Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery: “The Spa circuit is a personal favourite of mine. I recently visited the 24-hour race there: the configuration of the track and the variety of the weather always seems to produce some great racing. From a tyre perspective, it’s certainly one of the most demanding circuits that we face all year, because of the high speeds and extreme forces involved, which are often acting on the tyres in more than one dimension. The nomination of the hard and the medium tyres will allow drivers to push hard from start to finish, which is what Spa was designed for. The first half of the season began with the most close and competitive start to a year ever seen in Formula One’s history, so I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of 2012 pans out, and which teams have made which steps forward over the summer break. Currently the grid is so closely-matched – particularly in the midfield – that it’s impossible to predict.”
Pirelli’s test driver, Jaime Alguersuari: “I think Spa is a fantastic race because of its rich sporting history. It is also home to some of the most famous corners on the Formula One circuit, including Eau Rouge and Blanchimont. There are a lot of high-speed corners, but also some straights making it a very fast circuit. Spa will challenge both the drivers and the teams as it is a circuit that requires a medium downforce set-up and good mechanical grip. For me, next week will be very interesting as I set my fastest qualifying in Spa last year. My most recent test with Pirelli was also in Belgium and you will struggle to find any driver that does not enjoy this race. From a tyre point of view, Spa is relatively smooth, so it is not tough on the tyres but it does pose its own unique challenges. There are a lot of high-speed areas where considerable lateral force is put on the construction of the sidewall. It is similar to Japan’s Suzuka race circuit, and requires the same set-up and handling.”
