Belgium preview quotes - Pirelli, Marussia, McLaren & more

With the August summer break complete, the Formula One paddock returns to race action next weekend at one of the sport's most iconic venues, Spa-Francorchamps, beloved of teams, drivers and fans alike. Those involved in the 2012 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix discuss their prospects…

Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director
"The Spa circuit is a personal favourite of mine. I recently visited the 24-hour race there: the configuration of the track and the variety of the weather always seems to produce some great racing. From a tyre perspective, it's certainly one of the most demanding circuits that we face all year, because of the high speeds and extreme forces involved, which are often acting on the tyres in more than one dimension. The nomination of the hard and the medium tyres will allow drivers to push hard from start to finish, which is what Spa was designed for. The first half of the season began with the most close and competitive start to a year ever seen in Formula One's history, so I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of 2012 pans out, and which teams have made which steps forward over the summer break. Currently the grid is so closely-matched - particularly in the midfield - that it's impossible to predict."

Jaime Alguersuari, Pirelli test driver
"I think Spa is a fantastic race because of its rich sporting history. It is also home to some of the most famous corners on the Formula One circuit, including Eau Rouge and Blanchimont. There are a lot of high-speed corners, but also some straights making it a very fast circuit. Spa will challenge both the drivers and the teams as it is a circuit that requires a medium-downforce set-up and good mechanical grip. For me, next week will be very interesting as I set my fastest qualifying in Spa last year. My most recent test with Pirelli was also in Belgium and you will struggle to find any driver that does not enjoy this race. From a tyre point of view, Spa is relatively smooth, so it is not tough on the tyres but it does pose its own unique challenges. There are a lot of high-speed areas where considerable lateral force is put on the construction of the sidewall. It is similar to Japan's Suzuka race circuit, and requires the same set-up and handling."

Timo Glock, Marussia
2011 Qualifying - 20th, 2011 Race - 18th
"After such a long summer break, everyone in the team seems revitalised and ready to embark on the next important phase of the season. I myself had a nice mix of relaxation and training and now I'm looking forward to getting back to racing. Over the next nine races we will be working hard to optimise our current package, at the same time as doing some important work towards next year. Those races will take place over just 14 weeks though, so with the long haul phase it will be non-stop action. To come back racing in Spa is a perfect way to pick up the rest of the season. It's one of my favourite races, with a historic circuit that has a fascinating layout. The track is very fast and long with some very tricky corners, so any small mistake ruins the lap. The weather is often a factor, especially due to its changeability. Rain can come very quickly, but this is part of the thrill of racing here. I'm really excited and looking forward to the weekend ahead."

Charles Pic, Marussia
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"I ended the first part of the season on a strong note, partly due to the team's improved performance, and satisfied with my progress so far in my debut season. The break has given me time to reflect on those 11 races, which seemed to pass by so quickly, and my plan is to consolidate everything I have learned from the team and the car and wrap it all together to have what I hope will be an even stronger second part of the year. The summer holiday has been good for all of at the Marussia F1 Team and everyone seems refreshed and buzzing with enthusiasm for the next nine races, most of which are overseas, so it will be a busy time. Spa is a fantastic circuit so I can't wait to be back racing there next weekend. The whole experience is very challenging for a driver; the circuit has such a special atmosphere because of its heritage. I'm looking forward to racing there in a Formula 1 car for the first time and picking up where we left off in Hungary."

John Booth, Marussia team principal
"Across the whole team there's a real sense that we can't wait to get back to racing. The break has been good for us and we're ready to get on the road again. Timo and Charles seem invigorated, so we look forward to positive things from the second half of the season. Spa is a great place to get things started. Not only do we all love this circuit, but this year we mark the occasion of our 50th Grand Prix there, which is an important milestone within the team. A lot has happened in the short space of two and half seasons of racing but we're a stronger team as a result and equipped now to go on to bigger and better things. It has been quite nice to note how many of the team have been with us since the very beginning - Timo included of course. In young teams a lot can change - especially its people - so it's very encouraging that we keep building on our original strong core. As for the race itself, we hope to get the remaining Grands Prix off to a strong start in Spa and keep closing the gap to the front of the field."

Jenson Button, McLaren
2011 Qualifying - 13th, 2011 Race - 3rd
"The past few weeks have been a perfect combination of a bit of downtime to relax and some great training, all of which has had me raring to get back in the car. I've been out in the Philippines; and Hawaii, training, and having a bit of a holiday and then back in the UK for a bit more of the same and while I've had a great break, I'm really looking forward to getting back to work.

"In fact, you couldn't really ask for a more spectacular double-header for F1's return: Spa is the daddy of them all, one of the all-time great grand prix tracks, and Monza is one of the most historic and evocative circuits on the calendar.

"They're each places with their own unique atmosphere. I've got some really great memories of both circuits, but I've won neither. Given our pace in the last few races, I go forward feeling positive about rectifying that over the coming weekends."

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2011 Qualifying - 2nd, 2011 Race - DNF
"My win in Hungary was a fantastic way to go into the summer break: it had the added bonus of sending the whole team away for their holidays with a positive feeling in their hearts. It's also given me the hope and assurance that we can come back for the final nine races with a real chance to go for both world championships.

"I really couldn't be happier that the season gets back down to business again in Belgium. Spa is one of the best circuits in the world - it's always a buzz to nail a fast lap around there, and, after five weeks out of the cockpit, that first lap on Friday morning is going to feel absolutely sensational.

"Given the unpredictability of the sport, I think it's still difficult to predict accurately who'll win the next grand prix, but I reckon the coming few weeks ought to give us a much clearer idea of the destination of the world title.

"It's going to be an extremely tough, tactical and interesting finale to the season. There's no team with a clear advantage - although we're all pushing hard to catch Fernando [Alonso]'s points tally in the drivers' championship - so there's still everything to play for."

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
"The summer break has given everybody at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes the chance to rest and recharge our batteries ahead of the nine remaining Grands Prix - all of which are set to be thrilling and fascinating in equal measure.

"It feels appropriate to be returning to the fray at Spa-Francorchamps. Formula One's historic venues provide us with a richly storied backdrop that few sports can match, and Spa is truly one of the greats. Everybody is looking forward to hearing the engines fire up in anger once more, and there are few better places on earth to watch a Formula One car at speed than around Spa.

"Following the mandatory factory shutdown, we're fortunate to have had two full weeks available to prepare ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. As usual, we're heading into this double-header hopeful of closing the gap to the leaders in both the drivers' and constructors' championships. Lewis's victory in Hungary certainly provided further proof to us that we can take on the fight for both - and that remains our aim: to win both world championships."

Paul di Resta, Force India
2011 Qualifying - 18th, 2011 Race - 11th
"Spa is a great place to begin the second part of the season. It's one of the best tracks in the world and it always feels special to go back there. I never had the chance to race there a lot in my junior career so it's nice to be able to go there and experience such an impressive range of corners in a Formula One car.

"I think the summer break was good for everybody. I spent the time at home, seeing friends, watching the Olympics and keeping up with my training. We're only half way through the season and the next few months are probably the busiest of the year with lots of fly-away races so it was important to relax and come back fresh."

Nico Hulkenberg, Force India
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"Spa is a great track. There's just such a great flow to the circuit with some mighty corners that are incredible. It's definitely one of the best places to drive a Formula One car to feel the performance through the high-speed corners. It is one of my favourite tracks.

"It was nice to have a break and cool down a little, but to be honest it has been long enough now and I'm looking forward to getting back to the racing. I spent a lot of time in Germany and at home, visiting family and friends who I don't get to see very often, which was really nice. I also went to Majorca for a week - we Germans love it there!"

Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber
2011 Qualifying - 12th, 2011 Race - 12th
"Spa-Francorchamps is one of my favourite circuits. I like its high-speed corners, and I also like how this track is integrated into the landscape with a lot of greenery. This gives it a very special atmosphere. However, the weather is very unpredictable and can influence qualifying or the race significantly. Due to the length of this track, it can sometimes be that one part of it is completely dry while, at the same time, another part can be completely wet. But I'm confident we can be very competitive under all kinds of conditions in Spa because the characteristics of this track with its fast corners should suit our car. I'm really looking forward to this race."

Sergio Perez, Sauber
2011 Qualifying - 9th, 2011 Race - DNF
"Spa-Francorchamps is quite a daunting track with a great history. It has its own character and circuits like that are difficult to find nowadays. I am very much looking forward to racing there again. I believe it is one of the favourites of any racing driver. It is also challenging, and it is good to start the second part of the season with it. I believe the fast circuit in the Ardennes will suit our car. We should get everything right there and make sure we start into a productive second part of the season. Last year I qualified ninth there, but retired in the race. In what will be my second Formula One Grand Prix in Spa I want to at least score points."

Giampaolo Dall'Ara, Sauber head of track engineering
"For drivers as well as for engineers Spa-Francorchamps is quite a challenging track. The downforce level is lower than on most other tracks, which is due to the long full throttle sections as well as the layout of the corners, which are mainly high speed with only a few low speed ones. With regard to set-up, it's not an easy track, and it's also quite demanding on the tyres, which this time will be the two hardest compounds - medium and hard. This is a logical choice, because the surface is quite abrasive, and there's a lot of load on the tyres in the high speed sections. But then you have this unpredictable weather. In the morning the track is often damp, and the conditions can change very quickly, which you have to consider when preparing for the weekend as well as during the race, when you might have to adapt the strategy. We will obviously use the medium downforce wings, and there will be some minor modifications to the car in view of the configuration we are running. Overall, I think we can expect a strong weekend for our team."

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"Usually I've achieved good results at the Belgian Grand Prix, but what's happened before doesn't help me right now. Saying that though, it doesn't do any harm either. Obviously it would be great to win at Spa for a fifth time. I haven't won during the first part of the season and the extra points are always good. For me there have only been good memories from Spa and it's great to go racing there. You can't get the same kind of a feeling anywhere else. It's great to race with a modern racing car at a proper circuit that has such a great tradition.

"Spa offers very challenging high-speed corners and you need to get the right set-up for the car. As we've seen so many times this year, a good grid position is extremely important and it could be decisive at Spa too. Everybody knows it. It's crucial to have a strong car aerodynamically to tackle those fast corners. It's a long lap and to get a fast time you really need to maintain good rhythm. So much can depend on the qualifying result, so we need to find a decent set-up on Friday and Saturday and have a solid qualifying session on Saturday afternoon.

"I bet every driver likes Spa. For me it is the greatest racing circuit in the world. It is my favourite place. I've liked it since my first ever visit there in 2000 with Formula Renault."

Romain Grosjean, Lotus
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"What a track - it's fantastic! It's a superb rollercoaster of a circuit, then there's the added bonus that they speak French meaning it's another home race for me after Monaco and Canada. It's going to be good. I hope the upgrades to the car are going to make the difference. If we'd had the pace we displayed at Budapest on a more normal track with better places to overtake we could have taken the win. Spa is a more regular circuit with good passing opportunities, so let's see what happens. It should fit the E20 pretty well. The second half of the season looks good in terms of how the tracks should suit the car. Hopefully we'll have everything we need to win races. I'm looking forward to it as it's a special track; it's Spa and also I won the GP2 Series title there last year. It'll be good to be back there again."

James Allison, Lotus technical director
"If it's a dry weekend Spa fits the category of circuit at which we are most confident, so all of us are excited to be going there. If it's a wet weekend it's a much more open question; for all teams, not just for us. It frequently rains at Spa, so we have to be prepared for that possibility. We've had various wet experiences so far this season, with the inclement weather coming mainly in qualifying. At Silverstone we were okay in wet conditions, but in Germany we struggled to get the wet tyre into its temperature operating window. Should we have the same situation at Spa, the nature of the corners and the loadings on the tyres should be sufficient to generate enough heat in the rubber, so we're not unduly concerned. We would prefer a dry weekend, but we should be competitive whatever the weather.

"(We have) quite a lot of different bits (for the car). We've also been focusing on ensuring that we have the capability to run the new device in Spa should we be confident enough to do so. I rather like (the term) 'The Device' as it has a sort of Dr Strangelove appeal to it, but most people refer to it as DDRS (Double Drag Reduction System)."

Pedro de la Rosa, HRT
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"Spa is one of the drivers' favourite tracks; it's spectacular and difficult, not only because of the type of corners but also because of the weather, since one part of the track can be dry whilst another is wet, so you have to be able to adapt quickly. We're going to use the same medium downforce that worked so well in Canada so we hope to perform well despite the large amount of high speed corners. We've all returned full of energy from the holidays and I personally arrive in my best physical condition of the season and really looking forward to taking on the second half of the championship."

Narain Karthikeyan, HRT
2011 Qualifying - n/a, 2011 Race - n/a
"Spa is a drivers' track. I won here in my Formula Three days so I have some nice memories and the atmosphere is always great. Even though a lot of run-off has been added over the years, it still has some of the most challenging corners on the calendar. And then there's the classic Spa weather which nearly always plays a part in the final result. We'll be using the same medium rear wing which worked well in Canada so we hope it goes well in Spa and aim to maintain our progress throughout the second part of the championship. We're back after a much deserved break after an especially intense start to the season for us and we're really looking forward to it."

Dani Clos, HRT test driver
"Once again I have a chance to step into the car and work for the team and that fills me with satisfaction. Especially after having run in the events leading up to the summer break, for me it is really important to stay active and be able to continue growing alongside my team mates Pedro and Narain. Spa is a circuit where I have great memories. I won my first international one-seater race there, that's something you never forget and it makes me have special feelings for this circuit. I've been able to rest these days, at least by not travelling, but I haven't stopped training and I've stepped up the rhythm since last week to make it to Belgium in prime conditions to be able to give it my all."

Luis Perez-Sala, HRT team principal
"After the summer we head into the Belgian Grand Prix with a lot of hunger and desire. We're starting the second part of the championship and we will try to continue in the same manner as the first part and improve. Spa is a circuit that the drivers really like because it is the longest in the championship and is made up of a combination of fast and slow corners, besides being located in a beautiful area. It is a medium-downforce circuit and the temperatures aren't extreme so we shouldn't have any reliability issues. The weather is always unpredictable in Spa so we have to be ready to take on any situation."

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
2011 Qualifying - 24th, 2011 Race - 5th
"Spa is like my living room; for me, it's clearly the number one race track in the world. It's uncanny how I always seem to have special moments there - my debut, my first win, a world championship victory and many great races. The fact that I will also take part in my 300th Grand Prix at Spa was somehow almost inevitable and we will have to celebrate it in the right way. I'm proud to be just the second driver in the history of the sport to reach this milestone and there's no question that we are looking to have a particularly nice weekend. We delivered a good performance in Spa last year; I'll be doing everything possible to drive a strong race."

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2011 Qualifying - 5th, 2011 Race - 6th
"I always look forward to racing at Spa; it's one of the highlights of the season and definitely one of my favourite tracks. The circuit itself is outstanding, with of course the most exciting corner of the calendar in Eau Rouge. It's been nice to have a break over the last month and for everyone at the team to have some time to relax with their families, but we're all looking forward to the action starting again in the second half of the season. There's a lot of hard work ahead to make sure we are competing where we want to be and challenging towards the front of the field."

Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
"The summer break has given everyone at our factories in Brackley and Brixworth some time to relax and recharge the batteries before the intense second half of the season begins. Although there have only been a few working days to make improvements around the shutdown period, we have been working hard towards our aim of an improved performance in the second half of the season. Spa is one of the real classic circuits which is much loved by drivers, engineers and the fans. It's a great circuit to watch the cars, and you're almost guaranteed an exciting weekend with varied weather thrown into the mix. For the second year in succession, Spa will be a special occasion for Michael and the team as we follow his 20th anniversary last year by celebrating his 300th Grand Prix this time around. It is a fantastic achievement which has so far only been matched by one other driver, and we look forward to celebrating with him, and hopefully a strong weekend."

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"Spa is a traditional circuit that sets the drivers and teams big challenges, and demands a complete range of performance from both the chassis and the engine. On a qualifying lap, the engines spend 23 seconds and nearly two kilometres at full throttle between La Source hairpin and turn five at Les Combes - the highest value of the season. On the other hand, the second sector contains ten of the circuit's 19 corners, so good levels of medium and high-speed downforce are required.

"Experience shows that the typical Ardennes weather almost inevitably plays a role during the weekend and, when it does, the circuit usually ranges from damp to very wet. Around the two-week summer shutdown that every team observed, our team has been hard at work since the last race in Hungary in order to prepare as well as possible for Spa. Spa 2012 is also a special race for our team because Michael will take part in his 300th Grand Prix weekend. In 1991, Michael started his first race in Spa; in 1992, he won the first of 91 victories so far in Spa; and last year, on the 20th anniversary of his first start, he finished in fifth position after starting last on the grid. Everybody in our team will be working in a focused way to help Nico and Michael score the best possible results next weekend."