Why do Kimi and co. love Spa so much?

Ask any F1 driver today what his favourite circuit is, and the majority will answer Spa. You can see why. It’s fast, long, scenic, challenging and uncontrived - in short, it’s a stone-cold classic track. Above all though, it has a whiff of danger that so few tracks possess these days - f**k up at Spa and the consequences can be serious. No F1 driver wants to risk his life in a car, but they all love the turbo boost of adrenaline that comes with taking a corner like Eau Rouge flat out.

With the Belgian GP just a few days away, here’s what the key players have to say about Spa. And it’s all good:

Ferrari’s test warning to McLaren

Following the morning session of yesterday’s Formula One test at Monza, we informed you that the Williams of Nico Rosberg was the quickest man on the track. By the end of the day, natural order had been resumed and everything was right in the universe. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa continued his wonderful recent run by topping the timesheets for the first day of testing. It was the teams’ first chance to test since the end of the five-week summer ban.

Grid Crasher’s Valencia report card

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (DNF)

The engine explosion which put him out of the race was not his fault, but the Finn had looked lethargic for most of the race. He completed a thoroughly miserable afternoon by running over a member of the Ferrari pit-stop team holding the refuelling house as he attempted to get a quick getaway from his stop. 4/10

F1’s rising star quicker than title contenders

They say the younger you are, the easier it is to learn, and Seb Vettel, 21, proved that by lapping faster than older, more experienced drivers in the first open practice session at Valencia’s new street circuit. The odds on Vettel ending up at a top team in 2010 get shorter and shorter. Vettel’s team-mate, Sebastien Bourdais, also had a fine morning. He finished fourth in the rankings.

It’s perplexing that the Toro Rosso upstarts are suddenly going so well, while Red Bull Racing - supposedly the senior team to STR - are way off the pace: in contrast to the two Sebs, David Coulthard and Mark Webber were slowest this morning, finishing 19th and 20th respectively.

Lewis Hamilton looked like setting a faster time than Vettel, but the Englishman spun while on a quick lap, and so had to settle for third place. Sandwiched between Vettel and Hamilton was Felipe Massa, who again got the better of Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

Lil’ Lewis wasn’t the only driver to find the going tough on the new track; several other drivers spun off, but no one crashed into the concrete walls.

Full morning timesheet below:

Lewis and co. preview Spain’s new street circuit

What do the drivers think about Valencia? Here’s what:

Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
“I know Valencia, because we’ve done several tests here last winter, but now we’re racing in the city on a new track: I’m sure it will be a great atmosphere. I’ve seen the new track only from the position of an on-board camera and it seems to be very fast for a street circuit. I always love to drive on new tracks and I am always very quick to know them. I can’t wait to race at Valencia.”

More selected driver quotes after the jump…

What’s the best possible driver partnership in F1 right now?

In F1, driver pairings do matter. And it’s not quite as simple as putting the best two drivers on the grid in the same car. It’s all very well having two great drivers but if the chemistry isn’t there it can be costly.

We already know that Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton don’t go together - in fact, Ron Dennis’s masterplan to team them up probably cost McLaren a driver’s title in 2007. Alonso ended up being the spanner in the works - some of that was his fault, but McLaren should have realised that a double former world champ might want top billing within a team.

What F1 stars will get up to during summer break

After Hungary last weekend, the F1 circus has taken a well-deserved break for three weeks, before it all resumes with the European GP at Valencia’s new street circuit on 24 August.

So what will the star drivers get up to on their hols? Grid Crasher will tell you, after the jump…

Reaction from the men in the crash helmets to Sunday’s thrilling GP

1st: Heikki Kovalainen (Mclaren)

“There have been races this year where I’ve been in a position to challenge for victory but had something go wrong for me. Halfway through this race, things started working for me and I started pushing Felipe (Massa) hard - and it worked. I feel sorry for Felipe because he drove a great race, but my car felt good and I knew I could push for the victory. This is a great moment for me, something I’ve been targeting for many years. Hopefully, this victory will be the first of many.”

More quotes from the key drivers below:

Grid Crasher’s Budapest report card

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (finished 3rd)
Somehow managed to luck into a spot on the podium, despite being off the pace all weekend - his team must take some of the blame for that. Who knows why they loaded his car with so much fuel in qualifying, and on a track where overtaking is almost impossible. 6/10

Felipe Massa, Ferrari (DNF)
Shocking luck for the Brazilian, who had earned his lead after a stunning start. Still very much in the title race. 7/10

F1 circus hits Budapest. Grid Crasher is there

Lewis Hamilton exits the McLaren garage to begin his morning practice session.

More below…