Belgian Grand Prix: Williams preview quotes
Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer: It's great to be back racing again after the August break and the whole team has been preparing eagerly for the remaining nine races, eight of which are back to back. Spa is a fantastic circuit and an excellent challenge for the drivers and car alike. We're expecting rain at the beginning of the weekend but are hopeful for a dry qualifying and race. Setting the correct wing level with DRS is crucial around this track and one tends to see a number of different aerodynamic solutions. Pirelli are bringing their hard and medium tyres which were last used way back in Malaysia
Pastor Maldonado: Spa is a very special circuit for me because I've had a lot of success there in the past and I really enjoy the layout. The circuit also has a lot of history so it's a race that you want to do well at. It will also be interesting to see the performance of the other teams and find out who has made gains since we last raced. I'm looking forward to getting going again after the summer break and hopefully we can build on the good progress we've shown so far this season and have a strong run of results in the second half of the year.
Bruno Senna: We've had a good streak of races recently and I had a solid result in Hungary so I'm looking forward to keeping the momentum going. Spa is one of my favourite tracks and I raced there last year with the Pirelli tyres so that knowledge will help with our performance this time around. Qualifying will be important and I'm looking to get into Q3 like I did in the last race and from there hopefully score some good points for the team.
Remi Taffin, Head of Renault Sport F1 Track Operations: The driver will encounter every sort of corner possible so we have to get the RS27 to perform over all levels of torque and revs. The engine needs to deliver good top end power for the long straights, yet a smooth power curve through the flowing corners like Blanchimont. Response is also key out of the slower hairpins and chicanes. We actually use Spa as a control circuit on the dyno to test an engine's reliability as it puts so much stress on the internal parts. With such huge demands exerted, we'll be introducing fresh engines for this race.
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
The short-term pain that hides a very real Williams improvement
2024 F1 Chinese GP sprint qualifying results: Norris takes pole
Williams may as well “go home” if spares situation changes its F1 approach, says Albon
McLaren to introduce first F1 2024 upgrade package in Miami
WEC Imola: Ferrari 1-2-3 in dominant qualifying feat
Horner: More relaxed Perez no longer focused on Verstappen in F1 2024
FIA dismisses Aston Martin protest over China F1 qualifying
The short-term pain that hides a very real Williams improvement
How a Shanghai to Sheffield journey paved the way for China’s F1 hero
Why F1 2026 worst case fears could be key to new rules success
How the F1 driver market situation sits for each team with 2025 openings
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments