Do we need to act before we see another disaster?
Motorsport has always been about the thrill of racing on the limit of what is possible, pushing the boundaries of man and machine, all in the name of entertainment. However, balances need to be struck between drama and safety, and this infamous corner is up for much debate, after a series of nasty events.
The Spa Francorchamps track is iconic because of its high speed nature, with high commitment corners, along with vast amounts of undulation. Over the years it has undergone many changes, both with track layout changes, as well as alterations to the runoff areas. On the most part, it is up to modern safety standards, yet Eau Rouge and Radillon is a different story, and there aren’t any simple solutions.
The main problem is one of space, on one side of the track you have a steep slope going into a forest, which would be extremely difficult to push back, and on the other side the countryside drops away, to various access roads for the rest of the track. This has meant that for a long time now, the barriers are very close to the edge of the track, and due to the high speeds achieved through that corner nowadays, when accidents happen there, it is rare they are small ones.
Firstly, I don’t understand why gravel has not already been put on the edge of the track in that area, it may not help to slow the cars much, but it may act more as a deterrent to drivers to not risk too much through that corner. The bigger issue though, and one caused by the proximity of the barriers to the track, is that cars are able to bounce off them, and back onto the racing line. This was a major cause of the death of Antoine Hubert, and was also plain to see in the crash by Norris in Q3 a few weeks ago. This would be another reason to add in gravel traps, as in some circumstances, they could prevent the car from making it back to the track, after losing energy in hitting the barriers. That being said, gravel traps will not solve the problem, I just see it as an aid in the pursuit of safety.
From the way I see it, we have two solutions, one more favourable than the other. The first option is to spend a large amount of money excavating the hill side on the left of Eau Rouge, which would allow the barriers to be pushed back. If they could move everything back by 20-30 metres, alongside the introduction of a gravel trap, it could vastly improve the safety of the corner. There will be many hurdles to overcome with this option, such as environmental impacts in cutting down trees, can the ground cope with being excavated into? The biggest issue though will be cost, and after what happened at the Belgian Grand Prix this year, I doubt they are going to be flush with money to spend on this.
The second option is something that will not go down well with anyone, including myself, yet may be necessary for safety and to keep costs down. That is reconfiguring the track layout at that part of the circuit. It could be done by making the corner straighter, thus reducing loads on the cars driving through there, and so there should be less risks of crashes. This should be cheaper, as you would basically take some of the grass on the right of Eau Rouge as you go up the hill, and turn it into track. As I said, I would not revel in this being done. It is an iconic corner, and changing it would take something away from the sport. However, we cannot sit and wait for another driver to die before acting.
So, in answer to my question, yes, it is time to talk about Eau Rouge. I believe gravel traps there are a necessity, and every possible effort must be made to see if the barriers can be moved back, even by a small amount. Altering the corner should only be a last resort, once all other avenues have been looked at, but if it does come to it, I would not complain if they did change it, in the name of safety.
-M
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