The next race on the F1 2023 calendar is the Belgian GP this weekend before the season heads into the summer break. While the drivers are more excited than ever to compete in this race, fears of cancellation persist due to incessant rains.
The fears of competing at this event in such weather have increased all the more as just four weeks before, 18-year-old Dilano van ‘t Hoff died due to a tragic accident at this venue. The Dutch racer passed away following his involvement in a multi-car collision in the early part of the Kemmel Straight.
And since there is a high chance of rain this weekend, several drivers have urged the FIA to cancel the event. George Russell, who is the director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, has been in constant touch with the FIA regarding the same. Hence, the question is whether the Belgian GP will take place this weekend or not.
Will the Belgian GP get cancelled?
Ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, several drivers such as George Russell, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have voiced their concerns of taking part in this event due to continuous rainfall. While the drivers understand that motorsports always have risks, they believe that the visibility in such conditions at a high-speed event like the Belgian GP can be treacherous.
“At the moment it’s constant communication with the FIA following the tragic passing of Dilano in FRECA. The two questions are: Is Spa safe enough? Then, it’s a question of the conditions. Motorsport will always be dangerous when you’re travelling at this speed,” explained Russell in his statement (as quoted by skysports.com).
Similarly to Russell, reigning champion Verstappen also had similar concerns. The Dutchman explained that since SPA already has dangerous corners, it is definitely not advisable for the drivers to take part in this event if it is raining and the visibility is close to zero.
Meanwhile, star Ferrari driver Leclerc had some suggestions to make the race at SPA safer. The Monegasque explained how the circuit should be modified to have some more space on both the left and the right of high-speed corners such as Eau Rouge.
After stating the same, he too pointed out the need to put safety first before the FIA decides whether they are keen on going ahead with the race or not. Hence, since so many drivers have pointed out concerns regarding the event and with the weather report not looking promising either, the cancellation of the Belgian GP seems imminent if the conditions continue to deteriorate.
Belgian Grand Prix 2023 weather report for the weekend
According to weather.com, the conditions for the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend look far from ideal. The website states that the expectation for rain (86%) is highest on Saturday, the day of the sprint shootout and the sprint race. Meanwhile, the expectation for rain on Friday is also decently high at 83%.
Since there is such a high chance of rain on the first two days itself, there is a good chance that if the drivers do not find it safe to even compete in even one of the sessions, then it could result in the cancellation of the entire Grand Prix weekend. Now, the drivers and the fans will await the decision of the FIA.
