Solving the Radillon conundrum at Spa Francorchamps

There’s a lot of emotion going around about Spa-Francorchamps, Eau Rouge and the lethal problem of overspeed at Radillon; perhaps the finest complex of corners left in motorsports. A driver’s life was lost. Circuit owners literally moved the earth to make it safer up there in response. And tragically another young driver’s life was lost since. It’s just too fast up there.

So now there’s a crisis again. But it’s not the first, or the last time a racetrack has faced a safety crisis. Some of the greatest tracks in the world have closed because they were just too dangerous. Other circuits have changed dramatically in pursuit of safety. Think of the Le Mans Mulsanne chicanes, the same at Monza and the swathe of changes after Senna died.

Change and the quest for safety is a crucial past of motorsport. But it’s still dangerous, and Spa sits on the threshold of losing its Grand Prix, possibly a lot more, too. The irony of it is that Spa changed fundamentally from the circuit it was back in the late ‘sixties, and continually since around the Bus Stop, and elsewhere. So surely if it’s that necessary, maybe it’s time to bid adieu to the Eau Rouge and Radillon Complex as it is?

Sure, Eau Rouge is the headline part of it and most people still think that flat through that left-right flick through the dip and over the brow is one of those ultimate racing tests. But the real problem is not Eau Rouge. It’s Radillon and through on to the Kemmel Straight. A place where speeds are too high and the driver can remain unsighted. It’s crashes up top there, because of that, that have taken those precious lives.

So, if Eau Rouge is such a challenge and an essential part of the Spa mix, why not just change Radillon? Straighten the track and bring in a new left-right chicane that drivers must brake for, possibly with the car still a bit unbalanced soon after Eau Rouge. And then power out of it in a far less risky but still exciting run into the straight? Sure, it’s sad that the complex will be gone. But a relief too. And that way, Eau Rouge at least lives on. Just the most dangerous bit becomes a far safer, new challenge.

As noted, motor racing is dangerous. And right now, Radillon is the most dangerous place in racing. Speeds have just got too fast for it. So just change it and get on with it. And retain the rest of Spa as it is, as one of the finest racetracks on earth. Is that really that much of a compromise?