The Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racing circuit will continue to feature on motor racing’s prestigious Formula 1 (F1) calendar until at least 2025 after extending its contract for a further year.
The track is a popular venue among drivers and fans due to its reputation as one of the hardest tracks. However, questions have been raised over the safety of the circuit after Dutch racer Dilano van 't Hoff became the second junior driver to die in a crash in four years, while circuit facilities have also been criticized as outdated.
In a statement announcing the deal extension, F1 touched on these concerns by pointing to significant development across the circuit’s infrastructure in recent years, including an increase of capacity by 10,000 and the addition of two new grandstands.
F1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicalli said: “Spa is synonymous with F1 having been one of the circuits in our first-ever 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 taken big strides in the last few years to improve the fan experience and infrastructure, and work is ongoing between all the stakeholders with a clear focus on delivering safe and exciting racing. I would like to thank the promoter and the Government of Wallonia for their continued support.”
This year’s Belgian GP from July 28 to 30 saw 380,000 spectators attend the event – a huge increase on the 20,000 in attendance last year.
Spa-Francorchamps has been under pressure to retain its place on the F1 calendar due to the current Concorde Agreement limiting races to 24 per season, and the level of increasing interest from potential hosts in other regions.
Despite its history on the F1 calendar dating back to 1925, the Belgian GP at Spa is one of the European events most vulnerable to F1’s interest in expanding its global footprint. The future of Italy’s Emilia Romagna GP at Imola has also been cast into doubt recently, although it has managed to keep its place.
Most recently, F1 was in talks to bring back the South Africa Grand Prix for the 2025 season but negotiations broke down, paving the way for Spa-Francorchamps to secure its one-year extension.
Willy Borsus, Vice President and minister for the economy of Belgium's Wallonia region, said: “We are proud and excited to announce that the Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Wallonia in 2025. Our region will once again rise to the top of the international scene, thanks to its high-quality events and legendary sports infrastructure.
“Beyond the prestige, I would like to emphasize the considerable economic impact that this event brings to Wallonia and Belgium. According to a study carried out in 2021, the Grand Prix generates positive spin-offs of €41.8 million ($43.97 million) for our region, after the deduction of public funding, which is steadily decreasing.
“These figures constitute a solid indication of the financial impact, and the positive outlook means that we can expect even more positive results this year.”
The 2024 Belgian Grand Prix is scheduled to take place before the month-long summer break, from July 26 to 28.
In early July, the race promoter of the Austrian Grand Prix extended that event's stay on the F1 calendar until 2030.
