06 July 2023 at 05:17
Max Verstappen thinks it is unfair that after the fatal accident at Spa-Francorchamps, reference is made to the layout of the circuit in the Ardennes. According to the Dutchman, Formula 1 races on circuits that are even less safe.
Eighteen-year-old Dilano van ‘t Hoff was killed in the heavy crash in the Formula Regional championship on Saturday. On the straight after Eau Rouge, the young driver was hit from the side by another car. It was raining heavily on the Belgian circuit at that time.
After his dominant victory at the Austrian Red Bull Ring on Sunday, Verstappen elaborated on his compatriot’s crash. In three weeks, the Dutchman and his nineteen fellow drivers will also be in action at Spa, when the Grand Prix of Belgium is on the program.
“Eau Rouge is indeed a dangerous corner, but we also race in the first sector of Jeddah,” Verstappen referred to the circuit in Saudi Arabia. “To be honest, I think that’s an even more dangerous part than the point where the crash happened at Spa. I’m glad there hasn’t been a major accident there yet. Those corners are all blind. When you get to one of those points, you have you have no idea what is happening in front of you.”
“I remember being angry with my engineer at the beginning of the season because I was driving slowly at that point, while Lando (Norris, ed.) was on a fast lap. It’s super dangerous when something like that happens. “
Dilano van ‘t Hoff’s crash took place on the straight after Eau Rouge. Photo: Getty Images
“There is a good chance that you will bounce back on the track in the event of a crash”
At the same time, Verstappen emphasized that Eau Rouge is indeed a dangerous corner. “When you get to the top of the hill at Eau Rouge, you can’t see anything at all. The only thing that could be better there is the position of the guardrails. They should be placed further out. If you crash there now, it’s there is a very good chance that you will bounce back on the track.”
The latter is exactly what happened to Van ‘t Hoff. The Dordrecht driver’s car was already badly damaged after hitting the crash barrier and sliding back onto the track.
According to Verstappen, the track was extra dangerous at that time because the race was held in soaking wet conditions. “In dry weather, the visibility is already a bit better, then you can largely see what is happening in front of you.”
After Anthoine Hubert’s fatal Formula 2 accident in 2019, Eau Rouge was already modified to improve safety. Verstappen: “That has certainly helped, but Eau Rouge will always remain a dangerous corner. Just like there are many other dangerous points on our calendar. But that is not discussed, because there has not yet been an accident.”
The Formula 1 drivers held a minute’s silence for Dilano van ‘t Hoff prior to the Austrian Grand Prix. Photo: Getty Images
‘Many other things also went wrong’
Verstappen therefore thinks it is unfair that the Spa circuit is blamed for the crash. Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll, among others, called a few hours after Verstappen’s crash to tighten up the safety measures around Eau Rouge. “But many other things also went wrong,” Verstappen continued.
“The race was already coming to an end, but in the soaking wet conditions it was still decided to restart. It is a big championship with a lot of cars. Those cars contain young talents who are willing to take more risks because they wanting to show every race that they are the best drivers in the world. The visibility was so bad that the drivers could hardly see anything.”
In the hope of blessing, according to Verstappen, the drivers then keep their accelerator pedal pressed. “You do that because as a driver you think: the car in front of me is also running at full throttle, so it must be good. But it was not good. No one knew that a car had crashed in the front and that a chain reaction was set in motion A lot of things came together that we now need to improve.”
2023-07-06 03:17:43
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