After a relatively quiet summer break, FIA Formula 2 returned to racing at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium for Round 11, and there were plenty of talking points during the Sprint Race.  

Chief amongst them was one of the unique features of racing at Spa: the compression drivers feel when they go up Eau Rouge and into Raidillon. The sudden rise causes the cars to experience a phenomenon called “bottoming”. 

Marks had been left by the skid planks of the Formula 1 cars from the Friday practice, and InsideF2 asked the F2 drivers if the bottoming had caused them any problems.

Sprint Race winner Liam Lawson gave his thoughts: “I think it’s quite normal on most circuits early in the race when the car is very heavy, pressures are low. The car is running quite low to the ground.

“And we have quite a lot more bottoming. As the race goes on it normally gets a little bit less. Spa is obviously a very unique circuit. One of the classic older style circuits which for us is extremely fun to drive on. 

“But it’s also quite bumpy, and obviously with the elevation, the cars get a lot more compression going up Eau Rouge and through places like that. But from my side at least it wasn’t an issue,” said the New Zealander. 

Second-place finisher, Jack Doohan, agreed to the points made by his fellow racer from the other side of the Tasman Sea. The Australian picked up his fifth podium of his rookie season in F2. 

Returning to racing after missing several rounds through injury, Campos Racing’s Ralph Boschung completed the podium position and added: “It was interesting because Eau Rouge is resurfaced, and it’s much less bumpy than before. So actually it felt much smoother than in the past. 

“Blanchimont was okay, a little bit [of bottoming] at the beginning but it’s normal,” the Swiss driver concluded. 

Image credit: DAMS

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