Mika Hakkinen: 2023 Belgian Grand prix

EVERYONE likes racing at Spa, it’s a flat-out, technical circuit which is very rewarding to drive, especially if you have a properly competitive car.  I have good memories, starting in 1992 when I scored a point for finishing 6th in my Lotus, then in 1994 when I finished 2nd in the McLaren-Peugeot behind Damon Hill, while Max’s father Jos was 3rd!  Michael Schumacher finished first in the race but was disqualified because of the wooden plank under the car being illegal, which was a big controversy at the time.

I finished on the podium again in 1996 and 1999, then took the win in 2000. That is the race I get so many questions about because of my big battle with Michael and then overtaking him with a nice, flat-out manoeuvre i which I used Ricardo Zonta’s BAR as a kind of shield!  I had actually led the race but then had a big, high speed spin after touching a kerb.  Thanks for some great strategy work at McLaren my car was feeling brilliant, and I was able to close the gap to Michael.

He was a super hard racer, and we even touched that day, but all that did was make me even more determined. I was coming past, and there was nothing Michael could do to stop me.  Instead of getting angry, I just became more focused on doing the job.

The season has seen a big change during July.  Aston Martin is no longer the main team chasing Red Bull, McLaren has made a fantastic step forward with the MCL60.  A great job by the men and women at the factory and the leadership shown by Andrea Stella and Zak Brown.  The fact that the car was quick at Silverstone was really good, but the performance in Budapest last weekend shows that the car is now competitive on high downforce circuits as well.  If Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri can build on their performances in the last two races, Spa could be great.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell know that Mercedes is making progress, even if they have been jumped by McLaren. I have no doubt they will be long the top places in qualifying, the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Lewis has won in Spa four times and has six pole positions to his credit, making him the most successful of the current drivers.  After that brilliant pole position in Hungary last weekend he had a frustrating race, overtaken by Max and the two McLarens at the start, so I expect we will see a very focused Lewis in Spa.

Qualifying was super competitive in Monaco with four cars covered by two tenths of a second.  I think we will see a big battle behind the Red Bulls between Aston Martin, Ferrari and Mercedes.  Ferrari is lying 4th in the World Championship for Constructors, so they really need to put together a strong weekend for local hero Carlos Sainz and team mate Charles Leclerc.  The 2023 season has not started well for the Italian team, so we are all waiting to see some performance unlocked.

Incredibly, Mercedes is only one point behind Aston Martin in the fight for second place in the teams’ championship.  The W14 car is not totally competitive, but George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are super consistent.  In Barcelona we will really see whether Mercedes are on the right path with their latest car development.  If they have made progress I expect to see George and Lewis giving Fernando a real fight for podium places.