F1 Belgian GP 2020 Pre-Race Talking Points

A pole position dedicated to a departed on-screen superhero and the departure of Ferrari from the top ten in qualifying. That too at a track where they locked out the front row last year. Qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps saw Lewis Hamilton break the lap record at the fabled venue. There are other talking points to ponder too, however.

Ferrari where art thou?

No power to tackle one of the fastest circuits on the F1 calendar, no cornering performance to handle the 19-turns around the 7.004km circuit, both Ferrari drivers failed to make it to the top ten in qualifying. The sport’s most famous team can only take solace in the possibility of rain on raceday. Although, given how 2020 has gone for them so far, one can probably expect a dry race and at least one of the scarlet cars being lapped by the winning driver. Charles Leclerc will start the race from 13th and Sebastian Vettel 14th. That gives them some freedom as far as tyre choice is concerned, but it will take some doing for them to get a double points finish.

For Chadwick

Lewis Hamilton’s car to pit radio message made it very clear where his focus was before qualifying. The unexpected news of the demise of Black Panther lead actor Chadwick Boseman prompted Hamilton to dedicate his pole position to the late thespian who succumbed to colon cancer. The runaway leader of the 2020 F1 drivers’ world championship was over half a second faster than Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. There may yet be a chance for Bottas and third place Max Verstappen pass him on the long, flat out run from La Source to Le Combes. 

Renault makes gains

It’s too bad that Daniel Ricciardo is leaving Renault after the 2020 season, because they appear to be getting their act together. Ricciardo qualified fourth while teammate Esteban Ocon was sixth. That was easily the best job done by the teams in the ‘best of the rest’ class of F1, meaning the teams other than Mercedes and Red Bull Racing-Honda. There is no guarantee both Renaults will finish the race in those positions with McLaren-Renault and Racing Point-BWT Mercedes gunning to get ahead of them.