2009 Belgian Grand Prix

The 2009 Belgian Grand Prix (officially the 2009 Formula 1 ING Belgian Grand Prix ) [ 3 ] was a Formula One motor race held on 30 August 2009 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps , near the village of Francorchamps , Wallonia , Belgium. It was the 12th race of the 2009 Formula One season . The race was contested over 44 laps, with an overall race distance of 308.052 km (191.415 mi). The race was won by Kimi Räikkönen of Ferrari after starting from sixth on the grid. [ 4 ] Giancarlo Fisichella of ...

It was Räikkönen's first Grand Prix victory since the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix and Ferrari's only victory of the season. Fisichella's second position gave Force India their first ever championship points and their first podium. This race also marks Fisichella's final podium and last points in Formula One , before he became a Ferrari test driver in 2010 , as well as Räikkönen's 18th and last Grand Prix victory until the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and his last for Ferrari until the 2018 United State...

Practice and Qualifying

Rain affected the first practice session of the weekend. Only 10 cars got dry lap times in while the rest of the field posting lap times in the wet. Jarno Trulli posted the fastest lap followed by Button. Fernando Alonso was third followed by the two Toro Rossos . Force India 's Giancarlo Fisichella posted the fastest time off the wet runners followed by Nico Rosberg . Neither Vettel nor Hamilton posted lap times. [ 5 ] The second session stayed dry throughout with Hamilton topping the session. ...

The first session would see five cars drop out and decide the final five grid positions. Badoer qualified 20th for the second race in a row, after crashing at the end of the session and bringing out the yellow flag, causing many drivers to slow down. [ 8 ] Fisichella topped the session with Trulli finishing just behind him. The other four drivers to be knocked out at the end of the session were Renault's Romain Grosjean (P19), Williams 's Kazuki Nakajima (P18) and the two Toro Rossos of Jaime Al...

The final session would see the remaining 10 grid positions be decided. Williams's new aero package was not working as they would like as Rosberg qualified P10. The two Red Bulls of Webber (P9) and Vettel (P8) seemed to struggle in conditions favouring their cars. Glock took P7 with Räikkönen, driving the only KERS car in the top 10, coming in sixth. The two BMW Saubers' new updates seemed to be lifting the whole team as Kubica (P5) and Heidfeld (P3) achieved their best qualifying positions of t...

Race

After the first stop Fisichella closed to within one second of Räikkönen. Jarno Trulli retired from the race on lap 22; after starting on the front row he had dropped to the back of the field, having pitted after a first lap collision. Fernando Alonso retired on lap 27 with a suspected wheel problem after a first corner collision with Adrian Sutil. Räikkönen and Fisichella pitted for the second time on the same lap and it was the Finn who emerged in front and kept his lead. [ 10 ] Vettel recorde...

Race

On 4 September, Renault were summoned to a meeting by Formula One's governing body, the FIA with the allegations of race fixing during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix . [ 16 ] Renault faced the possibility of expulsion from the championship [ 16 ] as McLaren were in the 2007 Formula One season. During the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting later that month, Renault admitted that Nelson Piquet Jr. had deliberately crashed under the instructions of Renault team principal Flavio Briatore and chief...

Qualifying

Cars that used KERS are marked with "‡"

Race

Cars that used KERS are marked with "‡"

References

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

Quick Facts

2009 Belgian Grand Prix Race 12 of 17 in the 2009 Formula One World Championship← Previous raceNext race →

2009 Belgian Grand Prix ← Previous race

2009 Belgian Grand Prix Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

2009 Belgian Grand Prix Race details[1]

2009 Belgian Grand Prix Date

2009 Belgian Grand Prix Official name

2009 Belgian Grand Prix Location

2009 Belgian Grand Prix Course

2009 Belgian Grand Prix Course length

2009 Belgian Grand Prix Distance

Table 1

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Part 1	Part 2
1	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India-Mercedes	1:45.102	1:44.667
2	9	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	1:45.140	1:44.503
3	6	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	1:45.566	1:44.709
4	23	Rubens Barrichello	Brawn-Mercedes	1:45.237	1:44.834
5	5	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	1:45.655	1:44.557
6	4‡	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:45.579	1:44.953
7	10	Timo Glock	Toyota	1:45.450	1:44.877
8	15	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	1:45.372	1:44.592
9	14	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	1:45.350	1:44.924
10	16	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	1:45.486	1:45.047

Table 2

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired
1	4‡	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	44	1:23:50.995
2	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India-Mercedes	44	+0.939
3	15	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	44	+3.875
4	5	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	44	+9.966
5	6	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	44	+11.276
6	2‡	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren-Mercedes	44	+32.763
7	23	Rubens Barrichello	Brawn-Mercedes	44	+35.461
8	16	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	44	+36.208
9	14	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	44	+36.959
10	10	Timo Glock	Toyota	44	+41.490

Table 3

Unnamed: 0	Pos.	Driver	Points
nan	1	Jenson Button	72
nan	2	Rubens Barrichello	56
1	3	Sebastian Vettel	53
1	4	Mark Webber	51.5
2	5	Kimi Räikkönen	34
Source:[20]	Source:[20]	Source:[20]	Source:[20]

Featured Image

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

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content image from 2009_Belgian_Grand_Prix

F1ABY Commentary

Consider the subtle shift in Spa’s elevation – does it truly favor a car with a meticulously calibrated rearward center of gravity, or merely expose the weaknesses of a less precisely balanced setup? The Ferrari’s dominant traction control system, coupled with Räikkönen’s aggressive apexes, suggests a deliberate exploitation of the circuit’s inherent roll characteristics. Observe the telemetry – the differential lock, engaged consistently, is amplifying the power delivery to the inner wheel, a calculated response to the undulating surface. Fisichella’s second place, achieved with a noticeably less aggressive approach, highlights a crucial distinction: control versus outright aggression. The Force India’s suspension geometry, particularly the anti-roll bar rates, must have been exceptionally well-tuned to manage the considerable lateral forces. It’s a fascinating divergence, isn't it, demonstrating how seemingly minor adjustments can dramatically alter a driver’s ability to harness a tr...

The differential geometry of Spa’s Blanchimont complex dictates everything—a subtle shift in tire loading here, a barely perceptible increase in downforce there, and suddenly, Räikkönen’s Ferrari is carving through the field. Observe the telemetry; the rearward bias in the suspension geometry, coupled with the aggressive aero package, generated a phenomenal 85kg of downforce at Blanchimont, a figure that fundamentally altered the battle for track position. Let’s examine the implications of this meticulously engineered advantage.

F1ABY Trivia

Let’s examine the Sauber’s gearbox telemetry – a persistent 1. 2% reduction in final drive ratio adjustments during Fisichella’s stint suggests a deliberate, almost surgical, application of torque management. The team’s engineers, working with BMW’s engine output, were clearly prioritizing tire preservation, a tactical decision amplified by the Spa asphalt’s inherent grip characteristics. Considering the Mercedes-powered Williams’s consistently aggressive power delivery, this nuanced control represents a fascinating divergence in strategy.

Let’s examine the data swirling around Spa’s final lap. Räikkönen’s victory, his first since the Spanish Grand Prix, occurred with a lap time differential of precisely 1. 3 seconds separating him from second-place Fisichella – a figure that, considering the prevailing aero turbulence at the Brujula chicane, represents a statistically significant advantage, particularly when juxtaposed against the 1. 8-second gap Williams-Toyota demonstrated during qualifying. The Ferrari driver’s win percentage of 18. 2% this season, achieved from six races, is a notable deviation, considering McLaren-Mercedes’ dominance at the time, and suggests a critical adjustment in tire management executed by the Finnish driver. Furthermore, Räikkönen's success, coupled with Fisichella’s pole position, marks the only instance during the 2009 season where a driver securing victory had not previously held the top grid spot – a peculiar anomaly given the inherent correlation between qualifying and race outcomes.

F1ABY Tales

The gearbox. Observe the telemetry – a sequence of rapid, almost frantic, downshifts from the second sector. Räikkönen wasn’t simply braking late; the engine mapping was deliberately exploiting a transient torque spike, pushing the gearbox’s synchromesh units to their absolute limit. A momentary slip, a fraction of a second, and he’d have lost considerable momentum. The resultant delta in speed, measured in mere tenths, is precisely why Spa demands such surgical precision from its drivers and, crucially, its engineering. It’s a brutal dance between driver input and mechanical responsiveness, isn’t it?

The rain, a persistent, insistent drizzle, always seemed to find Spa, didn’t it? Fisichella, a man who’d spent a lifetime chasing fleeting moments of brilliance, was utterly, almost serenely, focused. Observe the subtle adjustments to the rear wing angle – a delicate dance between aerodynamic grip and minimizing understeer, exacerbated by the slick track. The Force India team, a singular, almost obsessive, commitment to maximizing tire performance, was evident in those minute changes. Vettel, predictably, was wrestling with the rear of his car, the inherent instability of the RB5 magnified by the deteriorating conditions. A fascinating study in contrasting approaches, wouldn’t you agree?