BETTER PARTSBelgian GP contract extended until 2025
Spa will stay for the time being, but why does it only get one extra year?
The future of the Belgian F1 race seemed to hang by a thread. Competition from South Africa would doom Spa-Francorchamps, it was said. The circuit organization is also said to have already visited Zandvoort to discuss a possible alternate deal. This is not necessary for the next two years. The Belgian GP has signed a new contract that will give them at least another year of F1 visits.
Only a year - that hurts. Why doesn't F1 want to keep one of the best circuits on the calendar a little longer? A race like the Austrian GP has a contract until 2037 and many other races, such as those in Saudi Arabia, Canada, Miami, Hungary, Bahrain, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, are assured of their continued existence until at least 2030.
Why the Belgian GP only gets a one-year contract
There are several reasons for the unrest at Spa-Francorchamps. Money is of course one of them, but also the safety issue. Isn't the circuit too dangerous for F1 cars? After the fatal crashes of Anthoine Hubert and Dilano van 't Hoff, more pressure came on Spa's image.
Then there's the action on the track, or lack thereof. F1 is afraid that spectators will not get their money's worth. Think back to the 2021 'race': fans stood for hours in the pouring rain waiting for some action. When it did not arrive, the spectators had difficulty getting away due to the muddy environment. In the end, no one got their money back.
Yet progress is also being made. This year, the circuit was visited by 380,000 fans over the entire F1 weekend. New grandstands were installed and the race organization has worked on off-track entertainment, such as live music.
F1 boss Stefano Domenicali confirmed this on F1.com . 'Spa is synonymous with F1 having been one of the tracks in our very first season and is much loved by fans and drivers alike, so I am delighted to extend our relationship with them until 2025. The promoter has made great strides in recent years by improving the fan experience and infrastructure.” Next year the Belgian GP will be held on July 28.