Spa-Francorchamps admits: 'Talks with F1 not going smoothly'

The future of the Belgian Grand Prix is highly uncertain. The organisation is pulling out all the stops to make an unforgettable weekend of what could be the last race at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps, because director Vanessa Maes emphasises that the talks with the FOM are 'not easy'.

There is a significant chance that Formula 1 will have to do without the beloved Spa from next year. There is a possibility that the circuit will be used again, as the races in China and South Africa may not return to the calendar until 2024. That may be the end of it, as many of the new additions to the calendar are prepared to dig deep into their pockets, often paying double or even triple the price of the average European GP.

Spa works hard to retain place on F1 calendar

The rumours circulating about the future of the event do not help, says circuit director Vanessa Maes at HLN.be. "We are in talks with the promoter of F1, Formula One Management, and those discussions are not going smoothly. The constant rumours don't make it any easier. Sometimes I read that we will stay, other times that we should have no illusions and other times that we are in between," she explained.

Maes does not want to take part in those speculations and she assumes that F1 still wants a future with the Belgian GP. Also on a political level, Belgium is working hard on that. In any case, it helps that the event is sold out, with 100,000 visitors expected every day - the highest number since 2007.

Although the future is under severe pressure, Spa is not giving up easily. The circuit carried out major renovations over the winter, both on the track itself and on the facilities. Improvements were also made to the infrastructure. A lot of work has also been done on the entertainment: a kind of mini-festival will be organised with 35 DJ's, as well as a new restaurant in the fanzone at Eau Rouge, where also a new grandstand has been built. In this way the organisation hopes to convince the FOM that the event is indispensable for the F1 calendar.