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:

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.

With Alonso looking to move, BMW Sauber must be ruthless

Hans-Joachim Stuck, who drove for March and Brabham in the 1970s and now heads up Volkswagen’s racing division, has added his opinion to the great “Where next for Fernando Alonso?” debate.

Stuck believes BMW Sauber should do everything in its power to sign Alonso to partner Robert Kubica.

“It’s nothing against Nick, but unlike Kubica he is not a driver who can win a world championship,” Stuck told Sport Bild. “If you can secure an Alonso for the long term, then you must.”

Quick Nick needs a haircut

Look at the state of Nick Heidfeld. No F1 driver has been this hirsute since the 1970s. Even then, few drivers opted for the full beard.

Given that in F1, thousands of a second can make a big difference, it’s about time shaggy Nick went for a short back-and-sides. All that hair must be slowing him down. Is it any coincidence that F1’s leading driver, Lewis Hamilton, is as smooth and hairless as a ten-year-old boy? Surely not.

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…

F1 circus hits Budapest. Grid Crasher is there

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

More below…

Gamble! says Wee Bernie

Bernie Ecclestone walked in on a group of F1 drivers playing poker in the Force India motor home at Hockenheim last weekend. The card sharks included Fernando Alonso (he’s a massive poker fan, and reportedly hates to lose), Rubens Barrichello, Adrian Sutil and Michael Schumacher (he just can’t stay away, can he).

The best images from Hockenheim so far

LL Cool L (Ladies Love Cool Lewis) moves in on Scottish “lady driver” Susie Stoddart.

More below…

Grid Crasher awards its marks for Silverstone

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (finished 4th)
Kimi was f**ked over by his team, who should have put new tyres on his car at the first round of pit stops - that said, Kimi was way off the pace for most of the GP. Still, looking at how Felipe Massa suffered, Kimi did well to spin off just once. He gets an extra point for setting the fastest lap of the race. 5/10

Felipe Massa, Ferrari (13th)
Public humiliation for the Brazilian. With no traction control acting as a safety net, Massa spun more times whan we can remember. Say what you like about Felipe - when he’s bad, he’s shockingly bad. 1/10