Formula 1 has announced that the Belgian Grand Prix will be remaining on the calendar until 2025 following a one year extension.
The iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit holds a rich history in F1, having hosted 56 Grand Prix since its first race in 1950, and comes in as the longest circuit on the calendar at 7.004km.
In recent years, the track has undergone significant development of its infrastructure, including a 10,000 capacity increase due to two new grandstands, as well as offering a wider variety of entertainment for fans including the addition of live music.
This year’s Belgian Grand Prix saw an attendance of 380,000 people across the weekend, an increase of 20,000 over the 2022 event.
The race has long been considered as potentially vulnerable as more and more lucrative flyaway events being added to the F1 schedule, and with the Dutch GP which was first held in 2021 it can be seen as potentially impacting crowd figures.
Not only this, the disaster of the 2021 event, when the race was red flagged after a few laps behind the safety car, also called the venue into question.
However, with the interest created by Max Verstappen has continued to boost attendance at Spa, despite the huge success of the neighbouring event in his home country.
Spa is synonymous with Formula 1 having been one of the circuits in our first ever season and is much-loved by fans and drivers alike, so I am delighted to extend our relationship with them until 2025. The promoter has taken big strides in the last few years to improve the fan experience and infrastructure, and work is ongoing between all the stakeholders with a clear focus on delivering safe and exciting racing. I would like to thank the promoter and the Government of Wallonia for their continued support.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.
We are proud and excited to announce that the Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Wallonia in 2025. Our region will once again rise to the top of the international scene, thanks to its high-quality events and legendary sports infrastructure. Beyond the prestige, I would like to emphasise the considerable economic impact that this event brings to Wallonia and Belgium. According to a study carried out in 2021, the Grand Prix generates positive spin-offs of €41.8 million for our region, after deduction of public funding, which is steadily decreasing. These figures constitute a solid indication of the financial impact, and the positive outlook means that we can expect even more positive results this year. The Formula 1 Grand Prix thus embodies both an emblematic moment in motor sport and a powerful engine of economic growth for our region.
Willy Borsus, VIce-President and Minister for the Economy of Wallonia.
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