Sir Jackie's view – Belgium Grand Prix
Three-time world champion Jackie Stewart knows exactly how demanding the Spa circuit can be. And the RBS ambassador had high praise for those who avoided collisions in challenging conditions.
Three-time world champion Jackie Stewart knows exactly how demanding the Spa circuit can be. And the RBS ambassador had high praise for those who avoided collisions in challenging conditions.
"Spa is the longest race track on the calendar, and it's filled with very fast corners. If you have to come off the throttle to correct a mistake – or if you run wide – the 'cost of error' in time is much greater in a fast corner.
Driving at Spa is a nerve-wracking experience. It's what I call a 'raincoat and T-shirt' racetrack. The weather is constantly changing, and the length and topography of the track mean that you can simultaneously experience rain on one part of the track and sunshine on the other.
That just underlines the excellent of Lewis Hamilton's drive. Because in those treacherous conditions, he has a great natural ability to be extremely sensitive to the road surface and how much power he can apply. There's no traction control this year and, being a young driver, Lewis has become less dependent on traction control than some of the older drivers, who have never been in F1 without it.
Kimi Raikkonen, for example, had two off-track excursions due to over-indulgence on the throttle. His second crash, which finished his race when he hit the wall, was the Make it happen moment of the race. It cost him first place, and probably wrecked his Championship chances too.
Lewis Hamilton crossed the line first, but the race stewards later gave him a 25 second penalty for gaining an advantage on Raikkonen while cutting the last chicane. That dropped him from first place to third. I can only judge by the TV pictures I saw. Maybe the stewards had access to other pictures, but it appears to me that Hamilton couldn't have slowed down without going off the racetrack, and, as I understand it, he then let Raikkonen past before the start-finish line.
In the GP2 race at Spa, Bruno Senna, made a similar pit-lane mistake to Massa's in Valencia, and received a drive-through penalty, which cost him the race. You might speculate why the same judgement not made in Valencia. These decisions by the stewards have huge implications, both financially and for the future record books of the sport.
This brings into question, yet again, the management of the regulatory elements of our sport, which is terribly important. Because if you don't have confidence in that, it's a serious threat to the integrity of the entire sport."
