Wednesday in Formula 1 was marked by an FIA change for the Belgian GP and a warning from Lewis Hamilton about Ferrari’s development. Spa-Francorchamps also had an important update in the weather forecast, while Williams strengthened its technical structure.
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The FIA defined five zones for the use of straight mode on the Belgian circuit, trying to reduce the effects of energy management on the long straights. The feature will allow simultaneous operation of the front and rear wings to reduce drag, but will be deactivated before sections that require greater safety, such as the entry to Eau Rouge and the approach to Blanchimont.
The weather scenario also changed in the last 48 hours. Friday still presents at least a 50% chance of rain during the afternoon, but qualifying should take place on a dry track, as the forecast indicates a 0% chance of precipitation on Saturday. For Sunday’s race, the risk dropped to 28%, after exceeding 50% earlier in the week.
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At Ferrari, Hamilton stated that the team will need months to bring its power unit closer to the Mercedes and Red Bull packages. The Brit explained that drivers provide information about drivability and power delivery, but emphasized that designing, testing, and implementing changes without compromising reliability takes time.
Williams announced the arrival of Michael Manning as head of track engineering. The professional worked for almost 15 years at Red Bull and was directly involved in important processes of Max Verstappen’s car, including clutch operation and start procedures. The hiring is part of the reconstruction of the Grove team, which also recently received performance engineer Tom Hart.
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