Sicherheitsbedenken in Spa: Leclerc fordert Streckenanpassungen aufgrund von tödlichen Unfällen und regnerischen Bedingungen

Spa (Belgien) - Nach zwei tragischen und tödlichen Unfällen fordert Charles Leclerc (25), Rennfahrer für Ferrari, Modifikationen an dem Rennkurs in Spa-Francorchamps.

"Additional space should be created on the left and right side of the straight lead after Eau Rouge (high-speed chicane, note from editor),” suggested the 25-year-old driver: "Losing control of the vehicle, chances are high to hit the wall and end up obstructing the circuit."

A similar situation as described by Leclerc occurred in an accident in early July: The stationary vehicle of the young Dutch racer Dilano van't Hoff (†18) was struck at high speed. Van't Hoff was killed in the incident.

Four years earlier, Leclerc's friend Anthoine Hubert (†22) also lost his life during a Formula 2 race, again in a situation after Eau Rouge.

Implementing Leclerc’s suggestions would require considerable structural adjustments. Nevertheless, it is "a change that should be addressed in the future", he stated.

The Spa circuit, while favored by the drivers, contains dangerous and very difficult sections. On Thursday it rained all day long. Additionally, the weather forecast for the last race weekend before Formula 1's summer break is rather unfavorable.

Risky track in Spa: Reaction of Formula-1 drivers are conflicted

"We really can't see anything when it's raining. That's not an exaggeration. It is a major challenge for Formula 1 and motorsport in general," claimed Leclerc: "This causes a lot of accidents because we cannot react quickly enough."

World Champion Max Verstappen (25) appeared more composed, stating "Improvements can always be made, but we also drive in Monaco, which is much more dangerous than here," as the Dutch racer pointed out.

"Unfortunately, accidents do happen. They are extremely unfortunate situations and there isn't much that could be changed to make it safer. It is regrettable that they have occurred twice in such a short time frame here in Spa."

Despite the hazardous sections in Spa, Nico Hülkenberg (35) associates the track, especially the Eau Rouge section, with "fun", as the driver from Emmerich emphasized.

"Driving in the rain is tricky and risky, but it turns a corner into a challenge", stated the Haas driver ahead of the twelfth season race on Sunday (15:00/Sky).