2021 Belgian Grand Prix - Spa-Francorchamps, Aug 27 - 29

[Wouter]

Organiser Spa-Francorchamps seeks solution for disappointed fans
30-08-2021 13:32

The cancellation of the Belgian Grand Prix was not only a disappointment for the fans and Formula 1 teams, also
Vanessa Maes was very disappointed with the situation.
The organiser of the event will try to find a way to give back to the fans.

Maes had been working with the team for months to keep the race going with the restrictions due to the corona measures, so she was proud of her people. However, heavy rain in recent days made it impossible to start the race this weekend, so the hard work proved to be for nothing.

"Spa GP wants to express its deepest disappointments with the result of the GP, for my team the conclusion of a year's work in which we overcame all the obstacles," she said in an interview with Dhnet.be.
"But unfortunately the weather is something you can't control. I have always said that the health of our public is of the utmost importance. Also the health of the riders."

The fans along the sidelines did not get to see a race, however, so she will be looking at what she can do for them in the coming period.
"In the coming days, I will discuss with Formula 1 management how we can compensate our spectators after this force majeure situation."

https://www.dhnet.be/sports/moteurs/for ... 01fe67145f

We are of course thinking of the possible postponement of their tickets or in any case of special conditions to attend the 2022 edition. Even if neither the FIA, nor the FOM nor Spa GP are responsible for what happened, a gesture towards the public prevails.

[basti313]

I am surprised by the take on the ticket situation. If you read in the terms for the tickets it always speaks about "event". The event had started once they opened the gates. This has nothing to do with the race. The Sundays ticket says you can enter the event and take a seat, there is not a single word in the terms or on the ticket guaranteeing you cars going round the track

I imagine the legal arguments would examine whether the experience met the reasonable expectation of the purchase. It has to more than simply providing a seat as one overlooking the forest would meet that criteria, but rather the seat is part of a wider experience.

The same goes for the event as a whole; it has a number of component parts - from the experience of getting to the circuit, the hospitality, the various fan zones, and the race itself. The question of refund may come down to determining what percentage of the ticket price relates to the on-track action, and did that action meet reasonable expectation.

Yes, you are right. But this is not changed by running a few laps behind the safety car. A spectator can try to appeal. The point you raise is 100% valid, but it does not contradict with the point that the 3 laps under SC did not have a bad taste against the spectators wallet.

In the end the spectator needs to anyways bring up more and there is a lot:
- They blocked most roads to the track. I have read from people who wanted to arrive at 9am were standing 3h in traffic jams, thus lost all morning.
- Paved access roads were blocked, they had to walk through the mud to get to entry Stavelot. Feet were damp or wet already by then.
- With walkabout tickets you were constantly in the mud.
- No moderation, no info at the track. Just your phone could give you some answer on what was happening.

[Sieper]

They didn't race. To get more points than anyone else for not racing is fortunate. The rules don't say points are given out for qualy so don't bring qualy in to it. Max has won 2 races with rain involved before yesterday. Both those races he spun and got back on track. So yesterday was not a guaranteed win for Max. Saying that both races he won with rain were half wet races anyway. Max may be super fast in the wet, but he spins a lot too. So to say he had it wrapped up before it even started is a joke surely?

Who says that? You I think. I have said nothing of the like.

The only thing I said to you is to stop ridiculing others. “Surely a joke”, “hilarious”.

No, nothing of that. All my posts in this topic have been sincere, on topic and imho reasonable. I have made no statements on who is lucky or who wrapped up things, that is all you.

YOU. you questioned "was it Max who benefited, when he could have had 25 points" suggesting he lost out most with this.

Don't twist my words. you know what you said end of. good bye.

No, you are the word twister and are always using offensive terms like other people are hilarious. Must be joking etc. The statement was made that Max was lucky to gain 5 points. I don’t agree with that, we will never know what happened if we raced. Could have also won 26 points (or lost 26 points). No way a given like you said I said. In that way I don’t feel max was lucky at all. To which the original poster agreed. It was just you diving in again with your wording, misreading and attitude. Really unnecessary. You will see if you treat me normal you will get the same from me. In fact, I never call you terms (yes I do bounce them back). Not even in any of the current replies.

[maxxer]

Who says that? You I think. I have said nothing of the like.

The only thing I said to you is to stop ridiculing others. “Surely a joke”, “hilarious”.

No, nothing of that. All my posts in this topic have been sincere, on topic and imho reasonable. I have made no statements on who is lucky or who wrapped up things, that is all you.

YOU. you questioned "was it Max who benefited, when he could have had 25 points" suggesting he lost out most with this.

Don't twist my words. you know what you said end of. good bye.

No, you are the word twister and are always using offensive terms like other people are hilarious. Must be joking etc. The statement was made that Max was lucky to gain 5 points. I don’t agree with that, we will never know what happened if we raced. Could have also won 26 points (or lost 26 points). No way a given like you said I said. In that way I don’t feel max was lucky at all. To which the original poster agreed. It was just you diving in again with your wording, misreading and attitude. Really unnecessary. You will see if you treat me normal you will get the same from me. In fact, I never call you terms (yes I do bounce them back). Not even in any of the current replies.

Dunno who was lucky , know Perez was unlucky though

[Sieper]

Yeah, but, Perez actually got punished for the outlap mistake. If the race was cancelled it would have been without consequences.

[maxxer]

Yeah, but, Perez actually got punished for the outlap mistake. If the race was cancelled it would have been without consequences.

Yes thats true also. funny watching a press thing of max saying to move the race to 1pm or 2pm , would that have differed as the race would have started as i still call it "normal" f1 race time.
Never liked the whole 3pm thing to be honest and also the shuffling around of circuits to race when there is typhoon seasons and all

[Sieper]

Perhaps that would be better on days like yesterday. Gives more chance to actually race. But they would have to know in advance with television schedules. allthough on a sunday afternoon, with pre race talks already included anyway, yes, might be a real solution.

[nick p]

let the people who have ticket stubs to the 2021 Belgian GP be allowed to enter in for free at the 2022 Belgian GP

[DChemTech]

let the people who have ticket stubs to the 2021 Belgian GP be allowed to enter in for free at the 2022 Belgian GP

That would be lovely, but that's a decision FOM has to make - not the grand-prix organization that sold the tickets. FOM will have to reimburse the Belgian GP organization for the damages.

[maxxer]

Carfest? We went to the first one. Great time had by all.

For the weekend, we are clay shooting on Sunday morning and having Sunday lunch in the local. Will watch the "highlights" in the evening unless I can find a stream to watch on my phone. Will try to watch qualifying tomorrow but yeah, whatever.

First race after the summer break and you go clay shooting ?

I enjoy clay shooting with a group of friends. It's usually more fun than F1 these days.

Happy you went clay shooting ?

[Sieper]

Friends of mine went and yes they were disappointed but the actual race is just a part of the weekend. the main course, sure, but they still had a nice weekend and will go if health and money situation allows it next year. You are with friends, with race nuts, you are a few days, there is lots of other racing as well and you know this can happen. I always go for short walking holidays in the Ardennes too and it can be incredibly wet, windy and cold. If it is too bad there are nice (WW2) museums to visit as well.

[DChemTech]

Friends of mine went and yes they were disappointed but the actual race is just a part of the weekend. the main course, sure, but they still had a nice weekend and will go if health and money situation allows it next year. You are with friends, with race nuts, you are a few days, there is lots of other racing as well and you know this can happen. I always go for short walking holidays in the Ardennes too and it can be incredibly wet, windy and cold. If it is too bad there are nice (WW2) museums to visit as well.

Yeah, my experience with Spa is also that the race itself is only a minor fraction of the entertainment - especially on Bronze tickets where you actually see only a minor fraction of the track (2 corners or so), and if there is any action, you're most likely seeing it on screen. By far most added value is the atmosphere - being able to walk around and watch different sessions at different locations, watch all the banners & stuff people brought, have a few beers with friends, and get a glimpse of the total idiocy of some fans, both at campings and on the stands. That all still happened.

[TimW]

Easy to say fans should get their money back if it is not your money.

Fan ticket fees are used by the circuit to pay the FOM fees which are used for the prize money to pay the teams so the teams can pay their team bosses and drivers.

So if team bosses / drivers make statements about the tickets to refunded, they should start by waiving their salaries this week. They did not race, so they did not earn it anyway. /s

[Jolle]

Easy to say fans should get their money back if it is not your money.

Fan ticket fees are used by the circuit to pay the FOM fees which are used for the prize money to pay the teams so the teams can pay their team bosses and drivers.

This will also be pretty safe because the real costs will be in ‘22 and not ‘21, where organisations already had a bad ‘20 to deal with.

So if team bosses / drivers make statements about the tickets to refunded, they should start by waiving their salaries this week. They did not race, so they did not earn it anyway. /s

My guess is there will be arrangement that FOM will take ⅓ of the costs, the organising committee a ⅓ and the spectators a ⅓ by getting ‘22 tickets with a big discount.

[WaikeCU]

Will they reimburse the tickets ? This will be a worse travesty than indy '05, if they don't.

I dont think they will, well they certainly trying to wriggle out of it hence calling it a race.

Technically the fans came, they saw a race. they went home.

A 2-lap race. Makes Pure ETCR even worth watching.

My mate who's new to F1 was watching the Belgian GP for the first time. He thought it was a 4hr waste of his time.

My other mate who worked for Honda was there with paddock access and he thought it was a waste of time as well waiting that long to make a decision and even sending the cars back out on track when conditions clearly were not improving at all. He actually got me a last minute invite for the Saturday, but I couldn't go since I was registered for a tournament I couldn't withdrew last minute either.

Just imagine I got invited for the Belgian GP on Sunday and finding out there wasn't one on the scene (well actually there was a GP)