Spa. As there are no intermediate tyres in Formula 2, knowing when to go from the full wet onto the slick – and vice versa – could well make the difference.”
STAT PACK