Round details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Round 9 of 12 in the 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Layout of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Course | Permanent racing facility 7.004 km (4.352 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Feature race | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sprint race | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2019 Spa-Francorchamps FIA Formula 2 round was to have been a pair of motor races that were due to be held on 31 August and 1 September 2019 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium as part of the FIA Formula 2 Championship. It was to be the ninth round of the 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship and run in support of the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix.
The feature race was abandoned after an accident involving Anthoine Hubert, Juan Manuel Correa and Giuliano Alesi. Hubert and Correa were taken to the circuit's medical centre where Hubert died of his injuries. [1] [2] Correa was stabilised and transferred to a nearby hospital. [3] The sprint race was cancelled as a mark of respect. [4]
ART Grand Prix driver Nyck de Vries entered the round with a thirty point lead over Nicholas Latifi in the drivers' championship. Sérgio Sette Câmara was third, a further twenty-five points behind. In the teams' championship, DAMS started the round with a sixty-five point lead over UNI-Virtuosi Racing, and ART Grand Prix a further thirty-six points behind in third. [5]
Twenty drivers representing ten teams were entered into the event. Nineteen of the drivers who contested the previous round in Hungary returned for the Spa-Francorchamps round. The only exception was Campos Racing driver Arjun Maini, who left the team. Campos signed Euroformula Open championship leader Marino Sato to replace Maini prior to the round. [6]
Nyck de Vries qualified on pole position, [7] his third of the season. Sérgio Sette Câmara was second, a quarter of a second behind de Vries, but de Vries' championship rival Nicholas Latifi was only able to qualify in eleventh when a red flag interrupted his final flying lap. [8] Latifi was later promoted to tenth on the grid by way of a three-place penalty awarded to Jordan King for ignoring yellow flags. [8]
A sequence of collisions involving multiple cars at the Raidillon corner stopped the feature race in its second lap. [9] Trident driver Giuliano Alesi was running tenth when he spun into the barriers while going through Eau Rouge, damaging the rear of the car and bouncing back onto the circuit at the exit of the corner. Ralph Boschung, Anthoine Hubert and Jordan King had been running eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth at the time and took evasive action. Boschung cleared Alesi's Trident by taking to the tarmac run-off on the outside of the corner and King was able to slow in time to avoid contact. Hubert attempted to go to the right of Boschung, but made contact with the Trident's right-rear wheel, puncturing Boschung's tyre and causing Hubert to lose his front wing. Hubert's car continued along the run-off and crashed into a tyre barrier with the front and right side of the car. The car snapped around and was sitting at an angle that was perpendicular to the racing line, but it remained on the tarmac run-off area. [9]
Juan Manuel Correa, who had been fourteenth at the time, was on the approach to Eau Rouge as Alesi lost control. He hit a piece of debris which lodged under a front wheel, preventing his car from steering effectively and causing it to go straight into the tarmac run-off. [10] Correa hit Hubert at right angles, his Charouz hitting Hubert's BWT Arden in the left side of the car. Correa was estimated to be travelling at 257 km/h (159.7 mph) at the time of the impact. [11] [12] The force of the collision was enough to tear Hubert's car in half, his headrest being ejected in the process. The front assembly of Correa's car broke away, exposing his feet; Correa's car also rolled over. Hubert's Arden pivoted around and hit the tyre barrier again, and came to a rest with its front wing and rear assembly up against the barriers while Correa's Charouz continued travelling several metres further along the circuit and came to rest upside-down on the grassy verge on the opposite side of the circuit. Campos driver Marino Sato braked to a complete stop to avoid cars on track, but in so doing stalled his engine and could not continue. Alesi was similarly unharmed—the accident unfolded behind him as he continued onto the Kemmel Straight—but his contact with the wall meant that his car suffered from race-ending damage and he pulled over on the approach to Les Combes. An FIA investigation into the accident found that fifteen seconds had elapsed between Alesi's initial loss of control and the cars of Hubert and Correa coming to a halt. [9]
The seriousness of the accident and the amount of debris littered across the circuit meant that the race was immediately red-flagged. Hubert was attended to by medical staff within one minute of the accident unfolding. [9] He and Correa were extracted from their cars and rushed to the circuit's medical centre. Hubert died of his injuries eighty-three minutes after the accident while Correa was stabilised and transferred to a hospital in Liège. He was admitted to intensive care and diagnosed with a spinal injury and fractured legs. [3] He was reported to be conscious and lucid before undergoing surgery. [13] His injuries ruled him out of competing for the remainder of the season. [14] Correa was transferred to a specialist facility in Britain where he entered acute respiratory failure brought about by acute respiratory distress syndrome. His condition was downgraded to critical, but stable, [15] but he was placed in a medically-induced coma on 7 September. [16] Correa was brought out of the coma on 20 September, [17] and underwent surgery to save his lower right leg. [18] The reconstructive surgery was largely deemed a success. Correa's long-term prognosis called for up to a year of rehabilitation. [19]
The feature race was not restarted and no result was issued, as per FIA regulations, as the leader had only completed one lap so the race was abandoned. [20] The sprint race that had been planned for the following morning was cancelled after Hubert's death was announced. Hubert's death was the first fatality for a driver competing in the second tier of FIA-sanctioned formula racing since Henry Surtees' accident in the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship.
A manslaughter inquiry was opened by the Verviers prosecutor's office on 2 September; a number of auto racing and road safety experts have been employed as advisers. [21] The car driven by Giuliano Alesi was impounded by the authorities as part of the investigation, forcing Trident Racing to enter a single car at the following round in Monza one week after the Spa-Francorchamps round. [22] The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the international governing body of motorsport, launched their own investigation into the accident. [23] Hubert and Correa's cars were provided to the FIA to allow their forensic investigation to begin in earnest. [24] The final report was published in February 2020 and concluded that there was no single contributing factor to the accident. It stated that previous contact with another car had caused Alesi to lose pressure in his rear tyre, setting off a chain reaction of events. The report also concluded that Hubert had taken every reasonable measure to avoid the initial contact and that his death was not the result of a driver error. [9]
BWT Arden announced that they would only enter one car for Hubert's team-mate Tatiana Calderón at the Monza round. [25] The team went on to prepare a car for Hubert, which was then left in the garage as a mark of respect. Artem Markelov was named as Hubert's replacement for the final two rounds of the championship in Sochi and Abu Dhabi. [26] Hubert's racing number, #19, was retired and Markelov assigned #22. Matevos Isaakyan replaced the injured Correa at Charouz for the final races. [27] Hubert's number was permanently retired in 2020. [28]
Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo admitted that he had given serious thought to withdrawing from the Belgian Grand Prix that took place the next day, and offered the opinion that other drivers had also considered it. [29] [30] Race winner Charles Leclerc dedicated his victory to Hubert's memory. [31] Organisers of the Formula 2 Championship introduced an award for the best rookie driver, which was named in Hubert's honour. [32]
The managers of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps announced that a planned redesign of the Raidillon run-off area that had been scheduled for 2022 would be brought forward. [33] The redesign had been scheduled to be introduced to allow the circuit to host a round of the FIM Endurance World Championship. The proposal called for the addition of a gravel trap to make the circuit suitable for motorcycle racing events sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the international governing body of motorcycle racing. The managers argued that the gravel trap would benefit racing cars by arresting their speed when they left the circuit.
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The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has held a Grand Prix every year since 1983.
Mick Schumacher is a German racing driver, currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Prema Theodore Racing and being affiliated to the Ferrari Driver Academy. He began his career in karting in 2008, progressing to the German ADAC Formula 4 by 2015. After winning the 2018 FIA F3 European Championship, Mick progressed to Formula 2 in 2019, where he won the sprint race at the Hungaroring. He is the son of seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher and nephew of Ralf Schumacher.
Trident Racing is a motor racing team that competes in single-seater formula racing. It was founded in 2006 in order to compete in the GP2 championship, which was Europe's second highest-ranking single-seater formula below Formula One. Trident is headquartered at San Pietro Mosezzo in the Piedmont region of Italy.
The Renault Sport Academy, formerly known as RF1 Driver Programme and Renault Driver Development, is a program to support racing drivers since 2002 in their racing series. The programme was created by Renault F1 in 2002.
Louis Delétraz is a Swiss racing driver currently competing in Formula 2 for Charouz. He is the son of former Formula One and Le Mans 24 Hours driver Jean-Denis Délétraz.
Artem Valeryevich Markelov is a Russian racing driver who will compete in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for HWA Team in 2020.
Callum Ilott is a British racing driver. He is a current member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, and UNI-Virtuosi and a former member of the Red Bull Junior Team.
Anthoine Hubert was a French professional racing driver. He was the 2018 GP3 Series champion. He died, aged 22, following an accident during the feature race of the 2019 Spa-Francorchamps FIA Formula 2 round at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
The 2017 GP3 Series was the eighth season of the third-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also eighth season under the moniker of GP3 Series, a motor racing feeder series that runs in support of the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship and sister series Formula 2.
Juan Manuel Correa Borja is an Ecuadorian-American racing driver who races under an American license and competed with the Sauber Junior Team by Charouz in FIA Formula 2.
The FIA Formula 2 Championship is a second-tier single-seater racing championship organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was introduced in 2017, following the rebranding of the long-term Formula One feeder series GP2.
The 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship was the fifty-second season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also second season under the moniker of FIA Formula 2 Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula 2 cars that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It is an open-wheel racing category that serves as the second tier of formula racing in the FIA Global Pathway. The category run in support of the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship, with each of the twelve rounds running in conjunction with a Grand Prix. It was the first FIA Formula 2 season to feature a new chassis and engine package.
The Dallara F2 2018 is an open-wheel racing car developed by Italian manufacturer Dallara for use in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, a feeder series for Formula One. The F2 2018 is the second car used by the FIA Formula 2 Championship and was introduced for the 2018 championship as a replacement for the aging Dallara GP2/11 chassis. As the Formula 2 Championship is a spec series, the F2 2018 is raced by every team and driver competing in the series. The F2 2018 was Dallara's first ever turbo-powered Formula 2 car and also the first turbo-powered Formula 1 junior feeder series car since the Dallara GP3/10 in the GP3 Series.
The 2018 GP3 Series was the ninth season of the third-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also ninth season under the moniker of GP3 Series, a motor racing feeder series that runs in support of the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship and sister series Formula 2. This was the final contested season of GP3, as the series will unite with the FIA Formula 3 European Championship to form the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
The 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship was the fifty-third season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also third season under the moniker of FIA Formula 2 Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula 2 cars that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It is an open-wheel racing category that serves as the second tier of formula racing in the FIA Global Pathway. The category was run in support of the 2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
The 2019 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held on 1 September 2019 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium. The race was the 13th round of the 2019 Formula One World Championship and marked the 75th running of the Belgian Grand Prix, the 52nd time as a round of the World Championship and the 62nd time the race had been held at Spa-Francorchamps.
The 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship was the tenth season of the third-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also inaugural first season under the moniker of FIA Formula 3 Championship, a multi-event motor racing championship for single-seat open-wheel formula racing cars. The championship featured drivers competing in three-point-four litre Formula 3 racing cars which conform to the technical regulations, or formula, of the championship. It ran in support of the Formula 1 World Championship and its sister series, the FIA Formula 2 Championship. It serves as the third tier of formula racing in the FIA Global Pathway. The championship was formed by the merger of the GP3 Series and the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2018, which brought the two championships under the umbrella of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
The 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship is a planned motor racing championship for Formula 2 cars that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship is the fifty-fourth season of Formula 2 racing and the fourth season run under the FIA Formula 2 Championship moniker. It is an open-wheel racing category that serves as the second tier of formula racing in the FIA Global Pathway. The category is scheduled to be run in support of selected rounds of the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship. As the championship is a spec series, all teams and drivers competing in the championship will run the same car, the Dallara F2 2018.
The 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship is the eleventh season of the third-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also second season under the moniker of FIA Formula 3 Championship, a multi-event motor racing championship for single-seat open-wheel formula racing cars. The championship features drivers competing in three-point-four litre Formula 3 racing cars which conform to the technical regulations, or formula, of the championship. It is due to run in support of the Formula 1 World Championship and its sister series, Formula 2. It serves as the third tier of formula racing in the FIA Global Pathway.
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