As the action moves to the Belgian GP at Spa circuit this weekend, let us take a closer look at the scary history of deaths at this venue
Spa-Francorchamps has been a challenging and demanding circuit, with a combination of high-speed sections, elevation changes, and unpredictable weather conditions.
These factors can create hazardous situations, increasing the risk of accidents. Additionally, motorsport inherently carries some level of danger, and despite significant safety improvements in recent decades, accidents can still happen. Spa has witnessed 49 deaths during races till date – let us take a detailed look at few of them.
Chris Bristow (1960): Chris Bristow, a former British Formula 1 driver, competed in the championship from 1959 to 1960. Tragically, during the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, at the age of only 22, he lost his life. Driving for the British Racing Partnership in his Cooper car, he had a fierce battle for sixth place with Mairesse’s Ferrari.
However, while chasing his opponent, Bristow veered off the track at Malmedy and collided with a four-foot-high embankment. The impact was severe, ejecting him from the car, and he tragically landed on barbed wire, resulting in a fatal injury.
Alan Stacey (1960): Another British Formula 1 driver on this list is Alan Stacey, born on August 21, 1963, in Broomfield, England. He also competed in Formula 1 from 1958 to 1960 and, like Chris Bristow, met with a tragic fate during the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix. However, the circumstances of his death were different. While Bristow lost his life on lap 20 of the race, Stacey’s unfortunate incident occurred five laps later.
Steffan Bellof (1985): Steffan Bellof, a German racing driver, participated in Formula 1 in 1984 and 1985, with 22 starts to his name. Regrettably, during the 1000kms of Spa race in 1985, he lost his life. At that time, Bellof was the defending drivers champion, and during the race at Spa, he was engaged in an intense battle with Jacky Icx.
Anthoine Hubert (2019): A tragic incident took place during a Formula 2 Grand Prix at the Spa Francorchamps Circuit in 2019. Anthoine Hubert, while competing in that year’s Formula 2 World Championship, lost his life. It was not the first time the circuit witnessed a fatal accident in one of the racing categories.
Dilano Van’t Hoff (2023): Adding to the list of unfortunate events, the Spa Francorchamps Circuit experienced another tragic incident in 2023. Dilano Van’t Hoff lost his life during a FRECA race on July 1, 2023. The incident occurred during round 2 of the season, just before the Kemmel Straight.
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