F1 Talk: Formula 1 heads back to Spa one year after Hubert’s tragic accident

While 2020 has seen so much change, the return of the Formula 1 circuit to Circuit de Spa Francorchamps will provide everyone within motorsport and beyond the chance to reflect on the tragic death of Anthoine Hubert.

This venue marked Charles Leclerc’s first F1 victory on the same weekend one of his closest friends died on a racetrack. It was a fitting, yet heart-wrenching way for the Monegasque to secure his maiden Grand Prix victory as he once again proved his mental strength in tragic circumstances.

But with Mercedes having over a second in hand over the competition, the 2020 version of the Belgian GP looks to have a more predictable script.

Lewis Hamilton has now recorded four wins this season, and it will take something extraordinary to halt that winning streak this weekend. The Briton dominated the last race in Barcelona, managing to pit and get back out ahead of Max Verstappen in the dying stages of the race showed that racing in the 2020 is dominance in the extreme.

With the Silver Arrows having the fastest package in a straight line and through the corners, it is a recipe for another dominant weekend.

But new for this weekend is a change to the engine modes, meaning that the teams have to stick to one engine mode throughout qualifying and the race which could create some different outcomes and reduce Mercedes one second plus advantage in qualifying.

Red Bull Racing will be leaving Barcelona feeling rather ambivalent; on the one hand, they split the Mercedes again, but on the other hand, Red Bull lost more than an entire pit stop on Mercedes around a high-downforce track which should suit the RB16.

The Milton-Keynes squad know that maximizing their points total at Spa and Monza will be crucial if they are to have a sniff at the title this season.

Racing Point have managed to climb up to third place in the constructors championship after the last race at Barcelona. Both drivers performed well with Lance Stroll finishing fourth and Sergio Perez in fifth position.

While the controversy over their brake ducts continues to rumble on, Renault have now withdrawn their appeal over the decision given by the FIA, meaning Ferrari are the only team left asking for clarification from the FIA.

Another strong performance is expected this weekend at Spa Francorchamps as let us not forget that this is the same team that propelled Giancarlo Fisichella to pole position and second place in 2009. Can they repeat that success this weekend?

McLaren head to Spa just one point behind Racing Point and one point ahead of Ferrari as the Woking-based team continue to pick up points at every event this season. Spa Francorchamps will be another test for them, but if the form of the first part of the season is anything to go by, then they are most certainly up for the challenge.

Ferrari will head to Spa with a sense of frustration as after last year’s lights-to-flag victory by Charles Leclerc, they are going to have their work cut out to get both cars in the points this weekend.

The Scuderia have seemingly accepted their place in the F1 pecking order with good grace and are in the brace of a duel with Racing Point and McLaren. They will hope to still be in the mix after these two high-speed events at Spa and Monza.

Renault will look to bounce back at Spa Francorchamps after a disappointing weekend at Barcelona. They will be after a strong weekend in Belgium to get their championship back on track, and if their performance at high-speed Silverstone is anything to go by, a good weekend could be in the offing.

AlphaTauri have been a bit of a mystery in 2020, but after more points in Barcelona, they seem to be performing relatively well. Pierre Gasly in particular is consistently getting that car into Q3 and challenging for points finishes. Both driver will hope to do just that this weekend.

Alfa Romeo have not scored a point since Antonio Giovinazzi scored two at the season-opening Austrian GP. The Swiss outfit have one of the slowest cars on the grid and with sheer power being essential this weekend, another painful event is likely.

Haas like Alfa are continuing to struggle with the poor power-train onboard their car. Different strategies have kept the American outfit in the mix, but the sheer lack of power could make even that difficult.

Williams will be looking forward to a strong weekend at Spa Francorchamps after showing good form in qualifying as of late. The new structure to the organisation will give everyone a real boost heading into the weekend and will look to have a strong performance as the team starts to look towards a new era.

Formula 1 at Circuit de Spa Francorchmaps is always an event to behold as the ultimate high-speed roller-coaster. One year on from the tragic death of Anthoine Hubert, it is a timely reminder of the danger of motorsport at all levels.

The circuit has seen some cosmetic changes this year as a result of 2019, with the tyre barrier where Hubert’s car had struck being deepened from two tyres deep to four. The barrier was four deep further back from the corner, where crashes had been frequent and the move is hoped to reduce the threat of cars being “ejected” (as written in the FIA report) after a near-front impact with the barrier.

Formula One has made significant changes thanks to the impact of Coronavirus and as we reflect on Hubert’s passing, we must not forget that safety remains a high priority. On and off the racetrack.

But after winning five of the first six races, can anyone or anything stop Mercedes from adding another victory to their record?