At Spa
Antonelli and Mercedes legitimize their role as pre-race favorites at Spa, despite the strength of the Brixworth power unit not being enough to prevail in the Ardennes. The world championship leading duo needed their time to resolve the typical Belgian setup compromise, which this year includes an additional variable. Ferrari, on the other hand, does not excel even in the sector most suited to it, leaving for the moment Max Verstappen as the first of the chasers.
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Antonelli ignites Mercedes
Finding the right compromise between aerodynamic downforce for the central section and speed on the straight has always been the leitmotif of Spa. It is an evaluation that with this year’s cars intertwines with an additional variable, energy management. The more stable the car, the more it spends and recharges energy effectively, but it must weigh the extra load against higher consumption.
Mercedes arrived at Spa with a low downforce package, featuring updates on both wings and the wheel group flaps. In the first session, the updated W17 proved to be too low downforce, flying in the first and third sectors but paying the price in the central section. Some setup corrections were needed, but in the evening Antonelli decisively took the top of the standings, giving a gap to his teammate that shows that at Spa it is not just a matter of engine.
Russell, delayed by a full 1.2 seconds, complained about sliding caused by tires not at temperature. Mild weather, low downforce configurations, and long straights are all factors that make it harder to heat the tires, exacerbating what is now a chronic difficulty for George, who is trying in vain to change his driving style. Unfortunately for him, the problem creates a vicious circle, since working a lot with the steering wheel and pedals disrupts energy management logic, leading each time to approach the next corner at a different speed, disorienting the driver. Russell’s gain from the first to the second session is just 7 tenths, 9 less than Antonelli, whose leap was therefore not only the result of a more aggressive engine mapping.
Ferrari has work to do
Ferrari, winner at Silverstone, did not start the Belgian weekend in the best way. In England, the Prancing Horse had distinguished itself well in energy management, which however at Spa, although critical, has less room for maneuver. On this front, there are no major strategic differences between teams, having no alternative but to use the electric motor in the first and third sectors, then recharge in the more technical section. The central sector was supposed to be the strength of the SF-26, which however did not stand out even there, a sign that perhaps there is still something to fine-tune between setup and balance.
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Certainly Ferrari pays the price for the lack of horsepower from the engine, also ignoring whether on Belgian Friday the Prancing Horse mounted the updated power unit or the previous one, which could have pushed to reduce aerodynamics to compensate for the low speed on the straight. The Scuderia, however, did not panic and avoided resorting to extreme solutions, for example keeping the FTM flap behind the exhaust on the car. However, it cannot be ignored that the Ferraris were the cars that gained the least between the first and second sessions, just 5 tenths for Hamilton and 2 for Leclerc, whose lap was also canceled. A night of work is expected in Maranello to find a balance with the setup, with the awareness that better balance and stability would also help better manage energy.
Watch out for Verstappen
The timesheet at the end of the day sees Lando Norris’s McLaren as the first chaser of Antonelli’s Mercedes. The papaya team also arrived at Spa with a low downforce rear wing, but without yet mounting their version of the Macarena, whose debut is awaited from Austria. Lando made the biggest jump between the two sessions, gaining a full 1.8 seconds thanks to good progress with the setup. Unfortunately for him, the ten-place grid penalty will make it very difficult to fight for the podium, with the feeling that Piastri, 8 tenths behind his teammate, does not have the pace to take his place. To his defense, the Australian driver was affected by yet another technical issue, this time hydraulic in nature, which limited his track time in the second session.
| RACE SIMULATION | |
| Verstappen | Antonelli |
| 1’51’’4 | 1’51’’5 |
| 1’52’’2 | 1’51’’7 |
| 1’51’’4 | 1’51’’4 |
| 1’51’’5 | 1’51’’5 |
| 1’51’’7 | |
| 1’52’’4 | |
| 1’52’’5 |
The most formidable opponent for Antonelli could thus be Max Verstappen, at the wheel of a Red Bull fast from the first session. The RB22 has never lacked speed on the straight, also thanks to the excellent power unit, and does not seem to suffer the setback of the absence of the Macarena wing. Max was the only one to complete a race simulation together with Kimi before the red flag, maintaining a pace comparable to that of Mercedes, at least in the first laps. The impression, however, is that something special will be needed to beat Antonelli at Spa, eager to return to converting the speed he has never lacked into world championship points,
