Vitantonio Liuzzi excited about the Belgian Grand Prix
Force India driver Vitantonio Liuzzi is looking forward to race on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. According to Liuzzi, it is the most beautiful and demanding race of the Formula One calendar. The circuit has always been a favourite amongst the drivers due to its challenging corners and beautiful atmosphere. "Spa is my favourite venue and I love the circuit because it is a mixture of adrenaline and technique," Tonio said. The track has a great mixture of technical corners and high-speed areas and the track offers a unique adrenaline rush.
The track consists of 19 turns placed in a unique formation. The circuit contains “Eau Rouge”, which is known as one of the most famous corners in Formula One history. The Circuits direction is clockwise and is exactly 7.004 km in length. It was designed by Jules de Their and was established in 1920. The original circuit made was 14.9 km long and known to be a fast track that made it notoriously dangerous. In the earlier days, Spa used to have a very poor safety record. Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey died in the 1960 Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps and in 1966, Jackie Stewart went through a terrible accident. In 1970, the track was deemed too dangerous for the Formula One racing. Despite the fact that the track was reduced to almost 4.5miles, its magic went on when Formula 1 returned to the race track in 1983. The mixture of deep corners and long straights made the Belgian Grand Prix exciting in its own way. Spa is known as one of the most challenging circuits of the world. Approximately 90,000 fans come to the circuit to enjoy the race every year. Only six drivers have managed to win the Spa-Francorchamps on more than two occasions. Michael Schumacher won the Belgian Grand Prix on a record six times.
Italian driver Tonio Liuzzi likes how the track gets when it rains as some of the portions remain dry and some get wet. It makes the race more exciting as the drivers enjoy the versatility of the track. Technically, the track becomes quite difficult for the drivers, as they have to hit the right place and make quick decisions about the tyres at the right time.
Force India enjoyed its best finish here last year when Giancarlo Fisichella took pole position and finished second after a long fought battle with Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari. The race started with excitement when World Champion Lewis Hamilton while driving the McLaren retired after getting involved in a four-car accident in the first lap. Fernando Alonso also retired later on. Moreover, the leading point scorer Jenson Button also retired after a collision.
Tonio Liuzzi has been a part of Formula 1 since 2005. His first team was Red Bull and was only able to score a single point in four races. The 30-year-old joined Toro Rosso in the following year and stayed with the team until 2007. Liuzzi was able to score only 3 points with the team in 2007 and finished at the 18th spot in drivers’ standings. Force India took him as a test driver in 2008 and he was back on track in 2009. Liuzzi has been able to score 12 points with the team this year and is currently in 14th place which has been the best season for him.
It has been quite difficult for the team to top their performance at Belgium last year. The Italian believes Force India might be able to pull it off again. They are pushing hard as they have some good ideas after testing in Hungary. The team seems confident and expects to score some points in the last quarter of the season. The Belgian race will take place on the 29th of August and is expected to be the most important race of this season.
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