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Charles Leclerc feels there remain changes that could continue to improve safety at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit as a cloud hangs over this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
The event marks the four-year anniversary of the death of Leclerc’s close friend, Anthoine Hubert, who was killed in an accident in an F2 race in 2019 as a consequence of a crash moments earlier through Raidillon.
Ahead of the 2022 Belgian GP weekend, changes were finally made to the track which saw the radius of Eau Rouge marginally altered, whilst the run-off areas at Raidillon were increased and the barriers pushed back.
Just four weeks ago, however, and in atrocious conditions, 18-year-old Dilano van ‘t Hoff was killed following a multi-car collision at the exit of Raidillon leading onto the Kemmel Straight in a Formula Regional European Championship race.
The latest incident has led to additional question marks over the ongoing safety of Spa-Francorchamps, especially in bad weather, as is expected across the forthcoming weekend.
“There are some changes that could make a difference,” said Leclerc.
“First of all, the walls on the straights after Eau Rouge, we should have a bit more space on the left and right.
“If you lose control of the car, the way it is at the moment, you are bouncing on the walls, and you have a very high chance of finding yourself in the way.
“I think this is probably a change we should consider in the future.”
Additionally, one of the primary issues at Spa-Francorchamps, and which was a major contributing factor in Van ‘t Hoff’s death, was the lack of visibility around the circuit, especially in rising over the blind crest out of Raidillon onto the Kemmel Straight.
“It’s really difficult to put into words what we are seeing, apart from saying we are seeing nothing, but we are not exaggerating when we say we don’t see anything,” said Leclerc. “We really don’t see anything when it’s raining.
“This is a really big problem for Formula 1, for motorsport in general. With any single-seater now, we have quite a bit of downforce, and so there’s quite a lot of spray. This causes quite a lot of incidents just because we cannot react to what is in front.
“Easy to say that, much more difficult to find a solution, but I know the FIA is on it and is obviously trying to do its best on that.”
The FIA recently trialled its latest safety initiative of a spray guard, however, further evaluation and work are required as the initial attempt highlighted flaws in the design.
Leclerc has also called on FIA race control and F1 to make the right calls should it find itself in a similar position as was the case in 2021 when it appeared pressure was being applied to get a race underway despite shocking conditions.
The culmination was four laps behind the safety car before the ‘race’ was abandoned, which ensured points could be awarded. Leclerc feels there should not be a repeat.
“The last thing, when is it safe to start a race?” questioned Leclerc. “This is another topic for the FIA to look at closely, especially on a weekend like this, when it seems we will have quite a lot of rain throughout the whole weekend.
“To not feel the pressure of starting a race just because we don’t have any running, and we could be in that situation this weekend.
“In the end, obvious to say, but safety comes first, and this needs to be the priority.
“As drivers, we shouldn’t complain if we don’t have any laps because it is not safe to do so, and with everything that has happened.”
