Formula 1 is halfway through the season, landing at one of the historic circuits of the Grand Prix, Spa. The Belgian track is a new opportunity for Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso, who, after debuting updates at Silverstone, have a new package for this race that is raising expectations.
Sprint weekend
It should be noted that this weekend there will be a sprint race. This means that the teams will only have P1 to get the car ready, as the second session will be qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race. This poses a problem for Aston Martin, which was unable to get the car right with the new updates at Silverstone due to time issues, but still managed to get a good result. Considering that there will be new parts for Spa and the limited preparation time, the setup should not be optimal, unless they get it right from the start.
Rain forecast
At the moment, there is a rain forecast for the entire weekend, with a 50% chance of precipitation. Given the current weather conditions, rain and clear spells are expected throughout Friday and Saturday, while Sunday is expected to be sunny in the morning with clouds rolling in as the day progresses, with a chance of rain at race time. The temperature will be between 23 and 24 degrees Celsius on all three days of the weekend.
Aston Martin’s predictions
Aston Martin showed its progress on the grid at Silverstone and is looking to consolidate its position as fifth on the grid. The sprint qualifying is always a mystery, as many teams do not find the ideal setup in a single session, and Saturday’s sprint race is conditioned by the previous day’s results, although Fernando Alonso is expected to finish in the top ten.
However, everything changes for Saturday’s qualifying. By then, the teams will have already contested a qualifying session and a mini race, which is enough to gather data and fine-tune the car. Looking at Fernando Alonso‘s pace in the only laps he was able to complete in dry conditions at Silverstone, there are reasons to believe he can achieve a good result. He is expected to be in Q3 in qualifying, with times between seventh and fifth place.
For the race, given the new improvements that enhance performance over long runs, and considering the pace mentioned at Silverstone, Fernando Alonso is expected to be in these same positions, even fighting for a place in the top five for the first time this season.
But of course, we must keep the rain in mind. The weather will be decisive in the outcome of the race. Any problems with the rain, any accidents, a safety car, can turn the race upside down and anything can happen.
But if it is a dry race and the rain does not make an appearance, it will be a good way to measure the real impact of Aston Martin’s improvements. Fernando Alonso already commented a few weeks ago that a podium finish between now and the end of the season is a real possibility, difficult but real, and that’s what he’s holding on to. There is a lot of confidence in the new updates and there is a lot of confidence in Fernando Alonso, who seems more confident and ambitious than ever.