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FORMULA ONE drivers have raised safety concerns about this week’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa – with rain expected all weekend at the treacherous track.Dutch driver Dilano van ‘t Hoff died here earlier this month as a result of a crash in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine [FRECA] series.
F1 stars have raised safety concerns ahead of the Belgian Grand PrixCredit: Getty
Rain is expected all weekend at the circuitCredit: Getty
Dutch driver Danilo van ‘t Hoff tragically lost his life at the circuit earlier this monthCredit: Rex
The 18-year-old was the 49th racing driver to perish at this circuit and it came after F2 driver Anthoine Hubert died in a similar accident in 2019.
F1 were forced to scrap the Belgium GP here in 2021 due to poor conditions and with more bad weather expected, George Russell says it is important the FIA make the right safety call.
He said: “The FIA have to be bold with their decisions when it comes to safety, especially visibility. We know what the situation was two years ago, we don’t want it to be strung out as perhaps it was then.
“Everybody wants to race but when you’re going down that straight at 200 mph and you can’t see 50 metres in front of you, there will be huge incidents. They’ve got a big responsibility this weekend.
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“For one single F1 car to drive around, the conditions are safe enough and suitable enough to drive.
“But it’s when you’ve got 20 cars on track at once. Anybody from third position backwards literally cannot see.
“I felt like the incident that happened in FRECA, it was only really a matter of time before something like that happened.
“Drivers aren’t going flat out in the straight because they can’t see. Somebody gets rear-ended and then there’s a car in the middle of the track.
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F2 driver Anthonie Hubert died in a similar accident at the track in 2019Credit: Rex Features
George Russell has spoken on the danger of racing in wet conditions at SpaCredit: Splash
“Obviously to have a race cancelled is not perfect for anybody. But we don’t want to see a huge incident like we’ve just seen.”
Russell heads up the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association and is in dialogue with the FIA about the circuit’s safety.
He added: “It is about constant communication with the FIA following the tragic passing of Dilano. The two questions are is Spa safe enough and then it’s the question of the conditions.
“If you were to put a ranking of risk of all of the circuits, for sure Spa is one of the riskier circuits, along with Jeddah, along with Monaco, for example.
“When you’ve got a combination of the weather, it’s very challenging. It’s the visibility, we just have no visibility whatsoever.
“The way I describe it to try and give some perspective is driving down the motorway in pouring rain and turning your windscreen wipers off.
“The fact is we are probably not going to find the solution for better visibility for years to come. It’s challenging, it’s really not easy.
“And I fear a little bit for the junior categories now, I truly think F3 should not be allowed 30 cars on track at one time at any point, even in dry conditions.
“I think it’s a matter of time before we have a big accident there too.”
Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton however, says he is not troubled by the circuit’s lethal past.
He added: “It’s not something I ever think of. I think as a driver, it’s not something you can ever let really enter your mind.
“But trust in what the FIA are doing. I don’t think we would be here if they did not think we would be safe.”
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said he would like to see changes made to the track to improve safety.
He said: “There are some changes that could make a difference. First of all, the walls on the straight after Eau Rouge, we should have a bit more space on the left and right.
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“If you lose control of the car, the way it is done at the moment you are bouncing on the walls and you have a very high chance of finding yourself in the way.
“This is probably a change we should consider in the future.”
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FORMULA ONE have demanded MILLIONS from hotel owners to allow punters to watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix from their hotels.The first ever Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place in November this year, with viewers able to watch the cars zip around the iconic Vegas strip.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is due to be the most expensive Grand Prix of all timeCredit: Getty
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez drove on the Las Vegas strip as part of promo for the raceCredit: Getty
The track will take in some of Vegas’ most iconic land marksCredit: Getty
The race will pass by a number of iconic landmarks including the MSG Sphere – which will open in September – as well as Treasure Island, The Mirage, the Bellagio Hotel and Caesars Palace.
The track design is 3.8 miles long from start to finish with top speeds estimated to be over 212 mph.
According to The New York Post, F1 bosses are demanding that hotels with a roof terrace, viewing platform or bar that overlooks the track pay £1,167-per-head to have the required licence to watch the race.
That would mean a hotel with a 1,500 seating capacity would pay £1.75million to ‘show’ the event.
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The report claims that if hotel owners refuse to comply, F1 bosses will ensure they build barricades, stands and light stanchions that will obscure the view of the race from hotels.
A source told The New York Post that: “They are literally shaking people down saying they will obstruct views unless they pay them.
“It seems insane that they are asking money for a public event that is taking place in the streets.”
F1 bosses have reportedly threatened to shine lights into the viewing platforms of hotels that do not pay the licence fee, meaning punters will be unable to view the night time race.
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The worry is that casino and hotel bosses will simply pass the cost of the licence fee onto customers for what is already a very expensive event to attend.
The act of asking for a licence fee from hotel and casinos is common practice in F1, given the precedent set by the Monaco Grand Prix.
Hotel and casino owners worry that the cost of a trip to Las Vegas will be so expensive for high-rolling customers that they will be scared off coming back – losing establishments much coveted repeat business.
Proprietors are already angry that the Las Vegas strip will shut down to construct the track – and they fear asking owners to pay up on top of this is simply too far.
Ticket packages for Las Vegas have not yet sold out – with Las Vegas being the most expensive race of the year.
The price of an average weekend ticket is £5,167, almost 50% more expensive than the Miami Grand Prix which prices at £3,137.
Las Vegas is the third American track to be added to the F1 season, following Miami and Austin.
The three of them represent the most expensive Grand Prix’s to attend for punters.
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FORMULA One fans were happy to see TV presenter Martin Brundle treated to a fantastic interview from a Hollywood star. The fan favourite interviewer was back on the grid chatting to celebs ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix and managed to ask some questions to big time actor Terry Crews.
Terry Crews was attending his first ever F1 eventCredit: Getty
Martin Brundle interviewed Crews on the gridCredit: Sky Sports F1
The pair joked around together on Sky Sports’ coverage as Brundle asked Crews his thoughts on the race.
The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star even went as far as showing off his pecs by tensing up and making them move under his shirt.
Brundle is well known for his pre-race antics and fans were pleased to see a celeb join in on the fun.
The interview comes just a few weeks after model and actress Cara Delevigne was accused of being rude to Brundle when he tried to speak to her at Silverstone.
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F1 fans took to twitter to praise Crews for his grid walk interview and quickly compared it to Delevigne’s.
One fan wrote “This is how you treat Martin Brundle…. Nice one, Terry Crews.”
Whilst another added: “Terry Crews is a fantastic bloke.”
One other fan wrote: “This is how the Hollywood Elite should treat Brundle on the track, love to see Terry Crews commentate an F1, that would be epic!”
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Crews was in Hungary to witness yet another Max Verstappen win as the Red Bull driver continues to dominate this year, despite Lewis Hamilton starting on pole.
Verstappen currently leads the season standings by 99 points with team-mate Sergio Perez behind him in second place. More