‘We are risking our lives’: F1 stars call for spa accident deadly site to be rebuilt

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The fatal accident of Dilano van ‘t Hoff († 18) shocked the motorsport world. For the second time in four years, a young driver dies during a racing event. In 2019 it was Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert († 22) who paid for his passion with his life.

Eau Rouge becomes lethal

The place of the accident is the same both times. The well-known combination of curves Eau Rouge in Spa, Belgium, more specifically the Kemmel Straight. Year after year, this stretch of circuit causes a stir and challenges even the best Formula 1 drivers. The area has since been renovated, but after Van ‘t Hoff’s death, the warning voices of the pilots can be heard again. Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll (24) calls for action. And that’s for the GP in Belgium (July 28-30). Otherwise “sport plays with fire”.

“The story of the day is not the race,” said the Canadian after the Spielberg sprint. “We lost a young driver at Spa today and my thoughts are with him and his family.” Stroll explains, “What happened isn’t fair. You have to look at the curve and change, because we’ve lost two young talents in four years.”

Are those responsible responding now?

Finally, Stroll made it clear again: “It’s never fun to drive through that. Every time we risk our lives. And today we saw something bad happen – and it’s not right.” Two-time world champion Max Verstappen added: “He had the same dream as all of us growing up. What happened is unacceptable.”

It is true that this has often been discussed in meetings of the GPDA drivers association. “But that’s about it. You have to do something,” Stroll said. drives. »

Van ‘t Hoff had to contend with poor visibility and rain when he fell. But that’s not the only problem right now. Stroll: “Even if it’s dry and someone’s car breaks out: it’s a blind corner. You hit the wall and get back on track, then a car comes in at over 300km/h – and that’s it for you.”

Gasly and Alonso join Stroll

Alpine pilot Pierre Gasly (27), a good friend of Hubert who had an accident in 2019, confirms these words: “We must never get into a situation where we lose young talent. There must be clear verification of what exactly happened and it must be ensured that such scenarios do not occur again in the future. Because I think it’s enough to lose a talent in this way.”

The Formula 1 stars would like to do without the Eau Rouge. Whether those responsible respond to the demands must be made clear to the GP within four weeks at the latest. (tired)

Source : Blick