Belgian GP Preview - Is Mercedes the 2nd Fastest F1 Car? | Grid Walk July 27, 2023

It is nearing summer shutdown but not before Episode 27 of Grid Walk! It is the final F1 race week before the summer shutdown and there is A LOT to discuss.

Before jumping into the usual F1 fun, Briana and Nicole felt it was important to discuss Danica Patrick’s comment from this past weekend during the Hungarian Grand Prix Broadcast with F1 Juniors.

Grid Walk talks about everything that happened in Hungary! It felt that there was a lot of Mercedes Mania going on. Let’s relive Saturday over and over again with Lewis Hamilton qualifying for pole! What seemed to keep Lewis Hamilton from finishing on the podium at the Hungarian Grand Prix? Where was Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team losing time? Get an insight of the results of the Grid Walk Instagram Poll from the Hungarian Grand Prix?

Of course Briana and Nicole have a few podium moments from the Hungarian Grand Prix! The one of a kind F1 Juniors Broadcast had to make an appearance! What were the best F1 Juniors Graphics from the Hungarian Grand Prix? Who had the best F1 Juniors F1 driver avatar? Briana shares things that happened at the Hungarian Grand Prix that she has zero explanation for. As a dedicated Daniel Ricciardo fan, Nicole delivers her favorite Daniel Ricciardo moments of the weekend. Finally, a short list of things that Briana likes more than Spa.

Daniel Ricciardo officially made his return to the grid at the Hungarian Grand Prix! Nicole is struggling to process the Honey Badger’s return to the F1 grid. Briana attempts to provide data from the Hungarian Grand Prix to get Nicole to fangirl over Daniel Ricciardo’s race performance and potential.

The Belgian Grand Prix Preview is the last F1 race preview before the summer shutdown! Spoiler Alert: Grid Walk is not a fan of the Spa Circuit. However, Grid Walk is a fan of the Pirelli Tire Graphic which makes its traditional appearance! Why is Pirelli selecting harder tire compounds? Which Formula 1 teams are bringing upgrades? Will we see something from Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team at the Belgian Grand Prix or post summer shutdown?

Briana and Nicole give their Belgian Grand Prix Predictions! This is the final F1 race predictions before Grid Walk resets its competition! Briana gets to go wild with her Belgian Grand Prix picks since she has such a lead! Nicole attempts a to predict a perfect weekend at Belgian Grand Prix.

F1 Academy is racing at Le Castellet this weekend! Briana and Nicole share their predictions for F1 Academy racing. Nicole scored a bunch of points at the last F1 Academy race weekend in Monza. Will Briana score big this weekend?

Grid Walk is a weekly Formula 1 show that releases every Thursday. For daily F1 content follow @gridwalkshow on all social media platforms.

00:00 Grid Walk Formation Lap

03:17 Danica Patrick

08:04 PODIUM: Best Graphics from F1 Juniors

10:23 Lewis Hamilton on Pole

17:39 PODIUM: Best F1 Juniors Driver Avatars

21:06 Hungarian Grand Prix Poll Results

23:36 What F1 Team is Closest to Red Bull

33:15 PODIUM: Things I Cannot Explain

34:08 Daniel Ricciardo Can Drive

38:16 PODIUM: Danny Ric Moments

41:27 Formula 1 Belgian GP Preview

46:53 Teams Bringing Upgrades to Spa

51:57 PODIUM: F1 Things I Like More Than Spa

53:19 F1 Belgian GP Predictions

01:01:18 F1 Academy Round 6 Predictions

01:06:18 Yellow Sector Notes

**Gridlock**

* Danica Patrick's recent comments about female presence in motorsports were scientifically inaccurate and disheartening, especially considering her role as a major female figure in the sport.
* The F1 Juniors broadcast featured impressive graphics that should be brought over to the main feed, including augmented reality overlays, time gap graphics, information graphics, and radio overlays with driver photos.

**Podiums of the Weekend**

* Graphics from the F1 Juniors broadcast that need to be brought over to the main feed immediately.
* Information graphics on the goal of the drivers at that moment.
* Radio overlay with a photo of the driver.

**Race Preview: Belgian Grand Prix**

* Lewis Hamilton's pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix was a joyous moment for fans, despite the disappointing race result.
* Mercedes needs to improve its pit stop performance to compete with Red Bull and McLaren.
* Daniel Ricciardo's pace at the Hungarian Grand Prix was encouraging, showing signs of a return to form.
* The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa is a track that favors Red Bull and may pose challenges for Mercedes.
* Tire strategy will be crucial at Spa, with the possibility of rain affecting the race.
* Williams may struggle at Spa due to the track's characteristics, while Mercedes may face difficulties due to engine cooling issues.

**Yellow Sector Notes**

* F1 Academy's race weekend will feature several talented young female drivers, including Chloe Chambers, Lena Buhler, and Tereza Babickova.
* The Belgian Grand Prix will mark the return of the iconic Eau Rouge and Raidillon corners after modifications were made to improve safety.
* Aston Martin is bringing upgrades to the Belgian Grand Prix, aiming to improve the car's performance and close the gap to the top teams.
* McLaren is also introducing upgrades, focusing on improving the car's straight-line speed and overall balance.
* Alpine is hoping to bounce back from a disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix with a strong performance at Spa, where the team has historically performed well.

**Gridwalk: Post-Hungarian GP & Belgian GP Preview**

* **Data-Driven Analysis:** Brianna Klein emphasizes the importance of data in understanding Formula One races, using Lewis Hamilton's performance as an example.

* **Alvaro Romeo's Unexplained Pace:** Nicole Katz expresses perplexity at Alfa Romeo's sudden surge in pace, calling it "sick" and acknowledging that there is no clear explanation for it.

* **Daniel Ricciardo's Return to Form:** Klein and Katz discuss Ricciardo's improved performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Klein presenting data to support her analysis. Katz remains cautiously optimistic about Ricciardo's long-term prospects.

* **The Dangers of Spa-Francorchamps:** Both Klein and Katz express concerns about the safety of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, particularly in its current configuration. They highlight a recent fatal accident in F4 and the high-speed nature of the track as reasons for their apprehension.

* **Pirelli Tire Strategy:** The hosts analyze Pirelli's tire selection for the Belgian Grand Prix, noting that it is the same as last year's race, which resulted in a two-stop strategy. They speculate that this choice may lead to similar tire degradation issues and predict that teams will likely start on the medium tires and switch to the softs towards the end of the race.

* **Mercedes' Struggles:** Klein and Katz discuss Mercedes' ongoing struggles, particularly with the car's drag, which they believe will be exacerbated at Spa-Francorchamps. They also mention rumors of a potential upgrade for the Mercedes car but remain skeptical about its impact.

* **Sergio Perez's Performance:** The hosts debate Sergio Perez's recent performances, with Klein expressing disappointment and Katz defending him. They discuss his qualifying struggles and speculate on whether he will be able to improve his performance at Spa.

* **Controversial Things Preferred Over Spa's Current Configuration:** In a lighthearted segment, Klein and Katz list things they prefer over the current layout of the Spa track, including Red Bull winning every race in 2023, watching Ferrari's strategic blunders, and even a Monaco Grand Prix with no on-track overtakes.

* **Predictions for the Belgian Grand Prix:** The hosts make their predictions for the Belgian Grand Prix, with Katz playfully making unconventional choices to increase her chances of winning their ongoing prediction competition. Klein maintains a more serious approach, predicting Lewis Hamilton's victory and Daniel Ricciardo finishing in the points.

* **F1 Academy Predictions:** Klein and Katz briefly discuss the upcoming penultimate round of the F1 Academy, where they will draft drivers and earn points based on their performances.

## F1 Academy Picks:
- Nicole and Briana reveal their picks for the top six drivers in the upcoming F1 Academy race.
- They analyze the drivers' performances and discuss their expectations for the race.

## F1 News and Updates:
- The hosts discuss various news and updates from the Formula One world, including:
- A documentary about Alfa Romeo's 2021 and 2022 seasons.
- Max Verstappen's appearance in a Heineken commercial.
- Sergio Perez's new program to support Mexican drivers and engineers.
- Alfa Romeo's special livery highlighting their title sponsor KICK.
- The F1 Commission meeting to discuss engine equalization and Williams' cost cap adjustment.
- Christian Horner's support for engine equalization.
- Pirelli's upcoming tire test at Spa.
- Ferrari hiring a top Mercedes engineer.
- Rumors about contract extensions for Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg.
- Toto Wolff's possible leak of Lewis Hamilton's contract length to F1 Juniors.

## Spa as a Track:
- The hosts share their opinions on Spa as a Formula One track.
- They discuss the challenges and excitement of racing at Spa and invite listeners to share their thoughts on the track.

## Conclusion:
- Briana and Nicole wrap up the episode by thanking their team and encouraging listeners to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast.
- They also invite listeners to join them for daily gridwalks on social media and express their hope that listeners will join them for the next episode.