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Despite 49 Deaths, Max Verstappen Shields His Favorite Track Naming Another “More Dangerous Than Spa”

Published 07/28/2023, 6:15 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The world of motorsport has still not moved over the deaths of young racers like Anthoine Hubert and Dilano van’ t Hoff. They died in two horrific accidents that took place on the same deadly track where 47 other racers have also met their demise. Such are the dangers associated with Spa-Francorchamps. Many F1 drivers have warned the FIA of its dangers many times. But Max Verstappen is probably the only racer whose favorite track is Spa. And recently, he’s stubbornly defended the circuit once again.

As F1 arrives in Stavelot, Belgium today, dark clouds of the recent past loom. Van’t Hoff’s death still sends chills down the spines of fans and drivers. Nonetheless, F1 continues to put the Belgian GP on the F1 calendar. However, Verstappen believes that the Belgian track is not to blame. He even shifted the focus onto the Monaco circuit which he believes is more dangerous than Spa.

via Reuters

Verstappen said, as quoted by Formulapassion, “Honestly, I don’t think the problem is related to the track. There are dangerous corners, of course, and in the wet, the risks are always greater, but I think everyone is confident enough to make the right choices. I mean, if you can drive, you can drive. And if it’s wet, you ride in the wet. There are always things that can be improved, but we also race in Monaco, which I think is much more dangerous than Spa.” [translated via Google

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The Dutchman was so in defense of his favorite track that he shifted the blame onto the governing body for changes in rules that are causing loss of visibility during wet races.

Max Verstappen Blames the FIA and Pirelli For Drastic Changes to the Tire Compounds That Hinder Visibility

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In 2022, F1 introduced a new car design. And to support the bigger car, bigger tires were needed. So, F1’s official tire supplier, Pirelli introduced new sets of 18-inch tires to replace the older 13-inch tires. And with the updated car design came newer problems. And Max Verstappen has blamed the tires for poor visibility in the rain-plagued races.

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Ahead of the Belgian GP, the Dutchman was asked about the chatter around the Spa track. In reply, Verstappen said, “On visibility, I think the switch to bigger tires has made the situation worse. And the very shape of the car, which is so large, causes there to be more splashes.”

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Do you feel that the 2-time champion has a certain bias towards his favorite track? And should the FIA keep the Belgian GP on the F1 calendar in the coming years?

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Written by:

Yash Kotak

555Articles

One take at a time

Yash is a F1 writer at EssentiallySports. With a strong passion for communicating through written word and a keen interest in the world of motorsports, he thoroughly enjoys being a fan of F1 and covering it for other fans. Ever since he watched the 'INSIDE TRACKS' episode covering the 2018 German Grand Prix, he has fallen in love with the intriguingly complex world of F1.
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Edited by:

Aishwary Gaonkar