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Belgian Grand Prix Preview

Sep 2, 2008 - 11:47 PM

September 7, 2008
Circuit de Spa 
Francorchamps, Belgium 
Race 13 of 17 in Grand Prix Series

Laps: 44 
Track length: 4.329 miles 
Race length: 191.4 miles

Lap Record: Kimi Raikkonen, 1:45.108 (2004)


DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Fernando Alonso (Spain)
Team: Renault
2008 Points: 18 (8th)

Two-time champion has struggled in return to Renault with just 
two top fives all season - a fourth at the season opener at 
Australia and fourth at Hungary; retired in Spain and Canada and 
has a pair of sixth and eighth place finishes; had a tumultuous 
2007 season with McLaren, but still managed to finish third 
overall; had the same points as teammate Lewis Hamilton, but 
lost the tiebreaker for second place; won four times last 
season, but relationship with team and Hamilton deteriorated 
after Ferrari spy scandal affair and returned to Renault for 
2008 season; won consecutive titles in 2005-06 with Renault; 
won six races in 2006 and seven in 2005; ran third here last 
year.


Lewis Hamilton (Britain)
Team: McLaren
2008 Points: 70 (1st)

Finished second at the Grand Prix of Europe to increase lead 
atop the standings to eight points over Felipe Massa; won the 
British and German Grands Prix; was involved in a pit road 
incident with Kimi Raikkonen and retired from the Canadian 
Grand Prix; opened the season with a dominant win at Australia 
then ran fifth at Malaysia and 13th in Bahrain; bounced back to 
finish second at Turkey; had a stunning rookie season, scoring 
podiums in his first nine races; won four times and captured 
six poles to outperform more heralded former teammate 
Fernando Alonso; was the favorite to win the championship last 
year until errors in final two rounds dropped him to second 
place behind Raikkonen; retired from the race at China to give 
his teammate and Raikkonen the chance to steal the crown; won 
at Japan to open a 12-point lead over Alonso with two races 
left; made history at Canada where he became the first black 
driver to win a Formula One race; followed that victory in 
Canada by winning the United States Grand Prix; finished fourth 
in this race last year.


Nick Heidfeld (Germany)
Team: BMW Sauber
2008 Points: 41 (6th)

Ran second to teammate Robert Kubica at Canada; finished 5.4 
seconds behind Hamilton to claim second at Australia and was 
runner-up to Hamilton in Britain; was sixth at Malaysia, fourth 
in Bahrain and Germany, and fifth in Turkey; was the best of the 
rest behind the Ferrari and McLaren drivers last year after an 
impressively consistent season for BMW, finishing fifth overall; 
did not win last season as best race of the season was at Canada 
where he finished second; had consecutive fourth-place finishes 
at Italy and Turkey and was third in Hungary; opened the year 
with three consecutive fourth place finishes at Australia, 
Malaysia and Bahrain; forced to retire at Spain and the United 
States Grand Prix; has nine top-five finishes in 17 starts last 
year; ran fifth in this race last season.


Robert Kubica (Poland)
Team: BMW Sauber
2008 Points: 55 (4th)

Won his first race at Canada and took over the top spot in the
standings; win at Canada was made more impressive after he was 
injured in a scary crash at the same track a year ago; followed
win by running fifth in France; finished third at the Gran Prix
of Europe and currently sits fourth in the standings; finished
sixth overall last year in his first full Formula One season; 
opened the season by retiring at Australia, but has finished in 
the top five in every race since; ran second at both Malaysia 
and Monaco; was third at Bahrain and fourth at both Spain and 
Turkey; ran ninth in this race last year.


Felipe Massa (Brazil)
Team: Ferrari
2008 Points: 54 (3rd)

Picked up his fourth win of the season at the Grand Prix of 
Europe and sits eight points behind leader Lewis Hamilton; 
rebounded from an awful start to the season by winning at 
Bahrain and Turkey; completed only 29 laps before retiring at 
Australia with engine issues; also retired at Malaysia by 
spinning out early; posted three wins and six poles last season, 
but reliability issues and a disqualification in Canada put him 
out of title contention and he wound up fourth; contract with 
Ferrari runs until 2010; retired from the Italian Grand Prix 
with suspension problems, dropping to fourth place in the 
standings; last year bounced back from a 13th-place finish at 
Hungary by winning in Turkey; had 11 top five finishes in 17 
starts last season; ran second to Kim Raikkonen in this race
last season.


Kimi Raikkonen (Finland)
Team: Ferrari
2008 Points: 57 (3rd)

Retired from the Grand Prix of Europe with engine issues and 
dropped to third in the standings; retired at Canada after a pit 
road incident with Lewis Hamilton then finished second at 
France, fourth in Great Britain and sixth at Germany; opened 
defense of his title by running eighth at Australia, completing 
just 53 laps before having engine problems; bounced back to win 
at Malaysia, ran second at Bahrain and third in Turkey; won 
first appearance for Ferrari in Australia last season then went 
on to win five more times; biggest win came at the season-ending 
event at Brazil, which gave him his first drivers title by a 
single point over Hamilton; trailed Hamilton by seven points 
entering final race; had 14 top-five finishes in 17 starts last 
season; joined Ferrari after spending five years with McLaren 
where he went winless in 2006; won here last season.


2007 Top 10
-----------

1.  Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Ferrari 
2.  Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari 
3.  Fernando Alonso, Spain, McLaren-Mercedes 
4.  Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, McLaren-Mercedes 
5.  Nick Heidfeld, Germany, BMW 
6.  Nico Rosberg, Germany, Williams-Toyota 
7.  Mark Webber, Great Britain, Red Bull-Renault 
8.  Heikki Kovalainen, Finland, Renault 
9.  Robert Kubica, Poland, BMW 
10. Ralf Schumacher, Germany, Toyota 

Past Champions
--------------
2007  Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 
2006  no race
2005  Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren-Mercedes
2004  Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren-Mercedes
2003  no race
2002  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2001  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2000  Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes
1999  David Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes
1998  Damon Hill, Jordan Mugen-Honda
1997  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
1996  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
1995  Michael Schumacher, Benetton
1994  Damon Hill, Williams
1993  Damon Hill, Williams
1992  Michael Schumacher, Benetton
1991  Ayrton Senna, McLaren
1990  Ayrton Senna, McLaren
1989  Ayrton Senna, McLaren
1988  Ayrton Senna, McLaren
1987  Alain Prost,  McLaren
1986  Nigel Mansell, Williams
1985  Ayrton Senna, Lotus
1984  Michele Alboreto, Ferrari