The traditionalist F1 venue stuck in a philosophical row
With the future of Spa as a grand prix venue in doubt, BEN EDWARDS admits not everyone will be disappointed if it is dropped from the calendar
The prospect of the Belgian Grand Prix no longer providing the annual kickstart for the second part of the Formula 1 season is a downer for me. The essence of the current layout appeared on the calendar in 1983 at a time when I was becoming immersed in motorsport and it bowled me over with its speeds, dips, climbs and forested borders. Ten years later, winning a one-make series race there gave me a huge lift.
But not everyone feels the same about Spa. My former co-commentator and five-time GP winner John Watson raced there for McLaren in 1983 when it hosted a grand prix for the first time since 1970. He had high hopes of enjoying a track which had been revamped from the former road course of 8.7 miles created between the wars.
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