PREVIEW: McLaren, Ferrari step up chase as F1 returns at Spa

By Jens Marx Aug 25, 2011, 10:43 GMT

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium - McLaren and Ferrari will be hoping to step up the pressure on Red Bull when Formula One roars back into action at the Belgian Grand Prix following the summer break

Drivers are rested and motivated after the three-week absence, especially as the track at Spa-Francorchamps is one of the classics of the Formula One calendar - as well as the longest at more than seven kilometres.

'The Spa circuit has everything that a driver dreams of - unbelievably fast corners and slow chicanes, and it can be full of surprises due to the weather,' said championship leader Sebastian Vettel.

'It can be raining one minute and then the sun can be shining the next. The track follows the hills of the Ardennes - and it's one of my absolute favourites.'

Most of the drivers are of the same opinion - among them fellow German Michael Schumacher for whom the weekend will mark the 20th anniversary of his Formula One debut.

'A lot has changed in those 20 years, but one thing has not: the track is still sensational,' said the seven-time world champion.

'I just love the great nature of the location and the resulting layout with all the ups and downs. To me, Spa remains my 'living room', because it has been the stage for so many things which have been remarkable for my sporting career.'

The 42-year-old Mercedes driver has been urged just recently by former world champion Nicki Lauda to quit after Schumacher's return from retirement has proven to be a tough one.

But Schumacher told German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Thursday that defeat motivated him to win even more.

'If everybody who is at my level had to quit then there wouldn't be many left driving,' he said.

McLaren are hoping to retain the momentum after Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button snatched victories apiece in the last two races.

'Our aim will be to put pressure on the championship frontrunners, particularly Red Bull,' said Button, who won the last race, the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 31.

Hamilton, the winner at Spa last year, said: 'Spa's always been one of my favourite tracks - it's a place where you really feel on the limit, and that's pretty awesome in a Formula One car.'

Hamilton lies third in the drivers' championship, 88 points behind leader Vettel (234 points), with Button a further 12 points adrift.

Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber is second on 149, three ahead of Hamilton, while Ferrari's Fernando Alonso is fourth, a point behind Hamilton.

Alonso said he hoped to continue a run of positive results for Ferrari after finishing the last four races on the podium and winning the British Grand Prix on July 10.

'I am well aware that the championship situation is what it is, but that does not mean we have thrown in the towel,' he said.

'We always set out trying to win every race and, as I've been saying for a while now, we will do the maths at the end.'

Meanwhile Brazilian Bruno Senna will take over Nick Heidfeld's seat at Lotus-Renault, partnering Vitaly Petrov.

In other developments, the use of the DRS overtaking device has been banned for the high-speed Eau Rouge corner. Governing body FIA is concerned that using the device at the section could pose a safety risk.