FORMULA 1 - 2012

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HOW THE F1 TEAMS WILL APPROACHE THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX:

The F1 season resumes this weekend with the classic Belgian Grand Prix at Spa Francorchamps.

It’s the 12th round of the 20 race season and there are lots of talking points in this Strategy Briefing around how this race will be run strategically and who it will favour. Pirelli have made some changes after the controversy last season when their tyres suffered severe blistering on the Red Bull and other cars.

The choice of hard and medium compounds and the changes made to the shoulders of the tyres should ensure that the drivers can push to the limit. Spa these days, with high downforce cars and DRS wings, is flat out for most of the lap. The track presents one of the highest possible usages of the DRS with over 60% of the lap. Only Monza is higher. DRS is worth 1.2 seconds a lap here, so if you can amplify that with a double DRS device, there are significant gains to be had in qualifying. DRS use is not permitted in Eau Rouge corner.

So it should be a very interesting race.

Track characteristics

Spa Francorchamps – 7.004 kilometres.

Race distance – 44 laps = 308.052 kilometres. 19 corners in total.

Average speed 238km/h. Circuit based on public roads.

Aerodynamic setup – Medium downforce.

Top speed 322km/h (with Drag Reduction System active on rear wing) – 312km/h without.

Full throttle – 70% of the lap (high).

Total fuel needed for race distance – 144 kilos (high).

Fuel consumption – 3.2kg per lap (high)

Time spent braking: 14% of lap.

Number of brake zones – 8. Brake wear- Low.

Loss time for a Pit stop = 18 seconds (average)

Total time needed for pit stop: 21 seconds

Fuel effect (cost in lap time per 10kg of fuel carried): 0.38 seconds (high)

The Spa Francorchamps circuit has a very strong history in F1, going right back to the first year of competition in 1950 and is one of the drivers’ favourites. It has the longest lap of any modern F1 track at over seven kilometers and it provides one of the sternest tests of an F1 engine, with around 70% of the lap spent at full throttle. The run from La Source hairpin to the braking point for Les Combes features 23.5 seconds of constant full throttle. For this reason teams rotate the engine use from their allocation of eight engines per driver for the season, so they do not use the same engine at the next race in Monza, another tough one on engines.

Qualifying is not hugely significant to final race result; the pole sitter has only won the race three times in the last 11 years. Overtaking is not a problem at Spa and the DRS wing makes it very straighforward anyway.

In addition to the long straights there are quite a lot of high G-force corners, similar to Silverstone, which take their toll on the tyres. This year Pirelli has brought medium and hard tyres, last year it was soft and medium. They have done a lot of work on blister resistance, as Red Bull and other teams found tyres blistering when they ran extreme camber angles on the tyres.

Form Guide

The Belgian Grand Prix is the twelfth round of the 2012 FIA F1 World Championship and comes after the teams’ enforced two week factory shutdown, during which no development or fabrication work may be carried out.

This does not mean that there will not be any new parts on the cars, as most teams will have been planning a significant Spa upgrade for in the weeks prior to the shutdown. The high speed nature of the circuit will suit Red Bull, Lotus and Williams in particular.

As far as drivers’ form is concerned; Sebastian Vettel won last year’s race while Kimi Raikkonen has always been outstanding here, winning four times. They are the two favourites this year. Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa have both won here, while Michael Schumacher has 6 wins. He will celebrate his 300th Grand Prix this weekend. Fernando Alonso has never won at Spa.

Weather Forecast

Spa is notorious for fickle weather. With such a long lap, it can be raining on one part of the circuit and the rest can be dry. Also the temperatures can fluctuate dramatically, so it can be 30 degrees one day and 15 degrees the next. The forecast for this weekend is for temperatures around 20 degrees and rain showers, with a 30% chance of rain on Sunday.

However the weather can change very quickly at Spa and it’s always a good idea to factor in a solid wet weather plan.

Likely tyre performance and other considerations

Pirelli tyre choice for Spa: Medium (while markings) and hard (silver markings). This combination was seen in Malaysia.

Last season Pirelli brought the soft and medium tyre, this year they appear to have gone a step harder, but as the whole range has moved towards softer tyres, in fact the difference is slight. But there are some important differences in the way the tyres will work at Spa.

The medium tyre has a lower working temperature range so will be easy to warm up if the track temperatures are cool. It will be the main qualifying and race tyre. The hard will be more difficult to warm up but is more durable. If the temperatures are right it could offer an alternative strategy with longer stints on the hard tyre.

Pirelli had problems with blistering on some cars last year, most notably the Red Bulls, when they ran extreme camber angles. This led to very early first pit stops in the race, which rather dictated strategy. Also the harder tyre last year was much slower so drivers wanted to spend the minimum time on it and that led to more stops.

This year Pirelli have done work on blister resistance to avoid a repeat of the problem. Meanwhile they also reduce the tread thickness of the tyres by ½ mm to avoid the heat build up caused by the very high wheel rotation speeds.

Number and likely timing of pit stops

The time needed for a stop at Spa is average at around 21 seconds. Although it’s a long pit lane, with a slow exit, the cars staying on the track must navigate a slow hairpin so the lost time isn’t as great as it might be.

Last year, because the uncertainty over the blistered tyres in the early part of the race forced the strategy, we saw the top four finishers using four different strategies; a mixture of two and three stop strategies, with different tyre combinations. The winner did three stops. Two or perhaps three seems likely, the key will be in finding the fastest combination. In the two races before the break the harder of the two chosen compounds was the preferred race tyre for doing two stints on.

Chance of a safety car

The chance of a safety car at Spa is statistically very high at 80% and 1.4 per race. Rain is one reason, but also accidents tend to be high speed and so there can be quite a lot of debris. Last year’s race saw a safety car.

Recent start performance

Starts are a critical part of the race and strategy can be badly compromised by a poor start, while good starts can make strategists change their plans in the hope of a good result. Much can change. In Hungary, for example, only three drivers completed lap 1 in the same position as their grid slot.

As far as 2011 start performance is concerned drivers have gained (+) or lost (-) places off the start line this season on aggregate as follows:

Gained:


+25 Massa *****

+ 23 Glock,

+19 Perez***

+18 Alonso, Kovalainen

+15 Senna * *****

+14 Vergne

+13 Pic

+11 Raikkonen

+10 Karthikeyan

+7 Kobayashi****

+5 Schumacher* ******

+4 Hamilton , Maldonado****

+3 Di Resta *****, De la Rosa ****, Petrov*****

+2 Button

Held position: Vettel, Webber

Lost:

-1 Hulkenberg Rosberg

-3 Grosjean** **** *****

-15 Ricciardo*

Note- This table is intended as an indicator of trends. Where drivers have had first lap incidents which dropped them to the back of the field, they are not included above, but are detailed in the notes marked * below. This affects other drivers’ gains, but shows prevailing trends of places won and lost at the start.

* Senna, Ricciardo and Hulkenberg were all involved in accidents on 1st lap in Australia

** Schumacher and Grosjean collided on Lap 1 in Malaysia, Senna and Perez pitted for wet tyres on opening lap

***Perez punctured on lap 1 in Spain and went to back of field

**** Eliminated by or involved in first lap accident in Monaco

***** Di Resta eliminated lap 1 at Silverstone, Petrov did not start

***** Massa, Senna and Grosjean involved in first lap collisions dropping them to the back

****** Schumacher forced to pit lap 1 in Hungary (lost six places)

Pit Stop League Table

Of course good strategy planning also requires good pit stop execution by the mechanics and we have seen tyre stops carried out in less than two and a half seconds by F1 teams. The record is a 2.31s stop in Germany by McLaren.

It is clear that the field has significantly closed up in pit stops.

The league table below shows the order of the pit crews based on their fastest time in the Hungarian Grand Prix, from the car entering the pit lane to leaving it. The positions from the previous race are in brackets.

1. Red Bull 18.964s (2)

2. McLaren 19.059 secs (1)

3. Ferrari 19.365s (3)

4. Toro Rosso 19.600s (8)

5. Williams 19.755s (9)

6. Lotus 19.772s (4)

7. Sauber 20.065s (10)

8. Mercedes 20.352s (6)

9. Force India 20.352s (7)

10. Marussia 20.383s (5)

11. Caterham 20.515s (11)

12. HRT 21.259s (12)

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Raikkonen eyes fifth Spa title

Kimi Raikkonen heads to Spa having finished second in Hungary last time out. Looking at his record in Belgium you wouldn't bet against him going one better this weekend.

While Raikkonen failed to finish his first two grand prix at Spa-Francorchamps in 2001 and 2002, he went on to win four times in Belgium, including in 2009, his last F1 victory.

While he heads to Spa with good results to his name and a favourable history, the Lotus man downplays the importance of past events.

"Usually I've achieved good results at the Belgian Grand Prix, but what's happened before doesn't help me right now. Saying that though it doesn't do any harm either. Obviously it would be great to win at Spa for a fifth time. I haven't won during the first part of the season and the extra points are always good," said the Finn.

"For me there have only been good memories from Spa and it's great to go racing there. You can't get the same kind of a feeling anywhere else. It's great to race with a modern racing car at a proper circuit that has such a great tradition."

The 32-year-old has no doubts as to where the key to good results lies at Spa.

"Spa offers very challenging high-speed corners and you need to get the right set-up for the car. As we've seen so many times this year, a good grid position is extremely important and it could be decisive at Spa too. Everybody knows it.

"It's crucial to have a strong car aerodynamically to tackle those fast corners. It's a long lap and to get a fast time you really need to maintain good rhythm. So much can depend on the qualifying result, so we need to find a decent set-up on Friday and Saturday and have a solid qualifying session on Saturday afternoon."

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Petrov to quit F1?

Vitaly Petrov's manager has raised questions about the Russian's future in the sport unless he is able to generate more support in his home country.

Petrov has spoken of his desire to remain in F1 amidst fears over his place at Caterham, with the Norfolk outfit yet to announce either of their drivers for 2013.

However, there appear to be more factors in play, with financial backing a possible problem for Petrov according to his manager, Oksana Kosachenko.

"If the presence of a Russian driver in F1 will be interesting to no one but Vitaly Petrov and Oksana Kosachenko, we'll find what to do outside grand prix racing," Kosachenko is quoted as telling Sport-Express.

"F1 is great - and very prestigious - but, for Vitaly, it's a job that brings no money. Why? There are many reasons but, in Russia, where it's already difficult to 'sell' an athlete, it is almost impossible to 'sell' an F1 driver."

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Neale: We're back on track

McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale admits his team lost the early season development race but that it will not happen again.

McLaren began the season strongly, claiming podium finishes in each of the first three races. However, they then began to stutter as they managed just 50 points in the next six races with Lewis Hamilton's win in Canada the only bright spot.

The Woking outfit headed into the mid-season break on the up though, with Jenson Button having claimed second place in Germany after which Hamilton won from pole in Hungary.

Neale is confident that McLaren are now back on par with their rivals and believes the next few races will be pivotal to the season.

"I think we were out-developed around Easter time by some of our competitors and I think we have out developed our competitors through June," said Neale.

"July and August are still being played out so we will see. There is only a tenth or two separating each car over a lap, so it is still very marginal.

"It is exciting for the fans and spectators with many different drivers winning different races and different teams coming to the fore and dropping back again and we look forward to that.

"The last race was obviously very pleasing. It was the 150th pole position for the team which we should be very proud of. Lewis showed good pace in Hungary. I think that the updates we brought to the car in Germany and Hungary have definitely increased a degree of competitiveness to us, but we can't take anything for granted.

"It was very pleasing to see Jenson in fourth place having a strong qualifying as well. So we have reasons to believe we are making progress but it was a very tight race and I think it will be in the next few races as well."

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Alguersuari backing Alonso

Jaime Alguersuari believes that Fernando Alonso will continue to lead the pack when the F1 season resumes in Belgium.

Alonso headed into the mid-season break with a 40 point lead over second-placed Mark Webber, with the Spaniard starring despite not having the quickest car on the grid.

With hostilities resuming this weekend, Alguersuari feels that the Ferrari man will once again come to the fore.

"There hasn't been a dominant team this season so it's difficult to predict who will run well at Spa but Fernando Alonso is looking best placed at the moment," Alguersuari wrote in his column for the BBC.

"He has done a fantastic job to keep his title hopes alive with a car that was not competitive at the start of the year.

"Alonso has done that through consistency; a bad result for him is fifth place. This is what you want - you don't need to always be fastest, you just want to always be quick.

"McLaren have clearly improved their car after strong performances in the last two races, while Red Bull have shown that they are there or thereabouts.

"Then you have the Lotuses who have scored big points all season and you feel there is something big to come from Kimi Raikkonen or Romain Grosjean. It's so close to call."

It was confirmed last week that Spa will remain on the F1 calendar until at least 2015, a decision that has been met with great joy and Alguersuari is one of those happy to see the track's future secured.

"I think it's great news that Spa has extended its contract to host the Belgian Grand Prix for a further three seasons," said the 22-year-old.

I'm a big fan of the new circuits that we have been going to in recent years because safety is important and these new venues have high standards. However, it is easy to find the limit because there are plenty of big run-off areas.

At historic tracks like Silverstone, Monza and Spa, you feel like everything is just a bit more challenging. There's not much room and you will hit the wall if you make a mistake so those circuits are a greater challenge for drivers."

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Hill backs women to graduate

Former World Champion Damon Hill expects to see the fairer sex on the F1 grid eventually, saying it is 'inevitable' that a woman will one day be able to match her male counterparts.

Although women such as Maria-Teresa de Filippis and Lella Lombardi have already contested grand prix in the past - De Filippis was the first woman to do so in the late 1950s while Lombardi is the only one to score a half-point - it has been 20 years since a woman has even had the opportunity to try and qualify for a race.

However there have been several who have tested F1 cars, including the recent case of Maria de Villota, and now DTM driver Susie Wolff will get the chance to do so with Williams under the guidance of her new husband.

Hill remains confident that at some stage a woman will go a step further than that.

"Maybe it's just numbers, maybe not enough women have chosen that career path and eventually someone will and show they are every bit as good as the best guy out there," he told Channel 4 News,

"It's a little bit hard in motorsport that women don't have their own category, but the women drivers I've spoken to don't want their own category - they want to show they can compete against the men."

In the United States female drivers have proven that they can compete with the men, with Danica Patrick winning an IndyCar Series race.

Following De Villota's accident this year, Wolff now seems the best-placed woman to make the step up - she has been working on simulator and aerodynamic testing for Williams, and is scheduled to get behind a real wheel later this year.

However, Wolff is adamant that she would not want a separate category for female drivers just so that she could graduate to the top level.

"I don't see myself as anything different or anything special, I just see myself as someone following their passion, someone who loves what they do and someone making a dream come true," she explained.

"It's not so much about being in a man's world - it's my world.

"I try and always make the point that I'm racing for myself. I'm not racing to prove how well a female can do up against the men, I'm racing for me but, of course, there is still a lot of sexism."

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Marussia to adopt Williams KERS for 2013

Marussia have confirmed that they will run KERS for the first time in 2013 after agreeing a deal to use the Williams system.

Marussia and HRT are currently the only two teams not using the energy recovery system which provides a 60hp boost for some six seconds per lap.

The teams consultant, Pat Symonds, confirmed the development: "Yes we will be using KERS next year," he said in a team interview.

"We plan to adopt the system that has been developed by Williams, which was used by them with the Cosworth engine last year and is currently with their Renault-engine car. Our 2013 unit is a development of this.

"We've been very impressed with the engineering, the efficiency and the weight. Williams are also a pleasure to work with both technically and commercially."

The Anglo-Russian outfit will also continue to run Cosworth V8 engines. Again just Marussia and HRT currently use Cosworth power as other customers have moved to Renault.

"We are happy with the work we are doing with them [Cosworth] and I think that we are working together to try and improve the areas that we are able to under the regulations," he added.

"We are concentrating on improving the driveability of the engine and enhancing its performance as a unit with the car."

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Domenicali: 'There is no emerging talent'

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali believes there is a lack of "emerging stars" in Formula 1, something he blames on the strict testing regulations.

Whilst F1 introduced a mid-season test this year at Mugello, something that won't be seen in 2013, many teams opted to use their established drivers rather than test drivers - which Domenicali says is limiting the chances for the younger generation to impress.

"I will not speak negatively about the current drivers, but it is clear that we are not seeing any big stars emerging as seen in the past," he told TotalRace.

"If we don't organise more tests within F1, this problem will become greater. That's why I'm trying to convince others that the category has to realise that tests in F1 are critical, not only for the development of the car and team, but also for a new generation of drivers who will not have the chance to grow and be seen."

"We are running the risk that, without testing, we could make it impossible for new stars to emerge because they will [arrive] without the proper experience. They will make mistakes and be under pressure."

In an effort to combat this issue the sport introduced a Young Driver Test at the end of the season. The aim is solely to give rookie drivers who have competed in three F1 races or less, the opportunity to get behind the wheel of an F1 car. However, the test has caused some issue this year with several teams opting to hold theirs earlier in the year. Firstly at Silverstone, then Magny-Cours after the Italian GP and finally in Abu Dhabi.

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Salazar to make driver steward debut at Spa

Eliseo Salazar will make his race stewarding debut at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Salazar is best known for his collision with Nelson Piquet at the 1982 German GP when the Brazilian jumped out of his Brabham and attacked the Chilean driver.

He raced between 1981 and 1983, competing in 37 races. Salazar also tried his hand at sportscars, as a works drivers for the Jaguar team. He went on to open-wheel success in America, taking an IRL victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and finished on the podium in the Indy 500.

He has the distinction of competing in the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona and the Dakar Rally, and recently added a WRC appearance after competing in the 2012 Rally Argentina. He finished a creditable 12th driving a Mini WRC.

He sits alongside Gary Connelly, deputy president of the FIA institute, director of the Australian institute of motor sport and safety and FIA WMSC member and Steven Chopping, former vice president of the confederation of Australian motor sport (CAMS) and permanent steward for the V8 supercar championship.

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Danner thinks Schumacher has agreed new deal

Christian Danner, a former grand prix driver and now German television pundit, is sure Michael Schumacher will still be on the grid in 2013.

Seven time champion Schumacher, now 43, signed a three-year contract when he agreed to return to formula one in 2010 with Mercedes.

The two sides are yet to agree an extension for 2013 and beyond.

But Norbert Haug, Mercedes' motor racing vice-president, ramped up speculation recently when he responded to a question about a new deal for Schumacher: "I doubt there will be an announcement at Spa."

Rumours indicate the great German could ink a new two-year contract, which would mean he is still pushing for championships at the age of 45.

Asked about the age factor, Schumacher told DPA news agency this week: "Age has nothing to do with it.

"Anyway, at the moment it (the title) is not a topic as - unfortunately - we are no longer fighting for the championship. We'll see what the future brings," he added.

Danner, who contested grands prix in the mid 80s and now travels to the races for German RTL television, said: "I'm quite sure the decision has been taken now."

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Vettel must qualify better for 2012 title - Marko

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko is sure reigning back to back world champion Sebastian Vettel is still in the hunt for the 2012 title.

No longer with the season's dominant package, the 25-year-old German is 42 points behind championship leader Fernando Alonso, and he even trails his own teammate Mark Webber by a couple of points.

"The title is still entirely feasible for us," Austrian Marko, who is team boss Dietrich Mateschitz's right-hand man on motor racing matters, told Bild newspaper.

"But Vettel needs to do better in qualifying."

Indeed, after scooping 15 of the possible 19 pole positions as he cruised to last year's title, Vettel has started from the front row of the grid only 4 times so far in 2012.

His sole win so far was in Bahrain, while Fernando Alonso (3), Lewis Hamilton (2) and even Webber in the sister Red Bull (2) have all been multiple winners this year.

But the real problem is Spaniard Alonso's metronomic consistency. In fact, the Ferrari driver can match Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 24 consecutive points finishes this weekend in Belgium.

Marko said: "Vettel doesn't need five wins, but he can't have any more failures. Alonso's run is going to end sometime soon, and when it does we have to be there."

Marko also insisted Vettel, despite being two points behind Webber, will not receive preferential treatment as the 2012 title chase heats up.

"With us, both drivers may be world champion. So Webber can go for the title too," he said.

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Massa ousting 'inevitable' now - Zanardi

Alex Zanardi thinks it is now "inevitable" Ferrari will replace Felipe Massa at the end of the season.

The Italian, whose return to F1 in 1999 ended after just one disappointing season with Williams, thinks struggling Brazilian Massa has "run out of excuses" as he continues to flounder behind his standout teammate Fernando Alonso.

"For me, Felipe is a driver with great qualities, but his anxiety crisis got the better of him," Zanardi, who returned to American open-wheeler racing after leaving F1 and lost his legs in a crash in 2001, told the Italian magazine Autosprint.

"I think if he had tried to be himself, and not Alonso, I'm sure that by now he would have seen the podium quite often.

"But, after all, he is a human being, and more 'Latin' than Fernando in the sense that the British give to the word.

"It's a difficult job, and definitely not easier if you drive for Ferrari. For me, though, at this point of the season, the time for excuses has run out.

"Ferrari will have to stand by him and see if the guy comes out of the crisis, because there are important points that they can bring in 2012.

"But I have to say at this point that I think it is inevitable that they (Ferrari) will replace him."

Zanardi, now preparing to race in the hand-cycling classes at the Paralympics, said that in a 'free market' situation, Lewis Hamilton would be his number one choice to replace Massa.

"Number two," he explained, "is Edoardo Mortara."

Mortara, 25, was the 2010 F3 euroseries champion who now races for Team Rosberg in DTM.

"If I was Ferrari, I would do with him (Mortara) what McLaren did with Lewis. But if we're talking about someone for just one season, then I would take someone like Paul di Resta or Nico Hulkenberg," said Zanardi.

The best car of 2012, Zanardi said, is the black and gold one fielded by Lotus.

"You know why?" said the 45-year-old. "Because as I always said to Morris Nunn -- the best car is not the fastest, it's the one that allows you to put the wheels where you want them."

Zanardi told the Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail recently that, after the Paralympics, his next goal might be to race a hand-controlled car at the fabled Indy 500.

"In a perfect world," he said, "Chip Ganassi would call me and ask if I wanted to do the Indy 500. That would be cool. Let me do this first and then we will see."

[MIKA27]

Title chase entering decisive phase at Spa - Lauda

With the long August break now over, Niki Lauda thinks the 2012 championship is entering a decisive phase this weekend at fabled Spa Francorchamps.

Asked if he is looking forward to the highly popular Belgian grand prix, the triple world champion and F1 legend admitted: "Thank god we at least had the Olympics since the last race.

"Otherwise it would have become really boring," the 63-year-old Austrian told Osterreich newspaper.

"We can expect a spectacular weekend at Spa."

Lauda said it is time Fernando Alonso's pursuers get to grips with his runaway 40-point lead in the drivers' standings.

"For Vettel, Hamilton and the others, it is now something of a preliminary decision time. Now is the need to score points.

"If they are not the front runners at Spa and a week later in Monza, Alonso will be gone."

Lauda said he doubts Michael Schumacher will celebrate his 300th grand prix with a victory at his favourite circuit.

"I wish him all the best for his anniversary race, but Spa is a very difficult track aerodynamically.

"I see Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull at the front instead. But if it rains, as the forecast seems to show, it could be better for him (Schumacher) to show his skills."

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MCLAREN FEELING UP FOR DOUBLE TITLE SHOT:

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh believes the performance the team showed in the two races immediately prior to the summer break has set it up to have a real crack at both world championship titles over the remainder of the season.

The Woking squad had looked in danger of being cut adrift in the battle for the drivers’ championship in particular after disappointing race performances in Valencia and Silverstone but a big upgrade for the German Grand Prix provided a much-needed breakthrough with Jenson Button finishing second there and Lewis Hamilton then winning the following weekend in Hungary.

Hamilton is in the group of four drivers within two race victories of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, with the team back into second place in the constructors’ standings, and on the eve of the season resuming Whitmarsh is confident McLaren is right in the hunt.

“We had a couple of good races before the break. Since then we’ve continued to push hard to develop our car,” he told journalists in a Vodafone phone-in. “We’ve passed the half-way point of the season but the season is incredibly open.

“Fernando and Ferrari have done a good job to be where they are but with nine races to go with the performance we were showing going into the break then we should be focused on winning more races and still very focused on the championships. I think everyone recognises they are wide open and certainly we are in contention.”

With races at high-speed Spa and Monza always neccessitating new wing packages, Whitmarsh says the MP4-27 will feature visual differences from this weekend but has denied speculation that a Mercedes-style double DRS device will appear on the car – admitting developing such a system hadn’t been at the top of the team’s priorities.

“I think you’ll see in the next couple of races [that] the majority of cars will have new wings. You’ll certainly see that on the McLaren,” he admitted. “At any one moment, as you would imagine, [we have] a wide variety of development projects ongoing and the double DRS is interesting. It hasn’t received the maximum amount of resource, we’ve got a finite amount of resource and we try and spend it where we get the biggest bang for our buck and our judgement so far is that we’ve been able to find other projects that deserve that resource and we’ve had a greater performance return from.

“I think there are other variants of it starting to be seen so they might not all follow a pattern that we saw on the Mercedes, which was innovative. But we’re not announcing when, where or if we’re going to introduce it. I think people will see different wing variants, certainly on our car, and you’ll see a number of other visual items on our car [at Spa]. So McLaren will not have a double DRS in Belgium.”

Whitmarsh also said that, despite trailing Hamilton by 41 points and overall leader Alonso by 88 points, Jenson Button was still free to go for wins as normal – although admitted that the situation would be reassessed in several races’ time.

“There may well come a point [when they have to evoke team orders] but I think with nine races to go if you look at the number of points, 25 points per race win, things can change quite quickly. McLaren’s prided itself on going into each season giving both drivers equal opportunity to win races and the championship and therefore we’ve got to be measured about when we talk to those drivers about putting their support behind another driver,” he said.

“So we go into what I hope is going to be a very exciting Belgian Grand Prix and I can assure you that both of our drivers will be trying to win that race and we will be doing everything we can to give both of them the opportunity to have a go at it. I think it’ll be quite a few races time [before] we look at the situation and we’ll make a decision then.”

Following talks over the summer break, Whitmarsh also added that he expected Hamilton’s future at the team to be resolved in “fairly short order”.

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RAIKKONEN PLAYS IT COOL BUT, FEELS LOTUS WILL SHINE AT SPA:

Kimi Raikkonen is many people’s favourite for the win this weekend, in the Lotus, on a track where he has won four times.

The Finn has a special empathy with the circuit and although he doesn’t give anything away about how he is feeling, being back here after two years away, he seems to have a quiet confidence. Certainly many media figures believe he has a great chance, as well as fans, judging by the large turn out at his media briefing in the paddock this afternoon.

“I don’t think that there is anything special, I have had some good races, but also some bad ones. It’s not like it’s always the nicest place for us,” said Raikkonen. “It’s nice to come back, hopefully we can have a strong weekend and try to win.

A win?

“We’ve put ourselves in with a chance a few times, but we have to do a but better and then we can have a chance of winning and get some big points and try to catch up with the others.”

Asked whether he feels he has a chance to challenge for the championship, sitting as he does only one point behind Lewis Hamilton, Raikkonen said, “We’ll try, there are many points to be won still. Alonso has the best chance now, but a lot of things can change in F1. We’ll keep pushing and see where we end up.”

One reason Raikkonen is likely to be competitive, apart from the double DRS device on the rear wing, is that the Lotus worked well on the hard tyres in cool conditions at Silverstone, where Raikkonen was among the fastest cars on race day. “It’s more about the circuit layout, not just the temperature,” he said.

As for the double DRS device, he would not be drawn on whether it will be used in qualifying and the race, “We have to see how it works (on Friday),” he said. “If it’s better we will use it. Until we run it tomorrow we cannot make any decision.”

Having tested it twice during free practice in Germany and Hungary, Raikkonen will be keen to get the performance boost from the fluidic switch device. With DRS worth 1.2 seconds per lap here, the extra boost from the Lotus system could be the difference which allows them to qualify at the front.

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MASSA TO FERRARI: "STICK WITH ME, I CAN DO BETTER"

Felipe Massa has called on Ferrari to stick with him for next season because, “I believe I am a good driver and I can do a lot more than I did in the first part of this year.”

Speaking in the paddock at Spa on Thursday, the Brazilian said that he was working to stay at Ferrari in 2013 and believes he still has a chance to retain his seat, but admitted that nothing is in place yet and anything could happen.

“The direction is to stay here, but nothing is sure yet, ” he said. “So we need to concentrate on the races. At the end of the day, good results are the most important thing.”

Asked about the fact that he’s only ever raced with Ferrari engines in F1 he said, “Maybe I’ll be racing Ferrari engines again next year, but when you don’t have a contract it’s difficult to say.”

This is the time of the year when things start to get settled for the next year in terms of driver movements. After a very tough start to the season, where he admits he couldn’t find the pace in the first three races, Massa believes he has found the pace in recent races and feels he can now show what he can do. He believes he still has what it takes to earn a seat at Ferrari.

“With me in many races, something happened. I couldn’t finish in the position I was supposed to finish, even having the pace to finish in that position. Now I need to concentrate and go in the same direction as Fernando,” he said.

The situation still seems to be quite fluid, with other names like Di Resta and Hulkenberg being mentioned but Ferrari still taking their time to decide.

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McLaren open to team orders

Martin Whitmarsh says there may come a time when McLaren implement team orders in favour of one driver but that they are not yet there.

With nine races to go - a total of 225 points to play for - both McLaren drivers still have a chance at winning this year's Drivers' Championship title.

Lewis Hamilton is fourth in the standings, 44 points behind Fernando Alonso, while Jenson Button is seventh, 88 points off the pace.

However, Button's deficit to his team-mate has raised some questions about whether or not McLaren will ask the 32-year-old to support Hamilton's campaign.

And although Whitmarsh says they might use team orders, he has stressed that it is still too early.

"It will be quite a few races before we make that decision," the McLaren team boss said during a Vodafone phone-in.

"There may well come a point (when we use team orders), but there are still many races left and many points on offer - things can change quickly.

"With the performance we were showing going into the break, we should be focused on winning more races and contesting for the Championship. It's wide open and we're in contention.

"McLaren prides itself on going into each Championship giving both drivers equal opportunity to win races and fight for the Championship.

"We therefore have to be measured in terms of when we talk to those drivers about putting their support behind the other.

"The good news for fans and for both drivers is that I can assure you both drivers will be going into the Belgian Grand Prix trying to win the race and as a team, we will do our best to allow them to do so."

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Schumi: An October decision

Michael Schumacher won't decide before October whether or not he will remain in Formula One next season.

The seven-time World Champion is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of this season having spent three years with the Brackley-based outfit.

But whether Schumacher, who is celebrating his 300th GP start this weekend in Belgium, will opt to prolong his career is not yet known.

"By October we will be able to give indications," the German said during Thursday's press conference. "But there's no news at the moment, I'm afraid."

But while his future is a mystery, his past is the stuff of legends with seven World Championship titles and 91 grand prix victories to his name.

Asked which of his 299 races was his favourite, Schumacher said: "I keep talking about Suzuka in 2000 because of the quality of the race, the end of the race, and the meaning of the result. It was a very special race for me and for so many others.

"But there has been plenty of satisfaction over more than twenty years and I still enjoy it."

Schumacher's 300th race start was also marked by a special occasion as he revealed "this morning I had a nice welcome by becoming an honorary citizen of Spa. That was really special to me.

"First race, first victory, the seventh title; last year was the 20th anniversary and now the 300. I've always called Spa my living room, and now I can officially do so."

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Alonso hoping for 'risky' rain

Fernando Alonso is contemplating a rain dance ahead of Sunday's Belgian GP as "maybe a wet race is better for" Ferrari.

The double World Champion heads into the double header that welcomes F1 back from the summer break with a 40 point lead over Mark Webber in the Drivers' Championship.

However, at the last race before the break, the Hungarian GP, the Spaniard lost ground to several of his rivals as Ferrari's F2012 failed to match the pace of the McLarens and Lotus on a dry track.

So it's no surprise that Alonso says he would rather have a wet Belgian GP.

"When your car is competitive and you are good in that weekend, maybe a dry race is better because it is more consistent," he told Autosport.

"If you are quick you are 99 percent on the podium, which would be a good result already for us.

"If you are not competitive, I am sure the wet conditions are a help because you can do more, like choose the right tyre in the right moment.

"At the moment, I don't know (which would be best), but looking at this year's Championship, maybe a wet race is better for us."

The Ferrari driver, though, did concede that with the rain came more risk however it is the same for all the drivers.

"At the same time, wet is more risk. There is aquaplanning, white lines, kerbs, so the wet race can help you a lot and take a lot as well.

"I think with the Championship position, you must finish races, you must always score points, and a wet race means more risk, but it is more risk for everybody."

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Perez: No reason to leave Sauber

Sergio Perez has yet to decide whether he'll continue with Sauber next season although insists he is happy with the team.

The Sauber driver has impressed in his second season in Formula One, twice putting his C31 on the podium with a best result of P2 in Malaysia.

His success has seen the 22-year-old linked to a move to Ferrari as Felipe Massa's replacement. Perez, though, says he has yet to make a decision on his future.

"It's getting closer to when I have to make a decision, whether I stay with the team or if I will leave," said the Mexican driver.

"It's still a bit early, but it has to be made quite soon, in the next weeks, although I'm not really worried about it.

"I'm in a good position, and I'm just thinking about the second half of the season, which is the most important for me.

"But I need to speak to my people to see what is going to happen about my future.

"Nothing has changed in the last month, and that is why at some point, I need to make a decision."

Perez, though, added that he is very happy at Sauber.

"Sauber is a great team doing a fantastic job. When I go to the factory and I see the people so motivated every day, I don't see any reason why I want to leave.

"I'm happy here, every day I'm more comfortable, and I think they can build a good car for next year, so as I say, I don't see any reason to step away from it."

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PIRELLI TRACK GUIDE: SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS

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2012 FORMULA 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix - Preview & fast facts

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps will host the 12th round of the 2012 Formula One World Championship as the Grand Prix of Belgium signals a return to racing following the series' summer break. The track, which winds up and down through the Ardennes, has its reputation built on speed. At around 20 seconds, the section from La Source to Les Combes is the longest duration an F1 car will spend on full-throttle in 2012 should the driver take the Eau Rouge/Raidillon combination flat-out.

Despite this, and another long flat-out run down to the new Bus Stop chicane, Spa is a more technical challenge than perhaps its high-speed reputation suggests, with the ten corners of the twisting middle sector often being where fast laps are crafted. Because of the challenges of Rivage, Blanchimont, Stavelot and especially Pouhon in this middle sector, Spa doesn't demand the ultra-low downforce aero packages seen at Monza. Instead it falls into the medium-low category similar to those used in Montreal. It isn't a race that heavily taxes suspension or braking, but it does see high tyre-wear and, with a longer lap 7km in total than any other grand prix, pitting at the right moment carries a greater premium.

Another factor is the weather: rare is the year when it doesn't rain at some point over the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. This, in combination with the distance travelled around the lap and its elevation changes, make Spa notorious for inconsistent conditions, with showers falling on some parts of the circuit while others remain dry.

Fernando Alonso goes into the race leading the Drivers' World Championship by 40 points. History looks kindly on drivers in his position with 8 out of the last ten World Championships being won by the driver top of the standings at this stage of the year. Spa, however, is not Alonso's best circuit: he hasn't won here since driving in F3000.

The favourite track of many of the drivers is one of the few remaining from the old guard. While more and more high-tech circuits are filling the race calendar, a lap at Spa leads about seven kilometres through woods, over hills and along public roads. At 300 km/h it's down into a dip. Like on a roller coaster, the drivers are pressed into their seats, shoot down at top speed and then uphill, seeing nothing but the sky.

2012 FORMULA 1 SHELL BELGIAN GRAND PRIX - Fast Facts

Length of lap 7.004km Lap record 1:45.108 (Kimi Räikkönen, McLaren, 2004) Total number of race laps: 44 Total race distance 308.052km Pitlane speed limits 60km/h during practice; 100km/h during qualifying/race

► The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps traces its origins back to the inter-war period. In 1920, the first formal racing layout used public roads between the towns of Malmedy, Stavelot and the village of Francorchamps. By the start of the F1 World Championship era, this had developed into a 14.1km circuit. After many fatalities and serious injuries, that was drastically reduced to a c.7km circuit in the late 1970s. There have been several updates to the circuit since, with many of the faster corners being reprofiled to bring the race track up to the safety standards expected of a modern grand prix circuit.

► Spa-Francorchamps was one of the venues used in 1950 for the inaugural F1 World Championship season. It has been the circuit used for the bulk of Belgian Grands Prix, hosting the race for 44 of its 56 runnings.

► The race has also been held at Nivelles (1972, '74) and Zolder (1973, 1975-82, '84). Spa-Francorchamps has hosted the race in all other years, barring 1957, '59 , '69, '71, '03 and '06, when no championship Belgian Grand Prix was held.

► No driver has won the race at more than one of these venues.

► Twenty-one Belgian Grand Prix winners are also World Champions. Those drivers have never won World Championships in the years the Belgian Grand Prix has been held at circuits other than the one where they were victorious.

► +Ferrari are the most successful constructor at the Belgian Grand Prix. They have 16 victories against 12 wins for McLaren.

► Kimi Räikkönen has an unusual record at Spa: in his seven attempts he has either won or failed to finish. Victories came in 2004, '05, '07 and '09. In 2004 and 2009 his victories at Spa were the only ones taken by his team during the season. DNF's were caused by engine failure in 2002 and a spin while battling for the lead in the closing stages of the 2008 race. His Spa debut in 2001 ended with a technical DNS when transmission failure ensured he did not take the grid for a restart after an early red flag.

► That same race in 2001 saw Michael Schumacher take his 52nd F1 victory, surpassing the standing record set by Alain Prost in 1993. Schumacher's new record currently stands at 91 wins, of which six have come at Spa, making him the most successful driver in the history of the Belgian Grand Prix. Behind him come Ayrton Senna (5), Jim Clark (4) and Räikkönen.

► Schumacher also made his F1 debut at Spa, and this weekend sees him take part in his 300th Grand Prix.

► While the Belgian Grand Prix has held this end of August/start of September slot for over two decades, the calendar around it has changed dramatically. Ten years ago it was very much towards the end of the season with only three races to follow it. In 2012 it is a mid-season race, with a further eight races to come.

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Maldonado not sure of Williams seat for 2013

Pastor Maldonado on Thursday admitted his priority is to stay with the Williams team in 2013.

With financial backing in tow, the Venezuelan made his debut for the Grove team last season and, despite some ups and downs so far in this campaign, he broke through in Barcelona for Williams' first pole and win in years.

But he admitted at Spa Francorchamps that he is not yet signed up for 2013.

"First of all I am concentrating on this season," he told reporters in Belgium.

"We're only at about half the season behind us, but of course I am looking forward to the next one. The team is working hard on the new car.

"We'll see what happens," said Maldonado.

The 27-year-old, with crucial backing from the state owned oil company PDVSA, admitted he is not sure if he will be staying at Williams.

"No, there have not been any contract talks yet. I would say the team is waiting as usual for the end of the season," said Maldonado.

"In formula one, you should never feel safe, but I think I have done a good job and have taken the team forward, especially after the disappointing 2011.

"The mood in the team is much better now, I get along well with the people, but we have to wait. Anything can happen."

Asked if he is looking around at the alternatives, Maldonado answered: "This is still too early, but my manager will take care of it, even though my first choice is Williams.

"We are making steady progress. I would like to win the world championship here before I say goodbye."

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Whiting admits Schumacher drive-through wrong in Hungary

Charlie Whiting has admitted Michael Schumacher should not have been given a drive-through penalty in Hungary recently.

After the Mercedes driver stopped his engine after lining up in the wrong grid spot, he then sped in the pitlane to await the re-start.

Stewards gave Schumacher, 43, a drive-through penalty for the speeding, but FIA race director Whiting has now admitted the punishment was wrong, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Because the race had not officially started, Schumacher's penalty should in fact have been only a monetary fine, the report explained.

The story illustrates how the sporting regulations define a race start.

It means that, in actual fact, Schumacher should be celebrating only his 299th race start this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, not his landmark 300th.

That is because at Magny Cours in 1996, the then Ferrari driver did not actually start the race, because his engine failed on the formation lap.

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Hulkenberg calm amid Ferrari switch rumours

Nico Hulkenberg has described as "speculation" reports he could be headed to Ferrari to replace Felipe Massa in 2013.

After taking some time to settle back into racing this year following a season on the bench, the former Williams driver has impressed at Force India in recent grands prix.

"That (early struggle) has changed and now I am fully comfortable," he said ahead of this weekend's Belgian grand prix.

Reports have even mentioned Hulkenberg, 25, as a possible contender for struggling Massa's cockpit alongside Fernando Alonso.

"That's all speculation and it wasn't me who put it on the table," he is quoted by SID news agency at Spa.

"It's nice when you get good press, but I'm just concentrating on my job," added Hulkenberg.