26/07/2023
NEWS STORY
Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance: Following the ATA experiment in Hungary, we return to the Sprint Event format for this weekend in Belgium.
This means that we have just a single practice session to set the car up ready for the unique demands of Spa. As a result of the long lap, the drivers will get very few laps before they enter the Friday evening qualifying session. The weather forecast is for mixed conditions, which will only add to the pressure on the teams.
The Spa circuit presents a great challenge, combining long straights with significant corner sequences; the trade of downforce and drag is difficult to optimise, especially in the wet.
Both drivers were strong last weekend at the Hungaroring and this weekend is a good opportunity to reinforce that and continue to build momentum as we head into the summer shutdown.
Alex Albon: Coming into Spa, it's a great circuit and one of my favourites to visit. Obviously, it's a track that should suit us a bit more than Hungary, however with everyone bringing upgrades this weekend, we're in a period where it's difficult to know where you stand in terms of pace to our competitors. Last year we scored a point at this circuit, so I think we'll have a good chance this weekend, whilst being mindful of the weather.
Logan Sargeant: I gave it my all in Hungary throughout the 68 laps that we completed in the race. The weekend didn't pan out exactly how we wanted it to, but for the most part I saw a lot of good from the weekend. Considering it was a track that we didn't expect to suit us, I was pretty happy with the pace we had. It should give us a lot of motivation going to Spa. I just need to start stringing it together a little bit better. Heading to Spa, we have a car that should be in a better place at a track that's better suited for us. I'm excited and so are the team, so we should be on for a good weekend. Hopefully we can come away with a strong result before the summer break.