🏎️ F1 - Inside the Spa Paddock

One thing television never fully captures is just how dramatic Spa-Francorchamps' elevation changes really are.

We walked the circuit earlier today and recorded a few reference points. As shown above, Turn 1 sits at around 430 metres above sea level, before the track drops to 390 metres at Eau Rouge. It then climbs almost 80 metres to the top of Raidillon (Turn 7), reaching approximately 470 metres.

Those dramatic elevation changes constantly compress and unload the car, affecting suspension loads, tyre grip, aerodynamic stability and driver confidence through one of the fastest sections of the Formula 1 calendar.

The measurements were taken using an iPhone, whose altitude sensor records in 10-metre increments, so the values are approximate—but they perfectly illustrate why Spa is one of Formula 1's toughest circuits for both drivers and engineers.

The image provides a rare hint of McLaren's front wing lower surface, most of which remains obscured from view. The photograph itself is only part of the story, however.

Spa could expose several of the MCL40's biggest weaknesses at once. The car has often appeared particularly sensitive to changing wind conditions, while McLaren also continues to live with gear ratios selected before the season using information supplied by Mercedes—an area Team Principal Andrea Stella has repeatedly hinted did not evolve as the team had originally expected.

Add five Straight Line Mode zones, long full-throttle sections and Formula 1's biggest energy management challenge of the season, and Spa becomes one of McLaren's toughest technical tests of the year.

The obvious question is: why not simply change the car?

Because Formula 1 doesn't work that way. Under the cost cap, many major design decisions are effectively locked in long before the first race. New aerodynamic concepts, revised gear ratios and other fundamental changes require significant time, budget and manufacturing capacity, leaving teams to manage compromises rather than eliminate them.

This weekend may therefore reveal less about McLaren's latest upgrades and more about the quality of the engineering decisions it made months ago.

The image shows Red Bull's new floor arriving in the garage, while a 3D laser scanner sits in front of Max Verstappen's RB22. Once the floor is fitted, engineers use the scanner to verify that the car matches the intended geometry before it heads out on track.

One decision is even more revealing, however.

After Verstappen's crashes in Austria and Silverstone, Red Bull has chosen not to run its rotating rear wing at Spa. Rather than chasing the final fraction of performance, the team appears to have prioritised stability and driver confidence at one of Formula 1's fastest circuits.

That perfectly reflects Red Bull's current situation.

Speaking to the media, Verstappen admitted he still has no clear idea how competitive the RB22 will be this weekend, describing the team's inconsistency as a recurring theme throughout the season. His frustration was evident, with several answers consisting of just a single word.

Away from the circuit, Verstappen Racing announced the signing of promising Belgian karting driver Dries Van Langendonck, who is also a member of the McLaren Driver Development Programme. While the partnership is independent of Red Bull Racing, it is another reminder that Verstappen continues to build his own motorsport project beyond the Red Bull ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Isack Hadjar is expected to take a strategic power unit penalty after exceeding his allocated components.

A new floor, a conventional rear wing and extensive validation work all point to the same conclusion: Red Bull is still trying to understand its car before it can unlock its full performance.

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