At Eau Rogue and Raidillon, Safety Should Always Come First
Stefan Bellof. Anthoine Hubert. Dilano van ‘t Hoff.
These drivers, and others, have paid a big toll for passing through the legendary passage that is Eau Rouge and Raidillon.
In light of van ‘t Hoff’s tragic accident this year, the discussion has come up once again about the level of safety surrounding Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps’ trademark feature, one that has grown to become an iconic piece of Formula One and motorsport history.
The accident that took the life of van ‘t Hoff looked very similar to that of late F2 driver Anthoine Hubert’s fatal shunt in 2019. The Dutchman’s car sat wounded in the middle of the track on the entrance to the Kemmel Straight, which comes immediately after Raidillon, before being smashed into by another competitor. The rainy weather didn’t help matters, as van ‘t Hoff’s car was unsighted in wet conditions, but the fact still remains that yet another life was taken on this piece of pavement.
As a result, drivers have been outspoken about their concerns relating to the safety measures put in place around these corners. One of them has been Lance Stroll, who called for immediate changes, saying:
“I think Eau Rouge at Spa needs looking into because we’ve lost two drivers in the space of four years. It’s a really dangerous corner, and we say it every year. It’s not fair what happened when it is the same corner.
I think that corner has to change. I think it’s way too dangerous. It’s an accident waiting to happen. And today, it happened again, and we lost a young kid.”
So what makes this part of the race track so dangerous? To me, it comes down to three things.
First, visibility. More specifically, Raidillon’s climb is blind, up a crest that limits a driver’s ability to see what lies ahead even in good conditions. There could be a stranded car in the middle of the track, and a driver wouldn’t see it until it was too late to take evasive action.
Second, run-off area, or lack thereof. I’ll concede here that positive changes have been made in recent years to address this. In 2020, it was announced that runoff areas at a number of corners, including Raidillon, would be expanded. The upgrades were performed not only in the name of safety, but also so the circuit could host motorcycle races in the future. A grandstand at the top of the Eau Rouge/Raidillon hill was also built to improve the fan experience. Still, there’s not a lot of room to work with considering the corner’s degree of difficulty and the speed at which it’s taken. Whether a driver is trying to correct their own mistake or avoid a hazard ahead, they need to be millimeter-perfect to avoid disaster.
And finally, as I just mentioned, the speed itself. Drivers attack Eau Rouge and Raidillon because it unloads them onto the Kemmel Straight, which is over one kilometre in length. A poor run toward the straight means crucial time will be lost at the start of the lap, compromising the rest of it in the process. And with cars getting faster and faster with the passing of the years, drivers can attack it harder than ever before. Hence, increased risks are often taken to save a fraction of a second.
The complex itself has naturally seen a number of changes over the years, seeing as the circuit first opened over 100 years ago, in August of 1921. YouTuber Nekrews 51 put together a great video using Assetto Corsa to illustrate that evolution.
There’s no denying that Eau Rouge and Raidillon are iconic. They’ve tested drivers across generations with their elevation change, high speeds, and demand for lightning reflexes to pass through unscathed. But as the death toll rises across various motorsport categories, so should the emphasis on driver safety. We don’t want to lose Eau Rouge or Raidillon, but we don’t want to lose drivers either. Here’s hoping that the circuit and governing bodies in question can find ways to preserve this legendary piece of tarmac, while prioritizing the safety of those who compete on it.