Fraser MasefieldWith an encouraging fourth and fifth place finish at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona still fresh in the memory, the BWT Racing Point team, partnered by Acronis, travels to the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the Belgian Ardennes in confident mood.
Canadian driver Lance Stroll was only one place off a podium finish in Spain and, at a venue which should suit the Racing Point car’s characteristics, he is hopeful of perhaps even going one better in Belgium.
“It’s a great track and traditionally it’s been good for our car,” said Stroll. “A Formula 1 car really comes to life at Spa, just like it does at Silverstone or Suzuka. You really get to feel the sensation of pushing a car to its limit and understanding what it can do at these kinds of circuits.”
Stroll also has extra motivation to compete well at Spa-Francorchamps, as it’s almost a second home race for him, his mother having been born in Belgium.
Yet there is a much bigger incentive. He will personally donate $1,800 to the LAFD Foundation for every point he scores, to help the recovery effort in the wake of the devastating California fires that has claimed the lives of so many animals, and forced the evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people.
This past week has been a time of reflection for me. It’s devastating to see what’s happening in California. Millions of animals are at risk and over a hundred thousand people have evacuated their homes. [1/4] pic.twitter.com/Y6UHIAcKjD
— Lance Stroll (@lance_stroll) August 25, 2020
Teammate Sergio Perez is also confident of another good showing in Spa, the Mexican boasting a strong record around a circuit that is a favourite amongst all drivers.
“I’m quite proud of my record at Spa. I’ve finished in the top five there a few times, so it’s definitely one of my stronger circuits,” added Perez. I’m enjoying driving the RP20 and it has performed strongly at different types of circuit this season. If we put everything together, we can fight for another strong result this weekend.”
With the hilly Ardennes region creating a unique microclimate that can change in an instant, and so often does, race strategy is again going to be critical to a good result. Rain is bound to play a factor at some point over the weekend and, with the circuit having one of the longest laps on the calendar, correctly judging when to make the change from wets to slicks or vice versa can be the difference between success and failure.
Who's enjoying one of the longest points-finishing streaks on the grid? 📏
What important milestone could the team reach this week? 📍
All is revealed 👉https://t.co/pQDwlJqpEH #F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/8WTQUON27G
— BWT Racing Point F1 Team (@RacingPointF1) August 24, 2020
Craig Scarborough
Motorsport Technology