Sebastian Vettel has expressed his displeasure at the prospect of losing Spa from the F1 calendar next year. The 4-time world champion talked about how the track brought a certain level of uniqueness and character that is absent from the new age tracks.
Questioned by the media about his view of the Belgian GP losing its place on the calendar, Vettel said:
“Spa is a great circuit. I don’t know any driver who doesn’t like Spa. On the other hand, I know drivers who don’t like the circuit in Russia. Not because it’s Russia, but because the tracks are all similar. I don’t have a say here, but Spa would have my vote. It would be wrong on so many levels to lose Spa.”
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen felt the same way when discussing the iconic track. While the Red Bull driver did understand the sport's need to reach other geographies, he also emphasized that Spa was his favorite track in F1.
When questioned on his views on the doubtful future of the race, Verstappen said:
“It would be a big shame to lose Spa. It’s my favorite track in the world and also with the recent changes they did to the run-off and stuff. Yeah, I think it’s just an amazing track in a Formula 1 car, any car to be honest, with all the high-speed corners and the flow it has in general. And yeah, there are so many tracks out there in the world where I think it will be nice to have a Formula 1 race, but somehow just simply not really realistic.”
Sebastian Vettel's future is still not clear
Despite having reached the middle of the 2022 F1 season, Sebastian Vettel has not clarified what the future holds for him. The German driver seems to have put all his eggs in the Aston Martin bucket and while the team does not appear to be performing well, it makes the decision even tougher.
Speaking to the media about his future, Vettel revealed that the decision was still not made but what would be done in the next few races. He said:
“The decision is still pending, but I will think about it in the coming weeks. Of course, it also depends on how the car develops and how much potential I see in the team. I have already emphasised several times that I want to fight for points, but also for victories. Otherwise the fun is lost. So in the next few weeks, together with my family, I have to find out how realistic my goals are and how much energy I still feel inside me to continue growing together with the team.”
Sebastian Vettel has been part of the grid since the 2007 F1 season and his retirement could trigger the end of an era that includes him, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton.