Spa extends its F1 contract for next year
On the eve of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Formula One has confirmed that the venue will remain on 2023 calendar following an agreement to extend the race’s partnership.
For several weeks, there had been speculation that this weekend’s race could be the last at the historic venue for the forseeable future with South Africa taking over Spa’s spot on the 2023 calendar. However, with the plans to bring South Africa’s Kyalami back on the schedule seemingly pushed back by a year for financial reasons, the sport has now confirmed that a one-year extension had been agreed.
“Formula 1 can confirm that the Belgian Grand Prix will be on the 2023 calendar following an agreement to extend our partnership together. Further details on the 2023 calendar will be announced in due course,” Formula One’s statement read.
Spa-Francorchamps is one of the original seven circuits that formed the inaugural World Championship of Drivers in 1950. The currently 7.004km track has been off the calendar in just six seasons since the championship's inception in 1950.
Speaking of the announcement on Sky Sports F1, Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “We have to congratulate the job [the race organisers] did. You’ve seen the investment they did. You see the number of people that are coming here… Incredible crowd, incredible attention to the people, and this is great. Great I think for the sport.
“We always said that the race is a part of our tradition, and it has a very important space in our calendar, and this is a fact that we wanted to share in this moment,” Domenicali commented.
