Guanyu Zhou demands drastic changes at Spa following Dilano Van’t Hoff’s tragic death

Zhou Guanyu has joined his fellow F1 drivers suggesting changes at the Belgian GP track.


Guanyu Zhou demands drastic changes at Spa following Dilano Van’t Hoff’s tragic death

The death of teenage driver Dilano van’t Hoff at Spa earlier this month shocked the F1 world. Now F1 driver Zhou Guanyu has joined a chorus of F1 drivers suggesting drastic changes at the Belgian GP track. Guanyu believes the Spa-Francorchamps circuit layout must be changed as the tragedy has become too much just to keep ignoring it.

The 18-year-old F4 driver died in a multi-car crash in damp circumstances at the terrifying Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex. This is the second death at Spa in four years. Anthoine Hubert, a member of the Renault Sport Academy alongside Zhou, was killed in a similar accident in an F2 race in 2019

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While recalling his friend’s death along with the Dutch drivers, Zhou Guanyu said the track portion was no longer safe in its existing structure. He told the media at Silverstone, “I lost a friend there in 2019, Anthoine, so it hurts. It’s a historic, iconic corner, but we’ve lost too many lives in the past.”

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Zhou’s views are similar to those made by Max Verstappen, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, and Toto Wolff in the wake of van’t Hoff’s incident. The demand is more personal to the Alfa Romeo driver than his driver as he was racing alongside his friend Hurbert when he passed away, and such incident reaping only hurt him more.

Related: Seven tragic deaths during a race at Spa that shocked the Motor racing world

Changes Inevitable in the Eau Rogue of Spa

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Van’t Hoff’s accident occurred on the Kemmel Straight, following the Eau Rouge and Raidillon sequences. He joined F1 greats Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, who suffered a similar tragedy in the 1994 Formula One season on the same track.

With almost everyone in the F1 world pushing for more upgrades in Belgium GP, it is likely that more extensive upgrades are set to come. Belgian GP has extended its stay for another year till 2024, and with the number of risks involved in racing on this historic track, their future might depend on ensuring drivers’ safety.

The only way fans can see it in the future is if The Track is upgraded and temporary chicanes are installed in Eau Rouge to make the cars slow down. FIA needs to remember how many drivers have lost their lives and the entire potential risk of the track. There shouldn’t be another Van’t Hoff, another Senna at Spa.

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