Wednesday in Formula 1 was defined by the FIA’s decision for the Belgian Grand Prix and by a warning from Lewis Hamilton about Ferrari’s progress. Spa-Francorchamps also saw a significant update to the weather forecast, while Williams strengthened its technical structure.
The FIA defined five zones for the use of the straight mode on the Belgian circuit, aiming to reduce the effects of energy management on the long straights. The feature will allow the front and rear wings to operate simultaneously to reduce drag, but it will be deactivated before sections requiring higher safety, such as the Eau Rouge entry and the approach to Blanchimont.
The weather scenario also shifted in the last 48 hours. Friday still presents a minimum 50% chance of rain in the afternoon, but the race is expected to run on a dry track, as the forecast shows a 0% chance of precipitation on Saturday. For Sunday’s race, the risk dropped to 28% after surpassing 50% at the start of the week.
At Ferrari, Hamilton said the team will need months to bring its power unit closer to the levels of Mercedes and Red Bull. The British driver explained that the drivers provide feedback on drivability and energy delivery, but emphasized that designing, testing, and implementing changes without compromising reliability takes time.
Williams announced the arrival of Michael Manning to serve as head of track engineering. The professional spent nearly 15 years at Red Bull and was directly involved in important processes of Max Verstappen’s car, including clutch operation and starting procedures. The hire is part of Grove’s rebuilding efforts, which also recently brought in performance engineer Tom Hart.
