Formula One News

Formula One News » Belgium to feature every other year from 2013? Posted on 01/09/2010

The classic Spa-Francorchamps circuit may be a favourite with the F1 ranks, but that may not be enough to stop it from becoming an occasional fixture on the schedule.

Despite a successful 2010 event, which was enlivened by some unpredictable weather at the weekend, the Belgian Grand Prix is suffering, like many other established venues, from the spiralling cost of hosting the F1 circus.

While the next two seasons are apparently safe, owing to an existing contract with FOM, event chairman Etienne Davignon told Reuters that he was considering a proposal to alternate future races with another venue.

“The discussion with [Bernie] Ecclestone is based on the fact that we believe we are running too high a deficit and that we have to try to accommodate that,” he explained, “We can’t say that it is because of the [economic] crisis and so on.

“We know that, with what we can attract at the prices we have to take because of what the race costs, we cannot reach the figures that we require.

“[Therefore], there are two elements of reality. 2012 is under contract and 2011 is on the schedule. What we do in relation to how we organise after 2012, or not, is part of the whole discussion. Presently, though, there are a number of uncertainties…”

Belgium, of course, has had a somewhat chequered past, with the death of Gilles Villeneuve at Zolder in 1982, and Spa bouncing on and off the calendar as a result of financial and infrastructure problems.

Davignon, however, told the local Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper that the circuit’s current incarnation was being well-received by drivers, teams and F1 hierarchy alike.

“We have already received congratulations from Mr Ecclestone, and haven’t had the slightest comment from a team or within the F1 organsiation that suggests that facilities are anything other than perfect,” he commented.

“However, I have said, in previous years, that we will look at the figures and examine them year-on-year. We have certain targets in terms of income and expenditure and, while I don’t want to give exact figures now, ticket sales on Tuesday and Wednesday [before the race] were generally on target.

“What will happen in the future, we don’t know, and we are playing with the idea of alternating with a circuit nearby. That is the current state of play – but we are not at that stage yet.”

http://www.f1.co.uk/belgian/