It is the first race after the summer break, because Formula 1 is returning for the Belgian Grand Prix in the legendary Spa-Francorchamps.
The Uralkali Haas F1 team is looking forward to getting back into action after the summer break with the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the venue for the Belgian Grand Prix, round 12 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is one of the most famous venues for the sport and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Baron Joseph de Crawhez and Henri Langlois van Ophem thought that the triangle made up of routes 23, 32 and 440 connecting the villages of Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot would offer a fantastic course that cuts through the contours of the green Ardennes forest meanders.
The first race, in August 1921, was for motorcyclists, but a year later enough cars were registered for the opening of the Belgian Grand Prix. These roads were finally paved in 1928 and in 1950 the 14 km road circuit was included in the first Formula 1 world championship season. Only Monza, Monaco and Silverstone have held more races than the 53 at Spa-Francorchamps.
The current Spa Francorchamps layout, last modified in 2007, remains a formidable challenge and is a favorite in the Formula 1 paddock. At 7.004 km, it’s the longest route on the calendar and features fast and sweeping corners like Pouhon, Blanchimont and the Eau Rouge / Raidillon complex, an asphalt waterfall that riders climb at full throttle.
The track is not only a test for the drivers, but also a test for teams due to the different characteristics, with a performance-intensive first and third sector being counteracted by a long, downforce-dependent middle sector. The teams also face a challenge that has been ubiquitous in Spa-Francorchamps’ 100-year history: the weather. Its location in the Ardennes forest means that conditions can change, even corner by corner.
The rookies Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher from Uralkali Haas F1 Team can boast strong successes in the junior categories at Spa-Francorchamps. Mazepin was victorious in the GP3 series in 2018 and first on the road in Formula 2 last year before a time penalty. Schumacher took his first European Formula 3 pole position and victory on the track in 2018 and won this year’s title, while in 2020 he secured successive Formula 2 podiums on his way to the championship crown.
Günther Steiner, Team Principal of the Uralkali Haas F1 Team
The special highlight of your personal summer break seemed to be the ascent of the magnificent Ortler in your home region of South Tyrol. Can you share this experience and the motivation to climb – a beach vacation wasn’t an option?
“As a South Tyrolean there is always one thing to do – climb the highest mountain in the region! I did it pretty late in my life, but it was one of the things I always wanted to do as a kid, so I made it. I stayed at the beach for a couple of days just to make my family happy – I was happy to be with my family of course – but it’s one of those things, if you want to do something, you have to go and do it. I’m pretty happy – it was a nice moment to be on the beach. It wasn’t easy work, but it takes what it takes! “
Have you been able to successfully balance work and vacation and do you feel fit for the second half of the 2021 season? What is the key to a successful break and what are your immediate priorities after reviewing the first half of 2021?
“I’m absolutely charged for the second half. I’ve been with family for some time, but what I’ve learned over the years in that time is doing something constructive is very difficult because everyone in our industry is on vacation so it just goes back and forth without real result. The best thing is to take a step back, think things through for yourself where you don’t need anyone and then when you come back just work hard. The priority is to just get to the end of the season, do our best as we try to do every race and then focus on preparing for 2022. “
Feel like there is now a bit of light at the end of the tunnel to get the 2021 season behind you and say goodbye to the VF-21 package while raising hopes for the 2022 Haas package?
“Absolutely. We’re getting there. I think there is still a race to go and then we’re closer to the end than the beginning, but the focus from now on is on preparing for 2022 and I think we are are making good progress with it. “
The Belgian Grand Prix is the first race in another F1 triple header. Would you have preferred to have the team started with a little gap between races, or do you think a triple header allows a little more immediate focus given the intensity of the schedule?
“Triple headings are unavoidable while the pandemic is still there. Ideally it would be a single race with a week in between and then the second option would be double races and a week in between, but we can’t make up our minds this year. I think FOM and Stefano are doing a very good job of putting together a good calendar for us and we have to live by that. It will be a tough second half of the season for sure, but our team is tough and we will reach the end. “
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