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Hamilton: Overtaking less satisfying
Speaking of overtaking: We are likely to see some again this year in Spa. However, Lewis Hamilton clarifies regarding the 2026 rules: “[Overtaking] is definitely not as satisfying as it used to be.”
It often happens “that you have too little power in the middle of the straight and overtaking takes place,” says the record world champion. This also leads to the so-called “jo-jo racing.”
“As for adapting to it, it’s more about adjusting to how much battery you have,” explains Hamilton. Because if you use too much of it, you are usually overtaken again shortly afterwards.
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Grid penalties
Spa is traditionally a track where Formula 1 teams “like” to take grid penalties for new engine parts. The reason is that overtaking is possible here, so a demotion is not as painful as on other circuits.
Lando Norris and Isack Hadjar have already announced that they will be affected this weekend. If there are any further engine penalties, you will of course find out here with us.
Memories
Today we want to remember not only Jules Bianchi but also Anthoine Hubert and Dilano van ‘t Hoff. Hubert died in 2019 in a fatal accident during a Formula 2 race in Spa, van ‘t Hoff in 2023 during the Formula Regional European Championship.
The memory of these two also lives on in the Formula 1 paddock.
Anniversary of death
Before it gets sporting, we want to take the opportunity to remember Jules Bianchi. The Frenchman died exactly eleven years ago today from the consequences of his serious accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
To this day, Bianchi is the last Formula 1 driver to have died in a Grand Prix accident.
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The career of Jules Bianchi
Is the rain coming?
As always at the start of the weekend, we take a look at the sky in Belgium – and see that it actually rained last night.
Spa is known for rain, but we should not get too excited about a possible rain race too early, because although it is not excluded that it will be wet today, Friday.
However, the chance of rain on Saturday and race day is significantly smaller. Especially for the start time in the afternoon, no rain is currently in sight.
More on this as always in our detailed weather forecast.
Final sprint
Hello and welcome to a new edition of our Formula 1 live ticker. The last double-header before the summer break begins this weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix.
As always, Friday starts with the first two practice sessions. FP1 begins at 13:30 CEST, the second practice at 17:00.
Here at this spot, we will provide you all day long as usual with information, voices, and pictures directly from the paddock at the traditional circuit in Spa.
Ruben Zimmermann will accompany you here throughout the day, and for questions, suggestions, or complaints, you can use our contact form. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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