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The evolution of Eau Rouge

By:

James Newbold

Aug 29, 2019, 1:47 PM

It's now flat in a Formula 1 car, but Spa-Francorchamps' iconic corner, Eau Rouge, is still a challenge not to be underestimated

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"It's not a corner anymore, it's a straight. Whatever tyres you have, you're doing that corner flat out. All the corners are more tricky now compared to Eau Rouge."

In recent years, as Formula 1 cars have gone ever-faster and runoff zones have been extended to accommodate them, Spa-Francorchamps' most iconic corner has been the subject of many comments similar to those made by Felipe Massa in 2013.

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James Newbold Autosport Plus Editor

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James Newbold is Autosport's Plus Editor, responsible for coordinating website feature content.

In a sign of things to come, having completed his Politics and International Relations degree at the University of East Anglia in 2015, he left his graduation ceremony early to catch the last train to Brussels for the following day's Spa 24 Hours.

After a period as a freelancer, he joined the Autosport staff in 2018 and won the Motorsport UK young journalist of the year award. He initially edited Autosport magazine's Performance and Engineering supplements before joining the website team in his current role in 2020.

A keen enthusiast of anything that can be categorised unusual or niche, he enjoys unearthing little-known stories across all branches of motorsport, but has spent most of his career covering sportscars and is a regular part of the Le Mans 24 Hours reporting team.

He lives with his wife and children in Plymouth, England.