He Belgian Grand Prix is one of the seven that ran in the first season of the Formula 1 in 1950. Already in that inaugural championship, the test was held in the mythical Spa-Francorchamps, a circuit that is considered one of the best (perhaps, the best) in the world, but which has a bloodstained history. The Belgian appointment is “part of the DNA of the premier class”, as they say in the world of motor sport, but for some time now, economic challenges, criticism of safety and infrastructure issues and a couple of new fatal accidents have become a constant threat to his future in the Grand Circus. However, the race resists year after year, finds a way to stay on the calendar and continues to be one of the most anticipated by the teams and the public. And this weekend he will receive F1 again, in an appointment in which Max Verstappen he will look for his tenth victory of the season.
The Dutchman is one of the great “defenders” of the Belgian GP. “This is my favorite track, I have great memories of this circuit. I can’t wait to play the race,” said the star of Red Bullwinner of the last two editions, summarizing the feeling of all -or at least, the vast majority- of the drivers in the current championship.
Why is Spa so special? For many, because it is a memory of a glorious past, with cars racing at full speed in the curves of a seven-kilometre track, the longest among those that make up the calendar today, which meanders through the Ardennes forest. But it is that same present loaded with tradition – away from the technology and luxuries of the most “modern” Grand Prix – that casts doubt on its continuity.
Liberty Media bought the commercial rights to F1 in September 2016 and has since embarked on a campaign to modernize the sport and make it more popular and media-oriented and make it a “more lucrative business”. And one of the moves to achieve that objective involves removing the competition from its traditional circuits and expanding into unexplored places, to conquer new markets.
Verstappen is one of the great “defenders” of the GR of Belgium. Photo REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
Thus, in recent years, for example, new dates have appeared in Arab countries (Saudi Arabia y Qatar joined in 2021) and also in the United States (Miami last year and Las Vegasscheduled to debut in November).
The entry of these new destinations implies the departure of some of the existing GPs, since neither F1 nor the teams want the calendar to continue growing more and more. The 24 dates that the 2024 race will have -one more than those that were scheduled for this 2023 (which will finally run 22 due to the cancellation hours after the Emilia Romagna race due to flooding in the area)- seem to be the limit that the two parties they are willing to dispute per year.
And in this “renewal” process, the Belgian Grand Prix was one of those that was close to disappearing in recent seasons.
Already last year he was negotiating until the last minute to extend his contract, overshadowed by the debut of the spectacular date in Miami; questioned about what had happened in the 2021 race -only two laps were completed behind the Safety Car, in the middle of a flood, and half of the points were distributed, which generated controversy-; and conditioned by Liberty Media’s desire to revive the South African GPwhich was played for the last time in 1993.
The Belgian Grand Prix secured his place for 2024 but there are no certainties about his future after that season. Photo EFE/EPA/CHRISTIAN BRUNA
Finally, hours before the 2022 final at Spa, F1 confirmed the renewal of the agreement for 2023 only, even when the organizers failed to cover the financial requirements of the category. But the investment that had been made to improve the circuit and its facilities -for greater safety for the drivers and a better experience for the teams and the public-, added to the fall on the return from South Africa, allowed him to keep his place.
Surely the voices of the pilots and team leaders also weighed heavily, who came out to ask for the continuity of the appointment.
“It would be a huge shame to lose Spa. It’s a great track for F1,” Verstappen said. “Monza, Silverstone, Spa…they are the great and historic, we should protect them,” he added. Christian Horner, CEO of Red Bull. “As long as Formula 1 exists, Spa should be on the calendar,” he said. Lando Norrisof McLaren.
Something similar happened for 2024. When the category started working a few months ago to put together the calendar, the threat of South Africa appeared again. But once again, due to financial issues, the return to Kyalami, the track located in the province of Gauteng that hosted the African event from 1967 onwards. And Belgium managed to keep its date for next year. Although there are no certainties about what will happen next and the future of the test is still in danger.
To complicate the panorama, a few days before the quota for 2024 was confirmed, Spa was the scene of a new fatal accident and an alarm was turned on about the safety of the route, which in just over a century of history has already been claimed. the lives of 49 pilots.
It was July 1st, when Dilano Van’t Hoffa pilot just 18 years old, died after suffering a severe blow while competing in a race of the Formula Regional European Championship. It was as a result of a chain collision, in conditions of a lot of water and low visibility due to the spray, at the fastest point of the circuit, the Kemmel straight, the one after the famous Red water.
“We lost a young driver and it’s not fair. That curve has to change, we’ve been saying it for years. We’ve already lost two guys now in a few years. You have to think seriously about that,” said the Canadian. Lance Strollof Aston Martin.
The death of the young Dutchman brought to mind Anthony Hubert, whose death, in August 2019, was a severe blow to world motorsport. The Frenchman had an accident in the same place on the circuit, during a race in the Formula 2 on the Belgian track, hours after Formula 1 contested its classification on the same circuit.
Complicated by the increasingly large financial demands of Formula 1 and the intention of the category to modernize and reach new stages, and with the problem of track safety once again under the microscope, for several seasons the Grand Prix of Belgium and the Spa-Francorchamps circuit are surviving year after year, thanks above all to the weight of history and the favoritism of the drivers. And this weekend, without knowing if it will have a future beyond 2024, it will receive the Great Circus once again.
Verstappen, for the 10th victory of the season
Verstappen will go for the tenth victory of the season at Spa. Foo REUTERS/Johanna Geron
Max Verstappen, the undisputed dominator of the Formula 1 championship, will seek his 11th victory of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix. And what better setting to achieve it than the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, his favorite track on the calendar, in which he has won the last two editions.
The Dutchman, from Red Bull, will start as a great favorite to win on a special date, the third of this 2023 with a sprint format. Thus, this Friday, from 12 in Argentina, the classification will be played, which will determine the starting grid for the final. On Saturday the sprint will be run. And on Sunday, the main race.
After the controversial victory in 2021, in that pseudo two lap race in heavy rain, Mad Max He took a driving class last year. He was the fastest in qualifying and then took the win after staging an epic comeback, after starting 14th due to a penalty for introducing new components to his power unit.
If he manages to repeat his performance this weekend -and also take the sprint- the Dutchman, current two-time champion, could add up to 34 points to further extend his advantage in the table, in which he leads with 281 points, 110 more than his escort, his companion Sergio Perez.
Everything seems to indicate that the test will be run again on a wet track, because the weather forecast calls for rain, at least for this Friday and Saturday.
“It looks like it’s going to be a wet weekend and we’ll have to see what impact this will have, as it always makes everything more interesting and chaotic. It will be interesting to see how our car performs in the high-speed corners, too. “, anticipated Verstappen.
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2023-07-28 09:00:52
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