Belgian F1 Grand Prix 2015: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More
The 2015 Formula One season will resume at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps racetrack with the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, the first race after a lengthy summer break. Sky Sports F1 and the BBC will provide full coverage for viewers from the UK, while U.S. viewers will get to enjoy through the NBC network.
Here's a look at the full TV schedule:
| Practice 3 | Saturday | 9:45 a.m. | 9:55 p.m. (Two) | 5 a.m. (Live Extra) | 10 a.m./5 a.m. |
| Qualifying | Saturday | 12 p.m. | 12:10 p.m. (Two) | 8 a.m. (CNBC) | 1 p.m./8 a.m. |
| Race | Sunday | 11:30 a.m. | 12:10 p.m. (One) | 7:30 am (NBCSN) | 1 p.m./8 a.m. |
TOP NEWS
Watch: Seagull steals pizza at F1 Monaco
Kim Kardashian Arrives at F1 Monaco Race
New Mock with AD Trade 💡
Here's a look at the full list of drivers for Sunday's race:
| Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | Nico Rosberg |
| Red Bull | Daniel Ricciardo | Daniil Kvyat |
| Ferrari | Sebastian Vettel | Kimi Raikkonen |
| Lotus | Pastor Maldonado | Romain Grosjean |
| McLaren | Fernando Alonso | Jenson Button |
| Force India | Nico Hulkenberg | Sergio Perez |
| Sauber | Marcus Ericsson | Felipe Nasr |
| Toro Rosso | Max Verstappen | Carlos Sainz Jr. |
| Williams | Valtteri Bottas | Felipe Massa |
| Marussia | Will Stevens | Roberto Merhi |
Preview
Once again, the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will be favourites entering the 11th race of the season, while Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen will also be eyeing a strong result.
The 2007 World Champion has won the Belgian Grand Prix four times during his career, and after recently signing a one-year contract extension, per Ferrari's official website, he'll be eager to show he's still a force to be reckoned with.
Spa-Francorchamps is a tight, technical track that will test the drivers' ability as much as the cars they'll be driving. World-famous corners like Eau Rouge and Blanchimont present some of the biggest challenges on the racing calendar, and the Belgian Grand Prix has always been a magnet for spectacular crashes.
One of the most iconic crashes of them all occurred in 1998, decimating the field:
Daniil Kvyat didn't hide his feelings regarding the track, per Formula One's official website:
"Spa is one of my favourite tracks of the year. I think that’s a bit of cliche but I think it’s a favourite for all the drivers. It’s really long, really challenging, there are some proper fast sections and some properly balls-out corners. At Spa, more than anywhere, you feel that you’re really driving an F1 car.
"
With these cars Eau Rouge is back to being a bit of a balls-out corner - especially in the wet. Pouhon is pretty much and Blanchimont still, but really only in the wet. It’s full of great, flowing, interesting sections.
Last year's race provided one of the most controversial incidents of the season, as Hamilton and Rosberg were involved in a crash that saw Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo steal the win, via the Guardian's Giles Richards.
The incident seemed to fuel Hamilton's desire to beat his team-mate from that point forward, and the Brit ultimately ended up winning his second world title. This year, the Mercedes duo enters the race weekend coming off a dreadful performance in Hungary, so all eyes will be on the Silver Arrows once again.
Hamilton currently leads the standings by a healthy 21 points, but Rosberg remains adamant the season is far from over, as reported by Sky Sports' James Galloway:
"Hungary was a big disappointment and I've been itching to get back to racing ever since. When you're in such a close battle for the championship, any opportunity to gain points is crucial and it's up to me to take those chances – but also to make them for myself.
That's definitely the target for the second half of the year. We're only halfway through the season, so it's all still to play for.
"
Mercedes' biggest issue has been their slow starts, and with new regulations regarding the starting procedures introduced on Sunday, via Formula1.com, it will be interesting to see whether the team can come up with some answers on Sunday.
Behind the duo of Hamilton and Rosberg, Ferrari's Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel appear to have the best chance of snatching the win. Red Bull's struggles with power in 2015 means Ricciardo and Kvyat should struggle to keep up in the fast, open corners of Spa-Francorchamps, and Valtteri Bottas' form was trending downward entering the summer break.
Between Vettel and Raikkonen, the Finn has the experience to shock his team-mate, but ultimately, it may not matter, as Bleacher Report's Neil James believes Mercedes will bounce back from their poor performance in Hungary, with Rosberg stealing the show:
"Sebastian Vettel may have won in Hungary, but had both Mercedes drivers got the most out of their package it would have been a one-two for the German team.
Of course, neither had a good race—Lewis Hamilton made a number of mistakes, while Nico Rosberg failed to get anywhere near the car's potential. The result was a Mercedes-free podium for the first time since the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Vettel is now just 42 points down on championship leader Hamilton and 21 behind Rosberg. Both men know they need to deliver the goods in Belgium, and we think it'll be a German on the top step for the second race in a row.
"
Rosberg has never won the Belgian Grand Prix and struggled to keep up with Hamilton last year, so if the Brit doesn't ruin yet another start, he should like his chances of winning the race and increasing his lead in the standings.
.jpg?w=600 "Swift-Kelce Marriage Rumors")
