Spa wants to renew itself to stay in F1
While rumors still circulate about a possible departure of the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit from the F1 calendar, the circuit continues its efforts to modernize in order to convince the authorities.
Like other tracks, Spa-Francorchamps is not guaranteed to be on the Formula 1 calendar after the 2022 season. Present since 1950 in the premier category’s events, it has become essential and legendary just like Monaco. For some, imagining Formula 1 without Spa is completely unimaginable.
Because to stay on the Formula 1 calendar today, the historical aspect of a circuit is no longer enough. This is what Stijn de Boever, the commercial director of the Belgian Grand Prix, asserts. It’s true that there has been a request from F1 to bring more entertainment. They said that history is great, but we need more. We have decided to listen and follow their new way of organizing F1 events. The American way, with all the entertainment that comes with it.
Faced with this new issue, the circuit is therefore trying to renew itself in order to offer the public the new experiences required by the authorities. « We plan all kinds of entertainment, with DJs, exclusive events, fan zones, and activities around the circuit. You can say that our legendary Grand Prix will also have the necessary bling. If we want to continue hosting races in the future, we must modernize. »
The modernization also involves recent work carried out by the circuit, including a new grandstand at the top of the legendary Raidillon, one of the most beautiful corners on the calendar. « The new Raidillon grandstand offers an incredible view, and the circuit itself has also worked hard to improve its facilities and become more sustainable, » confirms de Boever.
Spa also had a particular incident last year, with many parking problems for spectators due to the rain. It is also these kinds of details (which are not really) that can influence whether or not Formula 1 continues to come to Wallonia. « As for traffic, we worked with the local police to add parking lots further away from the track on solid ground, near Malmedy, with shuttles transporting fans to and from the track. In 2019, everything went very smoothly when it was dry, but now we have more options to offer better parking on solid ground, » reassures De Boever.
Meanwhile, the circuit continues negotiations to stay on the calendar and good points keep accumulating for de Boever. The F1 has been very pleased with our plans. They are happy that we are continuing to invest in a better fan experience, even though race day tickets have been sold out since December. This is not the first time we have held a Grand Prix without certainty for the following year, so it’s not a big issue. We are aiming to keep a race per year, without alternating with another Grand Prix, but we will listen to what the F1 proposes.
Liberty Media has clearly found a new way to organize F1 races, and we will follow them. Yes, we have something to prove. We may not have petrodollars, but we can show that we are a legendary Grand Prix that can entertain 100,000 fans per day. This is a big advantage that they will be able to experience in August,” concludes Stijn de Boever.
The circuit seems ready to comply with the new regulations in order to continue hosting Grand Prix races. Although this doesn’t confirm anything, it’s definitely a positive point to consider in negotiations with Formula 1.
