The Spa circuit was resurfaced and became faster

The weekend in Spa will be held on new asphalt, which Pirelli has already tested…

“Pirelli has already had time to evaluate the new asphalt; a month ago it hosted the 24 Hours of Spa race, a classic stage of the GTWC, for which the Italian company is the sole tyre supplier.

The GT3 cars then completed a lap three seconds faster than last year on the same compounds. Of course, the performance of GT cars cannot be compared to the level of Formula 1 cars, even with the help of modern simulation tools, but it is likely that the new surface will lead to significant reductions in lap times and considerably more grip.

For Spa, Pirelli chose the same three compounds as in the last two years: C2 as Hard, C3 as Medium and C4 as Soft. This is one of the circuits with a high average tyre load, but does not reach the peak values ​​of Silverstone and Suzuka.

The circuit features all sorts of corners connected by high-speed sections, making it difficult for teams to find a compromise between downforce and speed. Often cars that are very strong in the fast first and third sectors struggle in the slower second sector, or vice versa.

Some combinations of corners, such as Eau Rouge-Raidillon, have unique characteristics, in this case a high compression load that affects the driver and the car.

Normally the degradation at this circuit is mainly thermal, but the new surface could change that, given the improved grip of the tyres on the track.

The Spa race weekend cannot be discussed without taking into account the weather. If there is one place on the racing calendar where changeable weather can make a difference, it is Spa. Not only can conditions change from day to day, but grip levels can vary dramatically on different parts of the track at the same time.

Because Spa is a long lap, the slightest mistake in deciding when to switch from slicks to wet tyres can seriously affect the course of qualifying and the race. Last year, it did not rain during the race, but it did rain in the days leading up to the weekend. On Sunday afternoon, all the drivers were on slicks, with the vast majority (13) opting for Medium and seven for Soft. Only Norris used a set of Hard tyres for around twelve laps. Of the drivers who finished the race, the majority made two pit stops, with the exception of Russell, Stroll and Gasly, who split the 44 laps almost equally: the Mercedes driver did 22 laps of the first segment on Medium before switching to Soft; Stroll did 20 laps in the C3 and then 24 in the C4, while the Alpine driver did the first 23 laps in Soft before switching to Medium. The Englishman and the Canadian managed to finish in the points, taking sixth and ninth places,” Pirelli said in a statement.