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The second half of the F1 season kicks off with the Belgian GP this weekend. The F1 circus will return to one of its iconic tracks whose future is a bit murky at the moment. Having said that, as the sport kicks back into motion with a triple header, there were multiple teams that went into the summer break reeling. Certain teams are desperate to stage a comeback after leaving for the summer break on a rough note.
Here are three unique teams eyeing a strong result at Spa.
#3 Mercedes
Mercedes went into the summer break on a high. They had two consecutive double podium finishes (Hungary and France). To add to this, the team is on a six-race podium streak, tracing back to George Russell's podium in Baku.
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The issues faced by the team earlier in the season with regards to bouncing/porpoising are a thing of the past. Both Toto Wolff and his drivers have suggested that the new technical directive should help Mercedes. According to Wolff, Mercedes could benefit from this and it could bring the team closer to the top two teams.
The first test of the theory will be at Spa this weekend. All eyes will be on Mercedes to see how close it finds itself to Ferrari and Red Bull in terms of pace.
#2 Alpine F1
There's no other team on the grid that has had a worse summer break than Alpine. It all started on the very first day of the break when Fernando Alonso was announced as an Aston Martin driver for the 2023 F1 season. The French squad, to the surprise of everyone, had no prior knowledge of this.
After losing Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin, Alpine's subsequent move to promote young driving sensation Oscar Piastri failed. This was because McLaren had already swooped in under the noses of Alpine and signed the Australian.
Strange that Alpine, a team that is fourth in the championship, has been rejected for teams that are fifth and ninth.
Nonetheless, Otmar Szafneur is a very capable man at the helm and should continue the outfit's trajectory of progress. At the upcoming Belgian GP, Alpine knows there are detractors who have serious doubts over the team's long-term capabilities.
The French squad will be desperate to prove them wrong and pick up a strong result at a track that should favor the car.
#1 Ferrari
Ferrari have arguably had the best car on the grid this season. The championship standings, however, don't reflect as much. A 97-point deficit to Red Bull isn't a true indication of the Prancing Horse's potential this season.
Heading into the second half of the F1 season, the Italian outfit have some serious questions to answer. Is Mattia Binotto a strong enough leader? Does the team need a better strategic unit? Is there something culturally wrong with the team? More importantly, has Ferrari thrown away another golden opportunity to win the title this F1 season?
In terms of pace, Ferrari are right at the front without a doubt. Irrespective of the conditions, the car is quick. The bigger issue has been the lack of strategic acumen.
That said, the F1 Belgian GP will be crucial for Ferrari to mount a championship run against Red Bull, and possibly Mercedes.
