Why Spa really need to take steps to retain F1

Some 110,000 fans a day saw Max Verstappen win the Belgian Grand Prix for the third year in a row last weekend. Yet the race will be remembered by many spectators mainly because of the enormous chaos around the circuit again this season. If Spa-Francorchamps wants to host a Grand Prix beyond 2024, steps must be taken quickly to solve the structural problems.

It was a half-hour presentation. Vanessa Maes, the director of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, had summoned the press in the run-up to the Belgian Grand Prix to explain why this year's event would go off without a hitch. With a colourful Powerpoint presentation projected on a large screen, Maes explained, among other things, all the measures taken to make the arrival and departure of the many fans as smooth as possible.

Fans stuck in the car parks

In retrospect, it all turned out to be empty words. The traffic chaos may not have been as extreme as in 2021, but it was still disproportionate. In the late hours of Sunday evening, many thousands of fans were still stuck with their cars on one of the many grassy fields that served as car parks (for 20 euros a day). There was no sign of any coordination from the police or traffic controllers. Just as reaching the circuit earlier in the day (also on Saturday and Friday) was only possible after standing in a traffic jam for hours.

The Grand Prix organisers and the Belgian media have long wondered why Formula 1 did not guarantee Spa a place on the calendar for many years to come. Money, it is said. If the organisers came up with tens of millions more, a long-term commitment would have been settled within the hour. No doubt, money plays an important role. But Formula One Management (FOM) also hears stories of the enormous chaos fans have to face. A GP should be a party from front to back, that is what FOM demands. The last thing FOM wants is for people to go home frustrated about the organisation of a Grand Prix.

Public transport not (yet) an alternative to car

With a huge event like Formula 1, crowds can never be avoided. Yet other places in the world do manage to cope with the influx of fans. Take the Dutch Grand Prix, for example, which each year relies on coming by bike or public transport. Indeed, there is no train station near the Francorchamps circuit, but that does not mean that ov cannot be an excellent alternative.

Shuttle buses already run from Verviers to the track. For a start, they should be many more buses, but these also get just as stuck in the many traffic jams around the circuit, as no special route is kept open for them. Moreover, trains to and from Verviers in the direction of Brussels, Antwerp, Aachen or Maastricht go only once an hour. So what is the advantage of leaving the car and opting for ov? Maes and her staff should pay a working visit to Zandvoort to see how it can be done.

Given the years of traffic problems, it was remarkable, on the one hand, that the organisers decided to sell 10,000 extra tickets this year, as the infrastructure is not equipped for this at all. At the same time, it is common knowledge that the Spa-Francorchamps circuit is loss-making, so desperately needs the euros. Moreover, there is overdue maintenance. While there has been some catching up in recent years, there is still a huge way to go. To keep its head above water, the Grand Prix is literally a matter of life and death. This is possibly why ticket prices, and food and drink at the track, have risen to exorbitant levels. To give an idea: a bowl of chips with mayo cost €7.80 last weekend.

Ticket prices sharply increased

Tickets for the Belgian Grand Prix are among the most expensive in Europe. For next season, prices are going up again further. A three-day standing place for an adult will cost as much as 205 euro in '24. The cheapest grandstand seat goes up by fifty euros to 295 euros (speed corner). For that, fans will see the F1 drivers pass by 44 times on Sunday, much less on other days.

If they pass at all. It is no secret that the weather conditions at Spa are changeable, to say the least. This season too, weather conditions threw the schedule into disarray, because - despite the modifications - the track is unworkable for the current generation of F1 cars when it rains. Of course, this is a factor that can never be completely controlled, but at least when it is wet, it would help if the drainage works. We saw footage last weekend of how water was actually rising, rather than disappearing into the ground. F1 won't be happy if fixed TV schedules have to be completely rescheduled because of this every time, as it costs viewers.

For its own future, track management needs to finally make huge improvements. Not just on a Powerpoint, but in practice. Otherwise, the future of the Belgian Grand Prix will remain as uncertain as it currently is until FOM really says goodbye to Spa.