Tonio is looking forward to Spa adrenaline rush

According to Tonio, the famous Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium is the most beautiful and demanding one on the Formula One calendar. Set amid the rolling hills in the Ardennes forest, it has long been a favourite among drivers due to its challenging nature, including the famous flat-out Eau Rouge turn and the La Source hairpin. For him, there is nothing that compares.

“Spa is my favourite venue and I love the circuit because it is a mixture of adrenaline and technique,” Tonio told ESPNF1.“It has a great mix of really high-speed and technical corners and there is nowhere else like it that gives you the same adrenaline rush. It’s the most beautiful circuit on the championship calendar.”

Spa’s geographical location also means there is always a high chance of rain over the Grand Prix weekend, meaning that strategy, as well as an element of luck, comes into play. For Tonio, it is another factor that adds to the excitement.

“Of course, it also rains a lot at Spa and you can have some parts of the circuit wet and others dry and I quite like it because it makes things more exciting. For sure it is not easy to handle and luck can play a part because you need to be in the right place at the right time to make a decision on tyres and make the right call on the pit stop. But I don’t mind it when things get tough during the race because it makes it more exciting.”

Force India enjoyed its best result in Formula One at Spa in 2009, with Giancarlo Fisichella qualifying on pole and pushing Kimi Raikkonen all the way in the race before finishing second. And Tonio believes the team again has an outside shot of a podium if new car developments work as planned.

“I think we are still capable of a top position and why not, a podium could be possible again. We are pushing hard to bring our blown diffuser in for Spa and we had good ideas of how to make it work before shutting down for the break. After testing it in Hungary, we are pretty confident we will have it for Spa.”