When the Formula 1 circus arrives in the Ardennes, the geographical grandeur of Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is invariably matched by an emotional gravity that few other tracks on the calendar can replicate. Despite relentless rain and biting cold, dozens of drivers, mechanics, engineers, and media members answered the call from Alpine driver Pierre Gasly on a Thursday evening to run or walk a full tour of the legendary Belgian circuit.
Organized annually under the banner Racing for Anthoine,
the gathering serves as a collective pause for a traveling community that spends much of the year hurtling across the globe at breakneck speeds. Donning specially crafted t-shirts bearing the tribute, the three single-seater feeder and premier paddocks—F1, F2, and F3—united to honor Anthoine Hubert, the French driver who lost his life at just 22 years old following a violent crash at the summit of the Raidillon during a Formula 2 race on August 31, 2019.
For Gasly, who was a close childhood friend of Hubert, returning to Spa is a complex psychological exercise. Speaking during his Thursday media session ahead of the race weekend, the Alpine driver laid bare the dichotomy of emotions the venue evokes.
Pierre GaslyVenir à Spa fait naître en moi des sentiments partagés. Ça a toujours été mon circuit préféré depuis la F4, et d'un autre côté, je ne peux pas oublier les pires émotions que j'ai ressenties dans ma vie avec le tragique accident d'Anthoine. Ce sont des sensations particulières.
Gasly added context to why these communal gestures matter within the high-stakes ecosystem of international motorsport. La F1 est un petit monde, nous sommes quelques centaines de personnes à parcourir le monde ensemble durant la saison pour vivre cette vie unique. C'est bien de pouvoir se réunir pour cette occasion spéciale,
he noted, emphasizing that the paddock operates as an extended family when confronted with the inherent dangers of the sport.
Beyond the remembrance of Hubert—who secured the GP3 world championship in 2018 before his tragic accident—the memorial cortege also pays tribute to Dilano van 't Hoff. The young 18-year-old Dutch driver competing in the FRECA championship tragically lost his life on July 1 of the following years in strikingly similar circumstances at the top of the Raidillon.
Each year, following the group march and a formal address of gratitude to the participants, Gasly steps away from the crowd for a quiet moment of personal reflection. Accompanied occasionally by fellow peers like Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon, he visits the precise spot on the sweeping uphill complex to deposit floral tributes.
As modern single-seater racing continues to push the boundaries of performance and safety infrastructure, these somber twilight gatherings at Spa serve as an essential reminder that beneath the telemetry screens, engineering metrics, and championship points lie human stakes that bind the motorsport community together far beyond the checkered flag.
Sources
These sources formed the evidence pack for this article. Links open the original publisher; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
- www.lequipe.fr original
- www.ouest-france.fr original
- www.lequipe.fr original
- Gonzalo Forbes original
- Michaël Duforest original
