2007 Belgian Grand Prix

The 2007 Belgian Grand Prix (officially the 2007 Formula 1 ING Belgian Grand Prix ) [ 3 ] was the fourteenth race of the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship , returning to the Formula One calendar after a year's absence. It was held on 16 September at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps , near the village of Francorchamps , Wallonia , Belgium.

Practice

Ferrari tried the new traffic light system for the first time. [ 4 ]

Qualifying

This left seven different teams in the top 10. Heikki Kovalainen qualified tenth for Renault, just behind Jarno Trulli in the Toyota. Ahead of them were Mark Webber 's Red Bull and Nick Heidfeld in the BMW Sauber. Nico Rosberg did very well in the Williams to qualify on row 3 alongside Robert Kubica in the second BMW Sauber. However, the Pole was given a ten place grid drop for an engine change. Once again, McLaren and Ferrari occupied the top four places. Fernando Alonso pipped McLaren teammate...

Due to FIA rules about the order in which penalties are applied, Kubica's penalty was applied first. This left him 15th and behind Fisichella. Then the Italian's penalty was applied, so Kubica ended up 14th. This meant Coulthard, Button and Liuzzi all gained two places as both drivers had been ahead of them.

Race

The order from the start remained fairly unchanged with the Ferraris of Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa led away from Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton , although there was a lot of pushing between the McLarens as Hamilton attempted to pass around the outside of turn one, but Alonso pushed him wide onto the tarmac on the outside of the corner.

Giancarlo Fisichella 's Renault suffered a suspension failure on lap 2, making him the first retirement of the race. He had been running last. Also on lap 2, Alexander Wurz spun in the Williams , slipping to the back of the field.

Sebastian Vettel soon suffered a handling problem, probably caused by a collision, which eliminated his Toro Rosso from the race on lap 9.

Massa briefly took the lead on lap 16, but Räikkönen reclaimed it a lap later after his pitstop.

David Coulthard suffered a hydraulic failure in his Red Bull on lap 30. He was quickly followed with a fuel pressure problem for Wurz, who was still last, on lap 35, and the Honda of Jenson Button , which dropped out on lap 37 with another hydraulic failure.

External links

50°26′14″N 5°58′17″E / 50.43722°N 5.97139°E / 50.43722; 5.97139

Quick Facts

2007 Belgian Grand Prix Race 14 of 17 in the 2007 Formula One World Championship← Previous raceNext race →

2007 Belgian Grand Prix ← Previous race

2007 Belgian Grand Prix Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

2007 Belgian Grand Prix Race details[1]

2007 Belgian Grand Prix Date

2007 Belgian Grand Prix Official name

2007 Belgian Grand Prix Location

2007 Belgian Grand Prix Course

2007 Belgian Grand Prix Course length

2007 Belgian Grand Prix Distance

Table 1

Pos.	No.	Driver	Constructor	Q1	Q2
1	6	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:46.242	1:45.070
2	5	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	1:46.060	1:45.173
3	1	Fernando Alonso	McLaren-Mercedes	1:46.058	1:45.442
4	2	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	1:46.437	1:45.132
5	10	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	1:46.707	1:45.885
6	16	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	1:46.950	1:46.469
7	9	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	1:46.923	1:45.994
8	15	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	1:47.084	1:46.426
9	12	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	1:47.143	1:46.480
10	4	Heikki Kovalainen	Renault	1:46.971	1:46.240

Table 2

Pos.	No.	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired
1	6	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	44	1:20:39.066
2	5	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	44	+4.695
3	1	Fernando Alonso	McLaren-Mercedes	44	+14.343
4	2	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	44	+23.615
5	9	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	44	+51.879
6	16	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	44	+1:16.876
7	15	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	44	+1:20.639
8	4	Heikki Kovalainen	Renault	44	+1:25.106
9	10	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	44	+1:25.661
10	11	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	44	+1:28.574

Table 3

+/–	Pos.	Driver	Points
nan	1	Lewis Hamilton*	97
nan	2	Fernando Alonso*	95
nan	3	Kimi Räikkönen*	84
nan	4	Felipe Massa*	77
nan	5	Nick Heidfeld	56
Source: [11]	Source: [11]	Source: [11]	Source: [11]

Image Gallery

content image from 2007_Belgian_Grand_Prix

F1ABY Commentary

Hamilton, a young lion testing the limits of a sport steeped in shadows – the whispers of espionage clung to McLaren like the scent of damp asphalt and burning rubber. Alonso, a titan weathering a storm, his Ferrari a crimson promise against the grey. Australia, poised on the precipice of his first grand prix, a silent witness to a battle for not just victory, but for the very soul of Formula 1. The echoes of Spa, a place forged in legend, resonated with a tension that threatened to shatter the delicate balance of ambition.

This circuit, a crucible forged in legend, demanded respect – a reverence born of countless battles waged beneath skies both brilliant and brooding. Australia’s hundredth start arrived, a milestone etched in the very bones of this venerable track.

F1ABY Trivia

The BMW Sauber’s Mola engine, displacing a robust 2. 4 liters, wrestled with the slick asphalt, its power delivery a crucial factor as Alonso pushed relentlessly, a phantom of red chasing him around Eau Rouge. A curious detail – the Williams-Toyota’s tire pressures, meticulously managed, indicated a deliberate strategy of sacrificing grip for outright speed, a calculated gamble against the intensifying downpour.

The rain descended upon Spa-Francorchamps with a sudden, almost theatrical fury, mirroring the tension coiled tight around the track. Thirty-seven Grand Prix races had transpired, a testament to the relentless churn of the season, yet the numerical dance of victory remained stubbornly skewed. A curious statistic emerged—only *six* drivers had secured more than one win during this campaign, suggesting a brutal, almost merciless attrition rate within the leading pack.

F1ABY Tales

The rain, a bruised violet against the asphalt – it wasn’t a deluge, merely a persistent, insistent weeping. Hamilton, a wraith in papaya, wrestled with the Blanchimont corner, the car a frantic heartbeat beneath him. A fraction of a second. That’s all it took. Alonso, a shadow beside him, felt the shift, the subtle alteration in the grip, a phantom pressure against the steering wheel. The scent of wet rubber, ozone, and the distant rumble of the crowd – a symphony of speed and desperation. A legend was being forged here, amidst the ghosts of Spa’s greatest battles.

The rain, a bruised grey veil descending upon Spa, mirrored the quiet contemplation of Allan Moreau. He stood by the pit wall, a veteran’s stillness etched onto his face, watching young Hamilton wrestle with the slick tarmac. Moreau had seen countless battles waged beneath this canopy, felt the primal surge of ambition and the cold, sharp bite of defeat. A flicker of something akin to paternal concern crossed his features as Hamilton momentarily lost traction, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. He’d witnessed heroes rise and fall, empires built and shattered, all within the embrace of this historic circuit. A moment, suspended in time, a testament to the enduring spirit of the race.