2015 Belgian Grand Prix

Formula One motor race held in 2015 F1 Belgium Belgian http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/races/2015/Belgium.html Spa-Francorchamps Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 2015 16 August 2015 11 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150711013721/http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/races/2015/Belgium.html dead Spa-Francorchamps of Belgium.svg 250px Layout of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit 23 August 2015 2015 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix 11 19 Circuit de Spa-FrancorchampsStavelot, Belgium Permanent racing facility 4.352 7.004 43 187.063 301.048 44 191.415 308.052 Cloudy23 C F air temperature33-37 C F track temperature3.5 m/s ft/s on wind from the northwestGP Belgien in Spa-Francorchamps / Rennen http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/ergeb/2015/11/71.shtml motorsport-total.com 20 March 2016 de Belgian GP in Spa-Francorchamps / Race Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:47.197 GBR Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:52.416 34 GER Lewis Hamilton Mercedes GBR Nico Rosberg Mercedes GER Romain Grosjean Lotus-Mercedes FRA BEL 2015 Italian Grand Prix 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix The 2015 Belgian Grand Prix (formally the 2015 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 23 August 2015 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, Belgium. It was the eleventh round of the 2015 Formula One season, and the 71st Belgian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes entered the event as the overall Drivers' Championship leader, 21 points ahead of his teammate Nico Rosberg and 42 points ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Mercedes led the Constructors' Championship by 147 points over Ferrari, while Williams entered the event in third, a further 85 points adrift. Having won the 2014 edition, Daniel Ricciardo was the defending race winner. Lewis Hamilton won the race for Mercedes, extending his championship lead over Rosberg, who finished second, to 28 points. Romain Grosjean and Lotus secured a podium finish for the first time since the 2013 United States Grand Prix, Grosjean's last to date, benefitting from a controversial tyre failure on Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari late in the race. The race was identified by Scuderia Ferrari as their 900th Grand Prix participation. McLaren was handed a record 105-place grid penalty for a multitude of changes to their Honda power units. Report Background Pirelli, Formula One's sole tyre supplier since 2011,Galloway James Pirelli to stay as F1's sole tyre supplier until 2019 season http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10025880/pirelli-to-stay-as-f1s-sole-tyre-supplier-until-2019-season Sky Sports 6 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151110160240/http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10025880/pirelli-to-stay-as-f1s-sole-tyre-supplier-until-2019-season 10 November 2015 12 October 2015 supplied the ten teams with four compounds of tyres for the event. The two dry selections were the white-banded medium compound as the "prime" tyre, while the yellow-banded soft compound was provided as the softer "option" choice.https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2015/6/pirelli-opt-for-aggressive-tyre-choice-for-monza.html Pirelli opt for aggressive tyre choice for Italy Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 18 June 2015 16 August 2015 The green-banded intermediate weather tyre and the blue-banded full wet compounds were brought to all events.Tyres http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/rules-regs/Tyres_and_Wheels.html Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 26 August 2015 As a consequence of Konstantin Tereshchenko's crash in a GP3 Series race in 2014, new asphalt was laid down on the inside of the final corner, replacing the patch of grass that was there before.http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/20/drivers-prefer-spas-old-bus-stop-chicane/ Drivers prefer Spa's old 'Bus Stop' chicane F1Fanatic 20 August 2015 21 August 2015 Keith Collantine In addition, a new kerb was added at the exit of the famous Eau Rouge corner, on the apex of turn four. The kerb was however removed on Saturday after the FIA discussed the matter with the drivers. At turn one, the La Source hairpin, the exit kerb was shortened to make it easier to rejoin the track in the event of a driver running wide.Collantine Keith FIA removes new kerb from Eau Rouge/Raidillon http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/22/fia-removes-new-kerb-from-eau-rougeraidillon/ F1Fanatic 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 thumb|The new spoon shaped rear wing introduced on the Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid Scuderia Ferrari identified this race as their 900th Grand Prix participation.Belgian GP – Off again at a classic circuit http://formula1.ferrari.com/en/belgian-grand-prix-off-again-at-a-classic-circuit/ Scuderia Ferrari 23 August 2015 Driving for the Scuderia was Kimi Räikkönen, the most successful active driver at Spa, who extended his contract with the team for an additional year in the week prior to the race.Kimi Raikkonen handed contract extension by Ferrari for 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/aug/19/kimi-raikkonen-handed-contract-extension-ferrari-f1-2016 The Guardian 23 August 2015 19 August 2015 Mercedes introduced a new low-downforce rear wing for Spa, featuring a spoon-shaped design, similar to that of the McLaren MP4-21 in 2006.Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid – Spa-Francorchamps rear wing http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/technical/2015/8/mercedes-f1-w06-hybrid---spa-francorchamps-rear-wing.html Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 24 August 2015 23 August 2015Tech: Mercedes' twisted wing explained http://plus.autosport.com/premium/feature/6648/tech-mercedes-twisted-wing-explained/ autosport.com 24 August 2015 The aim was to find a balance between low-downforce for the long straights on the Spa circuit while at the same time retaining enough downforce for the more twisting second sector of the track.De Groote Steven Mercedes re-introduces curvy rear wing http://www.f1technical.net/development/473 f1technical.net 6 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151206142306/http://www.f1technical.net/development/473 6 December 2015 25 August 2015 Red Bull on the other hand tested two different rear wings during Friday's free practice sessions. While Daniel Ricciardo ran with a very low-downforce wing, Daniil Kvyat tested a "more Spa-specific set-up", which was ultimately used by both drivers in qualifying and the race to prevent tyre degradation.Red Bull RB11 - rear wing updates http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/technical/2015/8/red-bull-rb11---rear-wing-updates.html Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 26 August 2015 26 August 2015 McLaren came to Spa with a new specification power unit, aiming to reach the level of Ferrari's unit with the introduced changes.Anderson Ben Honda aiming to match Ferrari with Formula 1 power unit update http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120337 autosport.com 25 August 2015 17 August 2015 However, the team's racing director Éric Boullier warned that it might take until Singapore until the gains could be visible and expected a "difficult" Belgian Grand Prix.Galloway James McLaren-Honda expect 'difficult' Belgian GP despite new-spec engine http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12479/9954624/mclaren-honda-expect-difficult-belgian-gp-despite-new-spec-engine Sky Sports 25 August 2015 18 August 2015 In suit with the new power unit the team introduced a new engine cover. Further updates to the McLaren MP4-30 included an "unprecedented" tray design for the front of the floor, as well as lower sidepods and a new position for the radiator that cools the electronic recovery system.McLaren MP4-30 - slotted tea tray http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/technical/2015/8/mclaren-mp4-30---slotted-tea-tray.html Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 26 August 2015 24 August 2015 Going into the weekend, Lewis Hamilton led the Drivers' Championship with 202 points, 21 ahead of second placed Nico Rosberg. Sebastian Vettel for Ferrari was a further 21 points behind Rosberg, having closed the gap by winning the previous round in Hungary.2015 Classifications http://www.fia.com/events/formula-1-world-championship/season-2015/2015-classifications FIA 4 September 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20160104225118/http://www.fia.com/events/formula-1-world-championship/season-2015/2015-classifications 4 January 2016 In the Constructors' Championship, Mercedes with 383 points were leading Ferrari by 147 points, while third placed Williams were a further 85 points behind. Regulation changes In an attempt to limit the influence of pit walls on their drivers during race starts, new regulations were introduced for the start procedure from the Belgian Grand Prix onwards. Drivers were now only allowed to adjust one clutch level after leaving the pit garage for the starting grid.http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/features/2015/8/pre-spa-analysis-mclaren-the-big-winners-of-start-changes.html Pre-Spa analysis – McLaren the big winners of start changes? Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 21 August 2015 21 August 2015 The response from drivers was mixed, with Nico Rosberg commenting that the new start procedures would be challenging,http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120012 New Formula 1 grand prix start rules 'a big change' – Nico Rosberg autosport.com 17 July 2015 21 August 2015 Ben Anderson while Fernando Alonso opined that the changes were not significant, and Daniel Ricciardo hoped the new procedure might help his team.http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/interviews/2015/8/exclusive-daniel-ricciardo-q-a--start-changes-could-help-red-bul.html Exclusive Daniel Ricciardo Q&A: Start changes could help Red Bull Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 20 August 2015 21 August 2015 Lotus legal troubles The Lotus team experienced legal difficulties over the Spa weekend, as a legal battle with former test driver Charles Pic, concerning the time the team had granted Pic at the wheel of their 2014 car. With the case in arbitration court, Lotus faced the threat of their cars being impounded and unable to move following the conclusion of the Grand Prix weekend.Rencken Dieter Parkes Ian Lotus facing threat of F1 cars being impounded following Belgian GP http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120397 autosport.com 22 August 2015 21 August 2015 The bailiffs returned the cars to Lotus and the team was eventually able to travel to Italy,Johnson Daniel Italian Grand Prix: Bailiffs release Lotus cars to make trip to Monza https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/11839904/Italian-Grand-Prix-Bailiffs-release-Lotus-cars-to-make-trip-to-Monza.html The Telegraph 7 September 2015 2 September 2015 after Bernie Ecclestone, chief executive of the Formula One Group, "stepped in to ensure staff were paid", while their financial problems continued to question the team's future.Baldwin Alan Lotus head for Monza hoping for good news http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-motor-racing-lotus-idUKKCN0R14O520150901 https://web.archive.org/web/20190410014232/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-motor-racing-lotus-idUKKCN0R14O520150901 dead April 10, 2019 Reuters 2 September 2015 1 September 2015 Free practice Per the regulations for the 2015 season, three practice sessions were held, two 90-minute sessions on Friday and another one-hour session before qualifying on Saturday.Practice and qualifying http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/rules-regs/Practice_qualifying_and_race_start_procedure.html Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 25 October 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150905082403/http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/rules-regs/Practice_qualifying_and_race_start_procedure.html 5 September 2015 In the first practice session on Friday morning, Nico Rosberg was fastest after initial trouble with his power unit, a quarter of a second ahead of his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) was third, just five hundredths of a second slower than Hamilton, with Kimi Räikkönen another tenth down in fourth. Fifty minutes into the session, a red flag came out when Pastor Maldonado lost traction at the rear end of his Lotus E23 Hybrid at the exit of Les Combes corner and crashed into the tyre barriers, damaging the front-right of his car. The session was stopped for ten minutes for the track marshals to repair the barriers.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120388 Belgian GP: Nico Rosberg leads Lewis Hamilton in first Spa practice autosport.com 21 August 2015 21 August 2015 James Roberts Speaking about his accident, Maldonado said: "It was very unlucky because I nearly saved the car. But anyway, it happened. This track is always very difficult when you have a moment or whatever, especially at that point where the second sector is quite narrow. But this can happen. Now we can't change that. We need to look forward."Barretto Lawrence Parkes Ian Belgian GP: Pastor Maldonado says F1 practice crash 'very unlucky' http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120401 autosport.com 22 August 2015 21 August 2015 In the second Lotus, Romain Grosjean was again replaced by Jolyon Palmer, who finished practice 17th.Andrew Benson Jolyon Palmer gets Lotus practice role for remaining European races https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/33097912 BBC 25 August 2015 11 June 2015 "It wasn't down to my skill, it was just luck that I stayed out of the wall. [...] It was quite a shock in the first moment because I just don't expect it. Suddenly at 306kph you just lose control – not good." Nico Rosberg, speaking about his spin in Free Practice 2Collantine Keith 'Just lucky' I didn't hit the wall – Rosberg http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/21/just-lucky-i-didnt-hit-the-wall-rosberg/ F1Fanatic 22 August 2015 21 August 2015 30% right Another accident marred the second practice session on Friday afternoon, when a rear tyre on Nico Rosberg's Mercedes blew, causing him to spin in the run-up to Blanchimont corner. Rosberg was able to avoid hitting the tyre barriers, but the session was nevertheless red-flagged in order to clear the track of the car. Prior to this incident, Rosberg had set the fastest time of the session with 1:49.687, three-tenths of a second faster than teammate Hamilton, in second. Ricciardo was again third, a further 0.4 seconds adrift, ahead of fellow Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat, one second behind Rosberg. The Williams cars of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa were 14th and 16th respectively, ahead of the two McLaren drivers, who were faster only than the two Manor Marussia cars.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120393 Belgian GP: Mercedes' Nico Rosberg tops practice before tyre blows autosport.com 21 August 2015 21 August 2015 Lawrence Barretto Rosberg's tyre failure was later deemed the result of an "external cut", excluding the possibility of "any structural integrity issues".Parkes Ian Belgian GP: 'External cut' caused Nico Rosberg tyre blow – Pirelli http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120410 autosport.com 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 Rosberg however remained worried about the reliability of the tyres for Sunday's race, saying: "The problem is that we don't really understand it. There are theories but there is no real evidence, so that's a bit worrying for sure."Barretto Lawrence Beer Matt Belgian F1 GP: Nico Rosberg not reassured over tyres after blowout http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120420 autosport.com 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 World champion Lewis Hamilton bounced back in the third session on Saturday morning, being quickest, almost half a second faster than Rosberg. In "an uneventful session", the two Ferrari drivers were third and fourth, with Vettel leading Räikkönen. Meanwhile, the Force India drivers Sergio Pérez and Nico Hülkenberg ended the session in fifth and eighth respectively, separated by the Red Bull drivers. The only nuisance in third practice occurred when Romain Grosjean almost spun having to go around Kimi Räikkönen in turn 16, complaining to his team about a "very, very dangerous" manoeuvre.Collantine Keith Hamilton to the fore in final practice http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/22/hamilton-to-the-fore-in-final-practice/ F1Fanatic 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 Qualifying Qualifying consisted of three parts, 18, 15 and 12 minutes in length respectively, with five drivers eliminated from competing after each of the first two sessions. Valtteri Bottas was first and last out on track during the first part of qualifying (Q1), starting the lap that saved him from elimination in the very last moments of the session. Excluded from further participation were both Manor Marussia cars, both McLaren drivers and Sauber's Felipe Nasr. Max Verstappen succeeded in progressing into Q2 despite complaining about a loss of power on his car.Collantine Keith Hamilton storms to pole as Ferrari falter at Spa http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/22/hamilton-storms-to-pole-as-ferrari-falter-at-spa/ F1Fanatic 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 The second part of qualifying saw Kimi Räikkönen come to a halt on track due to a loss of oil pressure. The session was briefly red-flagged to clear the track and when it resumed, both Mercedes drivers decided not to head out again, since their first times where sufficient to advance to Q3. Max Verstappen did not compete in Q2 at all due to the problems on his car, leaving him in provisional 14th (bar his penalty) and Räikkönen in 15th on the grid.Rose Gary How Belgian GP qualifying unfolded https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/formula1/32542939 BBC 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 The other three drivers to be eliminated were Marcus Ericsson for Sauber, Daniil Kvyat and Nico Hülkenberg. Hülkenberg's time was just three-tenths of a second slower than that of Sebastian Vettel in tenth and he became the only driver of a Mercedes-powered car not to compete for pole position. thumb|Lewis Hamilton celebrates taking pole position. Lewis Hamilton was the first Mercedes driver to set a timed lap in Q3, being almost half a second faster than Rosberg in Q2. While Rosberg succeeded in bettering his times as well, he nevertheless ended up 0.458 seconds behind his teammate and second on the grid. This handed Lewis Hamilton his tenth pole position in eleven races, meaning that he secured the FIA Pole Position Trophy at this early stage of the season.Anderson Ben Belgian F1 GP: Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton extends pole streak at Spa http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120418 autosport.com 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 The next fastest car, Valtteri Bottas for Williams was 1.3 seconds off Hamilton's time of 1:47.197. Fourth fastest was Grosjean, who delivered what the BBC called a "stunningly impressive" lap. Sergio Pérez put in a surprising effort as well, finishing fifth for Force India. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel, who had won the previous race in Hungary, managed only ninth fastest after a mistake at the final chicane.Benson Andrew Lewis Hamilton on Belgian GP pole ahead of Nico Rosberg https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/34028115 BBC 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 After qualifying, Hamilton stated his performance was mainly due to improvements he made in the middle sector of the lap, saying: "Sector two has been probably in the past a bit of a weak point. I knew the lines but could never really put the corners together. Definitely on those last two laps that was a very, very strong area for me." Indeed, he gained most of his time on Rosberg in this sector, containing the majority of the circuit's corners. He became the first driver since Michael Schumacher – who achieved the feat in 2000–2001 – to secure six consecutive pole positions, while the last driver to score six consecutive poles in one season was Mika Häkkinen in 1999. Following their poor qualifying performance and grid penalties, Jenson Button expected a "lonely race" for McLaren, saying: "I actually enjoyed driving the car, and when you cross the finishing line and you see the time you think 'That's not bad'. But then when you see where you are, a second off the guy in front of you, it's a massive margin, it hurts."Parkes Ian Belgian F1 GP: McLaren's Button and Alonso resigned to lonely race http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120421 autosport.com 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 Penalties thumb|Jenson Button expected a "lonely race" after a poor qualifying and a grid penalty. McLaren, who were expected to benefit from the start changes, were set to start the race from the back of the grid. After they had already been allowed to use one additional power unit in the 2015 season, the team had used their sixth power unit for the Hungarian Grand Prix,http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120063 McLaren F1's Alonso and Button get 'free' new Hondas for Hungary autosport.com 23 July 2015 21 August 2015 Lawrence Barretto and now equipped both cars with a seventh, heavily revised version of their power unit for Belgium on Friday. McLaren made another power unit change on Saturday,Parkes Ian Belgian F1 GP: McLaren's Button and Alonso have second Honda change http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120413 autosport.com 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 since a mid-season change in regulations meant that penalties could no longer result in in-race time penalties.http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/latest/headlines/2015/8/mclaren-set-to-start-at-rear-of-spa-grid.html McLaren set to start at rear of Spa grid Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 21 August 2015 21 August 2015 The cumulative 105-place grid penalty set a new record in Formula One.Benson Andrew 22 August 2015 Belgian Grand Prix: McLaren given 105-place grid penalty https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/34008319 22 August 2015 BBC Max Verstappen received a ten-place grid penalty after he equipped his sixth power unit on Friday.Collantine Keith Verstappen set for engine penalty, Kvyat reprimanded http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/21/verstappen-set-for-engine-penalty-kvyat-reprimanded/ F1Fanatic 22 August 2015 21 August 2015 After Lotus changed the gearbox on Romain Grosjean's car on Saturday, Grosjean was handed a five-place grid penalty, moving him from fourth to ninth on the grid.Barretto Lawrence Belgian F1 GP: Romain Grosjean handed penalty for gearbox change http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120417 autosport.com 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 For the same reason, Kimi Räikkönen received a five-place grid penalty, which only set him back two places due to penalties of other drivers.Parkes Ian Belgian GP F1: Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen gets gearbox penalty http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120440 autosport.com 23 August 2015 23 August 2015 Race thumb|Nico Hülkenberg was unable to start the race. Prior to the race start, Nico Hülkenberg returned to the pit garage after reporting a loss of power on his Force India, but he eventually made it to the grid. His problem returned during the formation lap and when his car stalled on the starting grid, the starting procedure was aborted and another formation lap commenced.Rose Gary How the Belgian GP unfolded https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/formula1/32542940 BBC 23 August 2015 23 August 2015 Carlos Sainz Jr. experienced a similar problem during the second formation lap and was called into the pit lane. He was eventually sent out after the race started.McVeigh Niall F1: Lewis Hamilton wins the Belgian Grand Prix 2015 – as it happened https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2015/aug/23/f1-belgian-grand-prix-live-2015 The Guardian 23 August 2015 23 August 2015 The race distance was therefore shortened to 43 laps. At the start, Nico Rosberg did not get away well, falling back to fifth behind Pérez, Ricciardo and Bottas, but overtook the latter for fourth by the end of the lap. Fernando Alonso did also start well for McLaren, moving up to twelfth, while Lewis Hamilton retained his lead, pulling clear of Pérez's Force India early on. On lap two, Pastor Maldonado became the second retirement of the race when he stopped his car due to a power failure. On lap six, Daniil Kvyat took eighth place from Felipe Massa, while Romain Grosjean had quick first laps as well, overtaking the second Williams of Bottas for sixth on lap eight. thumb|left|At his first pit stop, Valtteri Bottas's mechanics fitted his car with three soft-compound tyres and one medium-compound tyre. The erroneous tyre – the right-rear – resulted in Bottas serving a drive-through penalty. An early pit stop by Ricciardo on lap eight forced the hand of Force India, who brought in Pérez one lap later, but Pérez still came out behind the Red Bull. Several more drivers came in over the next couple of laps, including Bottas and Grosjean, with the Williams taking back his position during the stops only to be overtaken again on lap ten. Bottas was also set for a penalty, as his team had simultaneously equipped him with two different types of tyre compounds. He would later serve a drive through penalty. Lap eleven saw a risky overtaking manoeuvre by Max Verstappen, who went around the outside of Nasr at Blanchimont to take eleventh place. Following these first stops, the order at the front was Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Räikkönen and Ricciardo, with the first four yet to stop. Rosberg was the first to do so on lap 13, coming out slightly ahead of Pérez, who had overtaken Ricciardo a lap earlier. Pérez carried his momentum into Eau Rouge and up to turn seven, but ultimately failed to get the better of the Mercedes. Hamilton and Vettel made pit stops for new tyres on laps 14 and 15 respectively. Over the next laps, Rosberg steadily closed on Hamilton in front without being able to catch his teammate. Lap 18 saw Romain Grosjean gain another position at Ricciardo's expense, moving into fourth. Just two laps later he passed Pérez putting in him third place. On lap 21, Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull came to a sudden stop at the exit of the 'Bus Stop' chicane, leading to a Virtual Safety Car period, during which many drivers made pit stops for new tyres, among them Grosjean, Massa and Verstappen. By lap 29, Kvyat had made a pit stop for new soft tyres, being able to go fast until the end of the race, while Vettel decided to try and finish the race without pitting for new tyres a second time. Kvyat's newer tyres allowed him to overtake Bottas, Räikkönen, Massa and Pérez to eventually finish fourth. Sainz Jr. eventually retired from the race on lap 34. Vettel's strategy however did not work out. By lap 42, less than two laps from the finish, his right rear tyre exploded while on the Kemmel straight, handing Grosjean the final podium position.Richards Giles Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel unhappy with Pirelli after tyre explosion https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/aug/23/ferrari-sebastian-vettel-pirelli-tyre-explosion The Guardian 24 August 2015 23 August 2015 Vettel ended his race in the pit lane, but was classified down in twelfth place. Unchallenged by his teammate in second, Lewis Hamilton finished the race to take his 39th Grand Prix victory.Dunn Carrie 23 August 2015 Lewis Hamilton eases to victory at the Belgian Grand Prix https://www.eurosport.com/formula-1/belgian-grand-prix/2015/lewis-hamilton-eases-to-victory-at-the-belgian-grand-prix_sto4874573/story.shtml 29 December 2024 Eurosport Post-race thumb|The post-race podium ceremony At the podium interviews, conducted by BBC commentator David Coulthard, Lewis Hamilton said that he felt "fairly relaxed at the front", naming looking after the tyre wear as his only concern during the race. Nico Rosberg conceded that he "just completely messed up the start" and added that Hamilton "did a great job, so deserved to win". Romain Grosjean was delighted with his tenth career podium, speaking of "an incredible weekend" and claimed that the podium "has the feel of a race win". Asked about his title aspirations, Hamilton insisted that it was "definitely way too early" to speak about winning the world title. During the post-race press conference, Grosjean described the moment of Vettel's tyre failure as "a bit of a scary moment", saying that it was "very unfortunate he had that puncture".Belgian GP: Post-race F1 press conference transcript http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120452 autosport.com 25 August 2015 23 August 2015 thumb|left|Roberto Merhi finished ahead of teammate Will Stevens for the fourth race in succession. Following the race, Sebastian Vettel voiced harsh criticism of tyre supplier Pirelli, concerning not only his own but also Nico Rosberg's tyre failure on Friday. He was quoted saying: "I think it is a sort of thing that keeps going around and no-one mentions. It is unacceptable. If Nico tells us he did not go off the track, he didn't go off the track, why should he lie to us? It is the same with me, I didn't go off the track – it is out of the blue the tyre exploded [...]." He saw the safety of the drivers at risks, asserting that "[i]f it happens 200 metres earlier, I am not standing here now."F1: Sebastian Vettel attacks Pirelli after late tyre failure at Belgian Grand Prix https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/aug/23/sebastian-vettel-attacks-pirelli-belgian-gp-failure The Guardian 24 August 2015 23 August 2015 Pirelli's Motorsport Director Paul Hembery reacted to Vettel's accusations by saying: "I am not going to criticise Sebastian. It is a hot moment and I don't want to enter into a war of words over that – it is pointless for everybody. We were concerned when we saw the number of laps that were going to be done. Nobody really suggested they were going to do a one-stop race and it was a bit of a surprise – if anything people were talking about doing three stops rather than two." Nico Rosberg however backed up his compatriot Vettel, telling the press: "The exploding tyres is poor. It shouldn't happen. That it keeps on happening in other categories as well and with me on Friday. Both of us were so lucky. If it had happened a couple of metres later or earlier, we would have one of the biggest shunts ever. They need to figure out something to make it safer." He also called for immediate action considering the 2015 Italian – the race following Spa-Francorchamps – due to its nature as the fastest race of the year.Collantine Keith Rosberg wants action on tyres before Monza http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/23/rosberg-wants-action-on-tyres-before-monza/ F1Fanatic 24 August 2015 23 August 2015 Pirelli reacted by demanding a maximum stint length for their tyres, a suggestion the company had already put in at the end of 2013.Collantine Keith Pirelli says drivers should be given maximum stint lengths for its tyres http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/23/pirelli-says-drivers-should-be-given-maximum-stint-lengths-for-its-tyres/ F1Fanatic 24 August 2015 23 August 2015 The day after the race, Pirelli announced that they had found cuts on other tyres from other teams, mainly on the rear tyres, and that they were still searching for the cause of the damages.Noble Jonathan Pirelli found more tyre cuts over Belgian GP weekend http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/pirelli-found-more-tyre-cuts-over-belgian-gp-weekend motorsport.com 25 August 2015 24 August 2015 Vettel received additional support from Coulthard, who wrote that Vettel was "right to tackle Pirelli" over the issue of tyres,Coulthard David David Coulthard column: Vettel right to tackle Pirelli on tyres https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/34043197 BBC 26 August 2015 24 August 2015 as well as Coulthard's former teammate Mika Häkkinen.Hakkinen 'understands' Vettel's anger http://www.planetf1.com/driver/55667788/74703/Hakkinen-understands-Vettels-anger planetf1.com 29 August 2015 29 August 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150902074353/http://www.planetf1.com/driver/55667788/74703/Hakkinen-understands-Vettels-anger 2 September 2015 Vettel once again defended the team's decision to try a one-stop race on the Tuesday after the race, saying: "Our strategy was never risky, at any point. The team is not to blame."Sebastian Vettel defends Ferrari strategy after tyre blow-out during Belgian GP https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/aug/26/sebastian-vettel-defends-ferrari-belgian-grand-prix The Guardian 26 August 2015 25 August 2015 While they originally speculated that the blow out had been caused by an excessive tyre wear issue, when Pirelli released the findings of their own investigation into the matter, their findings concluded that the damage to Vettel's tyre was caused by debris.Johnson Daniel Pirelli risk Formula One drivers' anger with embarrassing U-turn over Sebastian Vettel blowout https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/11837499/Pirelli-risk-Formula-One-drivers-anger-with-embarrassing-U-turn-over-Sebastian-Vettel-blowout.html The Telegraph 7 September 2015 1 September 2015 thumb|left|Max Verstappen was praised for his overtake on Felipe Nasr. Max Verstappen received particular praise for his overtake on Felipe Nasr through Blanchimont. Former driver Allan McNish wrote: "This is the first time in my life I have seen someone go around the outside of someone at Blanchimont. That was big[.]"Benson Andrew Lewis Hamilton eases to Belgian GP win ahead of Nico Rosberg https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/34034314 BBC 24 August 2015 23 August 2015 At the FIA Prize Giving ceremony on 4 December 2015, Verstappen received an award for Action of the Year, acknowledging his manoeuvre.Galloway James Lewis Hamilton & Mercedes officially crowned 2015 world champions http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24181/10087594/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-officially-crowned-2015-world-champions Sky Sports 5 December 2015 5 December 2015 Jenson Button on the other hand called McLaren's race an "embarrassment", after he had suffered from a lack of battery power throughout the race, finishing only ahead of the two Manor Marussia drivers.Esler William Jenson Button brands McLaren's Belgian GP an 'embarrassment' http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24180/9962944/jenson-button-brands-mclarens-belgian-gp-an-embarrassment Sky Sports 24 August 2015 24 August 2015 Lotus disclosed that Maldonado's retirement was in part caused by "heavy contact with the kerbs",Collantine Keith Kerbs contributed to Maldonado's retirement http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/23/kerbs-contributed-to-maldonado-retirement/ F1Fanatic 24 August 2015 23 August 2015 with the intensity of impact being as high as 17 g0 on.Maldonado's kerb impact was 17G http://www.planetf1.com/driver/55667788/74689/Maldonados-kerb-impact-was-17G planetf1.com 29 August 2015 29 August 2015 31 August 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150831160803/http://www.planetf1.com/driver/55667788/74689/Maldonados-kerb-impact-was-17G dead Technical director Nick Chester felt it was "a big shame" that Maldonado, who had been running ahead of eventual third placed Grosjean when he retired, was unable to contribute to a "strong result" for the team. Lotus later revealed that the retirement was caused by damage to the clutch control system sustained when he went off the track at Eau Rouge. At the same time, the team applauded Grosjean for a "faultless" drive.Barretto Lawrence Anderson Ben Pastor Maldonado's Belgian GP retirement was self-inflicted – Lotus http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120475 autosport.com 25 August 2015 24 August 2015 Additional praise for Grosjean came from motorsport journalist Mark Hughes, who felt that Grosjean was "still seriously under-rated" in Formula One.Hughes Mark Why Romain Grosjean is still seriously under-rated in F1 http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/32420/9965114/why-romain-grosjean-is-still-seriously-under-rated-in-f1 Sky Sports 26 August 2015 26 August 2015 Williams launched an internal investigation into the tyre mix-up at Valtteri Bottas's first pit stop, feeling that it might have cost him a podium position.Collantine Keith Williams to investigate bizarre Bottas tyre mix-up http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/24/williams-to-investigate-bizarre-bottas-tyre-mix-up/ F1Fanatic 25 August 2015 24 August 2015 As a result of the race, Lewis Hamilton extended his championship lead over Rosberg to 28 points, the biggest margin it had been all season up to that point. Vettel's tyre failure cost him points as he was now 67 points off the lead in the standings. In the Constructors' Championship, Mercedes extended their lead over Ferrari to 184 points, while Lotus moved into fifth place at the expense of Force India. Classification Qualifying Pos. Qualifying positionCarno. NumberDriverConstructorQualifying timesFinalgrid Final grid positionQ1Q2Q3 144 GBR Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:48.908 1:48.024 1:47.197 1 26 GER Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:48.923 1:47.955 1:47.655 2 377 FIN Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 1:49.026 1:49.044 1:48.537 3 48 FRA Romain Grosjean Lotus-Mercedes 1:49.353 1:48.981 1:48.561 9A 1 511 MEX Sergio Pérez Force India-Mercedes 1:49.006 1:48.792 1:48.599 4 63 AUS Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:49.664 1:49.042 1:48.639 5 719 BRA Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1:49.688 1:48.806 1:48.685 6 813 VEN Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Mercedes 1:49.568 1:48.956 1:48.754 7 95 GER Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:49.264 1:48.761 1:48.825 8 1055 ESP Carlos Sainz Jr. Toro Rosso-Renault 1:49.109 1:49.065 1:49.771 10 1127 GER Nico Hülkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1:49.499 1:49.121 11 1226 RUS Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:49.469 1:49.228 12 139 SWE Marcus Ericsson Sauber-Ferrari 1:49.523 1:49.586 13 147 FIN Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:49.288 No time 16A 1 1533 NED Max Verstappen Toro Rosso-Renault 1:49.831 No time 18A 2 1612 BRA Felipe Nasr Sauber-Ferrari 1:49.952 14 17 22 GBR Jenson Button McLaren-Honda 1:50.978 19A 3 1814 ESP Fernando Alonso McLaren-Honda 1:51.420 20A 4 19 28 GBR Will Stevens Marussia-Ferrari 1:52.948 15 20 98 ESP Roberto Merhi Marussia-Ferrari 1:53.099 17 107% time: 1:56.531 Source:https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/results/2015-race-results/2015-belgium-results/qualifying.html Qualifying 22 August 2015 22 August 2015 Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 9 August 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160809140214/http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/results/2015-race-results/2015-belgium-results/qualifying.html dead Notes A 1 – Romain Grosjean and Kimi Räikkönen both received a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change. A 2 – Max Verstappen received a ten-place grid penalty for using his sixth power unit during the season. A 3 – Jenson Button received a fifty-place grid penalty for a variety of changes made to his power unit.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/120385 McLaren to make double engine changes on both F1 cars at Spa autosport.com 20 August 2015 21 August 2015 Lawrence Barretto A 4 – Fernando Alonso received a fifty-five-place grid penalty for a variety of changes made to his power unit. Race Pos. PositionNo. Car numberDriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints 1 44 GBR Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 43 1:23:40.387 1 25 2 6 GER Nico Rosberg Mercedes 43 +2.058 2 18 3 8 FRA Romain Grosjean Lotus-Mercedes 43 +37.988 9 15 426 RUS Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing-Renault 43 +45.692 12 12 511 MEX Sergio Pérez Force India-Mercedes 43 +53.997 4 10 619 BRA Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 43 +55.283 6 8 77 FIN Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 43 +55.703 16 6 833 NED Max Verstappen Toro Rosso-Renault 43 +56.076 18 4 9 77 FIN Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 43 +1:01.040 3 2 10 9 SWE Marcus Ericsson Sauber-Ferrari 43 +1:31.234 13 1 11 12 BRA Felipe Nasr Sauber-Ferrari 43 +1:42.311 14 126 15 GER Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 42 Tyre failure 8 1314 ESP Fernando Alonso McLaren-Honda 42 +1 Lap 20 14 22 GBR Jenson Button McLaren-Honda 42 +1 Lap 19 15 98 ESP Roberto Merhi Marussia-Ferrari 42 +1 Lap 17 16 28 GBR Will Stevens Marussia-Ferrari 42 +1 Lap 15 Ret Retired 55 ESP Carlos Sainz Jr. Toro Rosso-Renault 32 Power unit 10 Ret Retired3 AUS Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing-Renault 19 Electrics 5 Ret Retired13 VEN Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Mercedes 2 Power unit 7 DNS Did not start 27 GER Nico Hülkenberg Force India-Mercedes 0 Power unit — Source:2015 FORMULA 1 SHELL BELGIAN GRAND PRIX http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/results/2015-race-results/2015-belgium-results/race.html Formula One Digital Media Limited Formula1.com 24 August 2015 24 August 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150824011908/http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/results/2015-race-results/2015-belgium-results/race.html deadCollantine Keith 2015 Belgian Grand Prix result http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/08/23/2015-belgian-grand-prix-result/ F1Fanatic 24 August 2015 23 August 2015 Notes 6 1 – Sebastian Vettel was classified because he completed over 90% of the race distance. Championship standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos. PositionDriverPoints 10px 1 GBR Lewis Hamilton 227 10px 2 GER Nico Rosberg 199 10px 3 GER Sebastian Vettel 160 10px 1 4 FIN Kimi Räikkönen 82 10px 1 5 BRA Felipe Massa 82Sources:https://www.statsf1.com/en/2015/belgique/championnat.aspx Belgium 2015 - Championship • STATS F1 www.statsf1.com 13 March 2019 Constructors' Championship standings Pos. PositionConstructorPoints 10px 1 DEU Mercedes 426 10px 2 ITA Ferrari 242 10px 3 GBR Williams-Mercedes 161 10px 4 AUT Red Bull Racing-Renault 108 10px 1 5 GBR Lotus-Mercedes 50Sources: Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings. See also 2015 Spa-Francorchamps GP2 Series round 2015 Spa-Francorchamps GP3 Series round References 30em External links Belgian Grand Prix 2015 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix 2015 Italian Grand Prix 2014 Belgian Grand Prix 2016 Belgian Grand Prix Belgian Grand Prix Category:Belgian Grand Prix Category:August 2015 sports events in Europe