Seven tragic deaths during a race at Spa that shocked the Motor racing world

August 2024 · 5 minute read

Motorsports is one of the most electrifying athletic events in the world. Speed is one of the most addictive cravings for humans, and it comes with big risks. The faster the driver races their vehicles, the more the probability of it becoming the racer last. Designed in 1920 by Jules de Thier and Henri Langlois, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is one of the most entertaining at the same time dangerous tracks in the world.

The 7-kilometer 20-turned track is known for hosting the Belgium GP, a prestigious event in the F1 calendar. It also hosts MotoGP, World Endurance Championship, and many racing events. Over the years, 49 racers have lost their lives during races hosted by the track. Every fatal accident shocked the racing community, but some broke the hearts of the racing fans. Here is a list of the seven most horrifying incidents in motorsports history at Spa.

Top 7 fatal crashes at the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit

1. Chris Bristow (1960)

Christ Bristow was a former British Formula 1 driver who drove in the competition between 1959-1960. He participated in four F1 Grand Prix, and at the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, he, unfortunately, lost his life; he was only 22 years old. During the event at the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit, while driving his Cooper for the British Racing Partnership, he went offline at Malmedy while battling for sixth place with the Ferrari of Mairesse. Bristow lost control while chasing after Mairesse, crashing into a four-foot-high embankment. The impact was so harsh that he was thrown from his car and landed on a barbed wire which beheaded him.

2. Alan Stacey (1960)

The next man on this list is also a former British Formula 1 driver who was born on 21st August 1963 in Broomfield, England. He participated at the pinnacle of motor racing between 1958-1960, and just like Chris Bristow, he also lost his life during the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix. However, his cause of death was different from his fellow countrymen. Bristow lost his life on lap 20 of the race, but five laps later, it was Stacey’s turn to depart in an unfortunate fashion.

Alan Stacey was hit in the face by a bird at Masta on lap 25 of the race, and it caused his car to crash, which then somersaulted off the track and landed in a field. The car then caught fire, and Stacey, despite trying his best, could not get out of the vehicle in time and was fiercely burned to death.

3. Johann Attenberger (1968)

While the above two incidents took place during a Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Spa Francorchamps Circuit, the track has witnessed fatal incidents in some of the other racing categories as well. Johan Attenberger lost his life during a 1968 FIM World Sidecar Championship race at the Spa Francorchamps Circuit.

4.  Christian Ravel (1971)

Christian Ravel was born on 07th August 1948 in Montlhéry-Longjumeau, France. He was participating in a race during the 1971 Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Season at the Spa Francorchamps Circuit when he lost his life.

5. Steffan Bellof (1985)

The fifth racer on this list is Steffan Bellof, a German racing driver. He competed in Formula 1 during 1984-1985 and managed 22 starts. However, while competing in the 1000kms of Spa race in 1985, he lost his life. Bellof was the defending drivers champion that year, and at the Spa circuit, he was engulfed in an intense battle with Jacky Icx.

Entering the left kink at the bottom of the hill, the two made contact, and both drivers spun up to the left up the hill, impacting the barriers. Beloff went straight into the barriers, and his car caught fire. The personnel present during that time were able to get Beloff out of the car after a 40-minute tussle, but he was declared dead just after 10 minutes of him being out of the car.

6. Anthoine Hubert (2019)

The next incident on this list occurred during a Formula 2 Grand Prix at the Spa Francorchamps Circuit; the track has witnessed fatal incidents in some of the other racing categories as well. In 2019, Anthoine Hubert lost his life while competing in that year’s Formula 2 World Championship.

A sequence of collisions involving multiple cars at the Raidillon corner stopped the feature race in its track on only the second lap. Trident driver Giuliano Elsei 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 BoschungAnthoine Hubert, and Jordan King had been running eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth at the time, and to protect themselves, they took evasive action. Boschung cleared Alesi’s Trident by taking to the tarmac run-off outside the corner, and King could slow down in time to avoid contact.

However, Hubert attempted to go to the right of Boschung but made contact with the Trident’s right-rear wheel, puncturing Boschung’s tire and causing his car to lose its front wing. After that, the car continued along the run-off and crashed into a tire barrier at high speeds with the front and right sides of the car. After being rushed by the on-track personnel to a nearby medical facility, Hubert fought for his life for 83 minutes but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

7. Dilano Van’t Hoff (2023)

While the Spa Francorchamps Circuit has claimed the lives of several drivers, the latest to join the list is Dilano Van’t Hoff, who lost his life during a FERCA race on 1st July 2023. The event was round 2 of the season, and it took place just before the Kemmel Straight.

Van’t Hoff lost control of his car while entering the Kemmel straight and was stuck by another driver named Fitzgerald. Over the years, the Spa Francorchamps Circuit has seen many fatal incidents, and with Dilano Van’t Hoff’s 2023 demise, the death toll currently stands at 49.

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