The Belgian Grand Prix is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The first national race of Belgium was held in 1925 at the Spa region’s race course, an area of the country that had been associated with motor sport since the very early years of racing.
Belgium GP Sunday 29th August 21, 2pm GMT
A cloud was hanging over the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix at the fabled Spa Francorchamps circuit.
The event is set for late August on the calendar, but commercial director Stijn de Boever admits the current covid-19 situation “Was looking difficult”.
“We are organising everything for a normal grand prix, but it looks difficult. Really very difficult,” he told Algemeen Dagblad newspaper.
Last year, Spa hosted a ‘ghost race’ without spectators, but de Boever sounds unlikely to agree to that for a second year in succession.
“We have hope, but we are already in full lockdown for the third time here,” he said.
He doesn’t entirely rule out another ghost race, but admits that the situation in 2020 “was really not great”.
De Boever said spectators will eventually return to F1 circuits, but wonders: “how many?”
“We must have an answer from the government before mid-May. What is allowed later? What do they think? What is possible?” he insisted.
The implication of his comments is that Formula 1 may have more to lose than Spa if one of the most fabled circuits is unable or unwilling to host races in the circumstances.
“They also have to survive, don’t they?” said de Boever. “We helped them last year – we are part of the history of the sport, one of the oldest races. I don’t feel any pressure.
So were confident of seeing fans as the Authorities have since confirmed 75.000 tickets will be allocated for each day. The fact tickets are on sale at such a large scale gives us hope that the pandemic is under control BUT you can only attend if and this is the bad news, that the event is only open to EU, Swiss and UK residents. If you are planning to visit the event from the UK, you will need to be fully vaccinated and complete a PCR test before arrival.
0ur Top 3
Winner: Lewis Hamilton @10/11
Mercedes F1 says that Lewis Hamilton is recovering well from a physically exhausting Hungarian Grand Prix and is expected to “come back really strong” when the F1 season resumes in Belgium. The defending champ is thought to be suffering long covid after complaining of blurred vision at the end of the last GP.
Podium: Max Verstappen @1/2
A little-known fact about Max Verstappen is that despite racing under the Dutch flag, he was born in Belgian to a Belgian mother. But the Flying Dutchman was schooled in the Netherlands and ‘feels’ closer to a Dutchman like his F1 driver father. But after 6 races at the Spa Circuit his best position has been 3rd and we think at best he may only go one better this year.
Podium: Valtteri Bottas @4/1
After making a poor getaway from second on the grid in Hungary, in the slippery conditions, Bottas got his braking wrong into Turn 1 and ran into the back of Lando Norris’s McLaren. Due to this he has been given a 5 place drop on the grid for Belgium, despite this we think he will come up with a podium finish making up for that mistake.
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Image Credit: inews.co.uk