Forget Spring - F1 is back!

The first day of September heralds the beginning of Spring here in Australia...The birds will be cheeping, the sun casting glorious rays of light onto new buds just sprouting from winters bare branches and...Ah hell, who cares...Formula One is back! src

That's right folks the summer break (northern hemisphere summer) is over and the teams and drivers are heading back to the track for this weekend's Grand Prix from the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Stavelot, Belgium. 🇧🇪

The track is 7.004km long (4.352mi) with nineteen turns. The top speed at this track is immense, almost touching 320k/ph and if you've ever stood track-side when an F1 car goes by at that speed you'll know what I mean when I say it's awesome. The top speed is measured by a speed trap on Kemmel straight which runs from the exit of Eau Rouge to the Les Combes corner. The Eau Rouge and Raidillon combination is one of the most amazing sections of track to watch an F1 car at full-tilt and only the bravest drivers, with a well-configured car can hold flat through it. If a driver is able to keep his foot planted through Eau Rouge it would mean the driver is flat out for just over 2km in total...Amazing.

The lap record, on the modern track is by Valteri Bottas of Finland in his Mercedes, a time of 1:46.286, from 2018. This time was recorded with the new pit lane configuration and Bus Stop chicane.

There has been several configurations of the track since 1921. The one above and those as below:

• 2004-2006: Modern circuit - Length 6.976km (4.335 mi), turns 19, modified Bus Stop chicane
• 1994: Modern circuit - Length 7.001km (4.330 mi), turns 19, Chicane at Eau Rouge
• 1981-1993 and 1995-2003: Modern circuit - Length 6.968km (4.330 mi), turns 19, original Bus Stop chicane
• 1939-1978: Old circuit - Length Length 14.1km (8.761 mi), turns 21
• 1921-1938: Original circuit - Length 4.9km (9.31 mi), turns 25

Anyway, I've been waiting weeks for the next instalment of the 2019 F1 season and I'm looking forward to this weekends race. Practice one and two take place on Friday with Practice three and qualifying on Saturday. Then it's race day on Sunday, the first day of Spring here in Australia moment I've been waiting for over the last few weeks!

Driver's points standing - Top five
Lewis Hamilton 🇬🇧 250
Valteri Bottas 🇫🇮 188
Max Verstappen 🇳🇱 181
Sebastian Vettel 🇩🇪 156
Charles Leclerc 🇲🇨 132

Constructors top five
Mercedes 438
Ferrari 288
Red Bull 244
McLaren 82
Toro Rosso 43

If you want to get hold of me over this weekend please make sure you don't...Well, not when I'm watching the racing which I watch live, so in the evening my time. Think twice about trying to contact me...Unless you're the pizza delivery guy knocking on my door! 😃

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Discord: @galenkp#9209 🇦🇺