In the seventh episode of the renowned series ‘Band of Brothers’, a decisive battle took place near Bastogne in the town of Foy in the Ardenne region. It was part of the Battle of the Bulge where the German Forces tried to stop Allied use of the Belgian port of Antwerp and to split the Allied lines, allowing the Germans to encircle and destroy four Allied armies.
The American 101st Airborne Division held the Bois Jacques (Jacques Woods), up a slight rise from Foy. Easy Company’s 1st Lieutenant Norman S. Dike Jr. led the charge across an open field but hesitated and faltered. He was immediately relieved of his command of Easy Company and replaced by 1st Lieutenant Ronald Speirs of Dog Company. Speirs took charge and led Easy Company to retake Foy and the rest is history.
Further north-east from Foy are the townships of Spa and Stavelot, along with the village of Francorchamps, all in the Ardenne Valley. All were spared from the Battle of the Bulge that stopped at their doorstep.
By the village of Francorchamps is the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the venue for the Belgium Grand Prix. First held in 1925, the Grand Prix has been hosted at the circuit 73 times with Ferrari the manufacturer with the most wins (16) and Michael Schumacher the most successful F1 driver with six victories.
The race is a favourite amongst both German’s and Dutch F1 fans that gather not just for the race but early on for Friday practice and Saturday qualifying. Paddocks are turned into make-shift camping grounds and car parks. Tents are erected, BBQ’s are cranked up and the local pub does a roaring trade. Grandstands and embankments are full for the three days of the GP.
The 7.004km circuit, one of the longest in the F1 calendar, can be bathed in sunshine while raining on another part of the track. Quick decisions have often determined the battles on this historic track. Often determined by weather. Such is the length of the circuit and the forested valley it lies within, drivers can face both wet and dry conditions on the same lap. This is what both Benetton team mates Michael Schumacher and Martin Brundle faced in 1992.
Brundle, who drove in 158 Grand Prix, was never able to stand on the top of the podium with a win. It was in 1992 that he hesitated and lost the opportunity for his maiden GP win. Schumacher didn’t, and grabbed the opportunity of victory.
Brundle is unique in that he was team mate to Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen. All had much different personalities but Brundle thinks they had a similar trait. He saw that they had the ability to see a glimpse of opportunity, a moment when they could make it happen. That’s the moment when you miss a gear or snatch a brake, or the car breaks down for some reason. That’s the moment when they see a sniff of an opportunity, sense a victory and can then make the leap.
At the 1992 Belgium Grand Prix Brundle explains…”I’m following Michael (Schumacher), he’s third, I’m fourth. We can see the two all-dominant Williams (Mansell and Patrese) ahead. It’s a wet day. I come round the back of Le Combe and I think it’s a drying track. I could feel the grip and think I have nothing to lose so I will go in (pit) for slicks.
“Just before Stavelot, Michael goes wide, bounces down the grass. I can see the Williams ahead and it is still just a bit wet down in Stavelot.
“I hesitated to go in the pits, and it’s a critical moment.
“Michael is now behind me and sees how blistered my rear tyres are before we get to the Bus Stop. I’m thinking ‘Shall I, shan’t I’?. He’s now got nothing to lose. He may have damaged his front wing. He sails down pit lane and gets the hot tyres that were waiting for me (if I had wanted them), comes out and wins the race.
“It is those tiny things!”
It was that slight indecision when he should have followed his instincts.
The Williams team did not react and lost out and Schumacher went on to take his maiden GP victory.
On the grid this weekend are three drivers capable of winning the Belgium Grand Prix and already have multiple wins – Kimi Raikkonen (4), Lewis Hamilton (3) and Sebastian Vettel (2). Throw in the two Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, some inclement weather and a dose of indecision and fans are in for a great race.
As with the battle for Foy, the ultimate victory is in the hands of those that are in combat. Luck is made, opportunities present themselves and we get to see the battle unfold for the 2018 Belgium Grand Prix.
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