Here's why I enjoyed attending the F1 race that never happened

It was arguably the most famous non-event in F1 history; the 2021 Belgian GP is the shortest and possibly wettest race ever with just 3 minutes and 27 seconds of the 44 lap race being held (all behind the safety car which makes the term 'racing' seem redundant, but we'll get to that later) and I was there. It was the first F1 race that I've actually attended and comes as the final chapter in a 1400 mile road trip through France and Belgium where I stopped at Le Mans and Spa. We made sure to attend as many sessions as possible across the course of the weekend and I'm glad we did given the race didn't happen. My statement of enjoyment may be a controversial claim given the common sentiment is that this weekend's GP was a complete failure, but all will become clear as throughout this personal recount of the event, I'll detail what I liked and what I think needed changing.

The build-up to the race.

We arrived at the circuit on Friday the 27th of August after a short layover in the Belgian capital of Brussels. What was meant to be a short two hour trip to the circuit became an unbearable motorway slog in stand-still traffic. The motorways were a chaotic scene which was brought about by everybody funnelling into the parking for the circuit. This brings me onto one of my complaints with the circuit; the management of parking in and around the venue was poor and very different to the well organised Le Mans 24h which we had just come from. Most of the parking spaces were mere fields that in some instances were miles away from the circuit.

The circuit is at the white tent in the background

The circuit is at the white tent in the background

Now, I'm aware that the circuit is in a very remote area which is mainly farmland and fields but given the magnitude of the event, I would expect a more permanent solution to parking. Le Mans had dedicated fields for parking and camping which were within walking distance of the circuit and were gated and managed accordingly. The parking at Spa took a very long time to access and due to the heavy rain would become muddy and treacherous upon return; the fields would resemble a scene from the Battle of the Somme by the end of the day and leaving the premises was difficult. If it wasn't for the 4 Wheel-Drive nature of the car we were using (an Audi RS5 Sportback) we would have struggled to get out of the parking fields and would probably have had to enlist the help of the farmer's tractor to drag us out of the mud. Conditions became so bad later on that fields further away from the circuit were used for parking and local busses had to ferry people to and from the circuit. Some spectators elected to just dump their cars miles away from the track wherever they could and walk the rest of the way. I was particularly surprised when we were leaving the venue on Monday and I saw tyre tracks on the grassy bank next to a nearby motorway which was quite a while away from the circuit. This indicated that someone had either driven down it to merge into more slow traffic or even parked their car there for the race.

Nevertheless, my little tirade is over and I can now tell you about Friday. We had intended to arrive in time for the first F1 Practice session but it became evident very quickly that due to the traffic FP1 was impossible. No matter, we arrived as the W-Series racers were coming round the circuit and seeing Spa for the first time with its red and yellow apexes and iconic corners was a sight to behold. We entered at the Les Combes entrance which is the chicane at the end of the Kemmel Straight. I was surprised at how densely populated the area was upon arrival but would get more used to it as the weekend progressed. It appeared that most people had stayed by the entrances at the beginning of the weekend as they got their bearings of the track and on Saturday the closest areas had thinned out a bit. We immediately headed right and past the chicane - up the incline to the famous banks of the Kemmel Straight we went.

We reached the end of the straight and the top of the spectator area next to Radillon; this prompted us to descend down the steep and slippery slopes which took us into the large fan zone to the left of the run-up to Eau Rouge. It was a massive space which was awash with food vendors and merchandise shops as well as plenty of experiences and displays; the stupendously busy area would freeze every time a car would come up Eau Rouge. There was a great amount of viewing for the famous corner so we spent a lot of time there across the weekend. One of the most relaxing places to stop and watch the action was a small terrace just above the stores which carried a couple of food shops selling drinks and some superb chips which we sampled a lot of throughout the event.

We watched the start of FP2 at this spot as you could see the cars come up Eau Rouge, Radillon and into the small kink which starts off the Kemmel Straight. To someone who has never seen a modern Turbo-Hybrid F1 car in person, it is mind-bending to see them take on such a famous and steep corner. The fact that they can take Eau Rouge flat out is not only an engineering marvel but an impressive spectacle to gaze upon; the levels of speed, grip and aerodynamics is difficult to fathom. We journeyed further away from the fan zone and over to La Source for the end of the session where we could see perfectly the pit lane exit and the tight hairpin just before it. A small woodland embankment would be our resting place for the rest of the session.

The venue swiftly began to clear after the F1 action had finished but I couldn't really understand why; there was plenty of action coming afterwards which I'd have thought was worth watching. We decided to head back up to the straight and to slowly walk back to the exit, catching the W-Series qualifying on the way. This session would bring a sombre note to the day as we would be first-hand witnesses to the shocking six-car crash at Eau Rouge which hospitalised two drivers. It was a nerve-racking experience to witness. It's not a cliché to say that the mood of a track becomes very different, very quickly when an accident of that scale occurs; as soon as the sound of the impact rang out, the venue became silent. A mass of people at the fences shrouded the view but I could still make out some daunting events.

I've never been party to such a scary crash and it was not an enjoyable experience to say the least; to see a driver in pain or shock is never going to be a nice thing but when they collapse infront of you and the ambulances descend on them, you know something isn't right and you can't do anything but hope for their wellbeing. It was later revealed that all drivers would be okay but it begs the question that after some sever crashes at Eau Rouge across the weekend and before, does the corner need to be made safer? Maybe a gravel trap is necessary, or changing the dimensions of the corner? It certainly seems that things may need to change as drivers like Jack Aitken and Callum Ilott have called for it.

That didn't bring an end to the day, however, as the session restarted with championship leader Jamie Chadwick eventually taking pole position. After that, the Porsche Supercup cars headed out on the circuit for their practice session and I must say that there is nothing quite like the sound of a Flat-six at full throttle hurtling down a straight. As the racing came to a close, we trudged back down the hill to the car; it was an enthralling day and just to watch practice and qualifying sessions was entertaining.

Qualifying time.

It was where all of the drama unfolded, where the action took place. There was no race at Spa so Qualifying took it's place as the main event that nobody anticipated. We arrived on that drizzly Saturday morning to the sound of an F1 V6 and took a spot at the Bruxelles hairpin for the FP3 session. I was intrigued by the deceleration as they came into the corner; the cars looked as though they were standing still compared to them at full throttle - you could make out every little detail with the car as they coasted by. The wet track caused some spin offs and lock ups right infront of us which was entertaining.

We spent the interval between the two sessions heading to a part of the track we were yet to discover. We headed under the underpass to the spectator area leading to the Double Gauche corners; as we descended the hill, there was a historic F1 demonstration - the sound of those classic racers rocked the fences and made my hairs stand on end. It was then that I noticed a small glint of light coming from the treeline at the top of the forest between where we were standing and the Kemmel Straight. There was quite an incline across the forest but we decided to brave it and reach the top.

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Porsche Supercup on the Kemmel Straight

It happened to be the best decision we made all weekend; the clearing opened up onto the fence which was opposite the bank for spectators. This small area which we'd stumbled upon was equally as close to the track and ever so slightly lower than it which meant we could make out more details than even the opposite bank could. It was a sparse little hideaway partially sheltered by trees and about 30 foot from what was currently the Porsche Supercup qualifying. Watching the 911 (992) GT3 Cup cars at full throttle in the wet brought a grin to my face; the yell of the 6-cylinder reaching its rev limit was awesome.

Once the Porsches had finished their session it came time for Formula 1. The first cars came out of the pits and cruised gingerly past us on their sighting lap - the amount of spray coming off of the cars proved how difficult the conditions were. Though, the Q1 water levels were nowhere near as high as the race on Sunday. The first cars began to start their qualifying runs and the speed they carried was unbelievable. It was obvious right away from the timing screens that the McLarens were quick (in particular Lando Norris) and the Williams strategy was unrivalled with their extra downforce and tyre choices.

We followed the results as the session went on and tried to get as many pictures as possible whilst they went by. The rain increased over the course of Q2 so we took refuge in the trees. We stood sodden in woods watching drizzle droop from the branches as the cars kept whizzing by until all of a sudden, they stopped. Lando Norris' Eau Rouge crash had red flagged the session and we took the opportunity to journey through the woods back over to the fan zone where we saw the end of qualifying. It was great to see George Russell's impressive qualifying lap and see the live response to Verstappen's P1 and Russell's P2.

The highs and lows of Sunday.

Perfect would be the wrong way to describe Sunday morning - I think too good to be true is more accurate. After the car parks were destroyed by the rain of Friday and Saturday, new fields were used with the aforementioned bus transport. We were parked earlier than usual and were lucky enough to catch the bus to the entrance near Blanchimont. Entrance to the circuit was swift and despite the light rain, which at this point was merely an inconvenience, we were able to make our way around the rear of the circuit and back to the fan zone. We walked past the Porsche paddock and the front straight; it was good to explore parts of the circuit we had not been to yet.

After some shopping, we stayed at the bottom of Eau Rouge to watch the final F3 race of the weekend on the screens nearby. Before the race, there was an approximately 30 minute hiatus of rain at the circuit so the track was not extremely wet when the cars came out. This meant that even though it was raining and they struggled for traction during the race, there was a noticeable dry racing line for them to use when they were driving. Grip looked sparse as they jittered around Radillon, trying to control the rear end of the car, but there were no major incidents.

When the time came for the Porsche Supercup race, the same dry line was still there and being used by the drivers. The F3 cars had only recently exited the track so not enough rain had fallen to cause severe aquaplaning or a lack of visibility. It was safe for the Porsches and the race played out without incident. By this point we were at the small spectator area by the top of Radillon where we would wait for the F1 race to begin.

The driver's parade came and went and the rain had gotten heavier by the time the drivers where entering their cars and preparing to starts. I must say that the lengthy break between the support races and the F1 race was not a pleasant experience. If it was sunny then it wouldn't be the worst way to spend 3 hours, but on a cold and wet day with minimal seating and space, I was not best pleased. Nevertheless, the time had come for the race, the event that everybody was waiting for - and it never came. The first inkling that things were strange was when the cars did 3 formation laps. I thought it was odd and guessed that they were just checking the rain levels; not in my wildest dreams did I think that there was talk of no racing.

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The only bit of F1 driving on Sunday

It became more clear that something was wrong when the start was delayed 5 times by the stewards, after almost 30 minutes of waiting everybody began to realise what was happening. The circuit commentary had played the same interviews and reports several times before they finally announced that the race was red flagged. My heart sank. People waited around for a while after that and watched as the safety car did laps around the track to check its safety. The likelihood of a race start dwindled and there was talk of a cancellation. People took this opportunity to return to their campsites or head towards an exit We were still optimistic so decided to head around the circuit to the Blanchimont entrance and see if they restarted on the way. It would take about an hour to do so which gave plenty of time for a possible restart. Information being released by teams, journalists etc. was vague and infrequent which meant it was difficult to track what was going on. I was shocked at how many people were slowly shuffling towards the exit just as we headed for the underpass at Bruxelles. In the confusion, the marshals and security had made the underpass one-way and insisted that we go all the way around the circuit back to the fan zone where we had entered earlier. This meant that we had to trudge back around the Kemmel Straight and down the treacherous decline at Eau Rouge. This took quite some time with the commotion caused by the red flag.

Photo taken sheltering from the rain in the trees

Photo taken sheltering from the rain in the trees

By the time we were there I was not in the happiest of moods - I was soaked to the skin and under the impression that the FIA were just leading us on at this point. It was evident that we would not get the race we were promised but they still would not announce a cancellation even if it was inevitable. Whilst Michael Masi combed through the F1 rulebook to find a way out of the strange stop clock clause, we had made our way to the other side of the circuit and were standing near the chicane to the front straight.

At this point, it was breaching 6 o'clock and there was still no news. The weather updates were continually being delayed and I was losing hope; the exit was nearby and beckoning to me. Then, a moment of jubilation - the race would restart under safety car conditions. A roar of excitement rung out from the fans and the cars began their laps. It wasn't to be. After just two laps we saw on the screens (which had turned purple due to water damage) that the session had been red flagged and would not restart. Under some strange technicality, the FIA could claim that a race had been held and half point had been awarded because of the two laps which had been completed. Yes, it was great to see George Russell get a podium and for Daniel Ricciardo to score well with McLaren but at that point I had no interest; I just wanted to go home.

The mood on the bus was not one of anger or outrage, everybody seemed to accept that it was over. Our group of soggy race fans exited the bus and spent their time trying to get out of the car parks. Ignoring the fact that I was almost run over by an out of control Volkswagen Sharan in the muddy field, I didn't have much in terms of action or excitement to think upon. Nothing had happened for hours and we'd lost any drive. I was deflated by the end but I couldn't claim to be annoyed; if I think back on it now, I still enjoyed myself.

Michael Masi at Radillon after the W-Series incident

Michael Masi at Radillon after the W-Series incident

What did the FIA do wrong?

There was a definite breakdown in communication and understanding from race control over the course of the event. There was a lot that happened even before the red flag on Sunday that affected the race director's decision. Firstly, I think that both the W-Series crash of Friday and Lando's incident in Qualifying at Eau Rouge shook the governing body slightly and they became more cautious on their judgement throughout the rest of the event. It certainly should have given them a new perspective on the dangers of racing at Spa and it must have weighed on their minds when they were deciding whether to race or not.

I mentioned earlier that there was a dry line during the support races which had been created when the races were stacked one after the other. The 3 hour interval between the Porsche race and F1 meant that there was a massive build-up of water on the track. Would it have been productive to send a vehicle round the track during the interval to keep the water at bay and retain the dry line? Or, would moving the race start to an earlier time have made the start safer. I understand that with TV commitments and scheduling this would've been nearly impossible but I wonder if it would have made a difference. It's not a good idea to delve into speculation and what ifs after the race has finished because you're never going to find the answer you're looking for. But, I wanted to highlight how preparation before the race start to counteract the rain might have helped.

Finally, I believe that delaying the race for so long and then desperately trying to restart was the wrong call. It was obvious that there was little chance of a safe race and I'm sure that a decision was made beforehand that the race would not go ahead. The parade at the end was purely for the fans and to say that there was technically a race and half points were acceptable. There has been deliberation since as to whether a 'race' under the safety car deserves points - personally, I think the whole debacle should be forgotten and for the community to focus on the next race. It was cruel to keep us waiting for no obvious reason in the rain for so long and it was clear that honesty was not a priority. The cancellation was obviously the right call but was too delayed. They tried everything to get the fans to stay, even resorting to trying to get us to do the Macarena. Though, I must empathise with Michael Masi as there must've been some ludicrous conversations being held in his ear not just about a race restart but about money and broadcasting and the rules etc. It was a panicked and volatile environment and I do not envy him.

You may be wondering why I've claimed to have enjoyed the weekend but am being so negative towards Sunday. The truth is that it was a fairly terrible day with the rain and the mud and the lack of a race but I will remember it for a very long time to come. You have to take the positive side of the event, to be optimistic even in defeat. No, I didn't see the race despite travelling all the way to Spa and standing in the rain for hours. But, I did see a Formula 1 car at full throttle all day in Qualifying, I saw George Russell's first podium, I was a spectator at the shortest and one of the most famous F1 races ever and I saw one of Kimi Räikkönen's final races. If that isn't something to smile about then I'm not sure what is.

I hope you've enjoyed this personal bit of coverage from Spa 2021 and be sure to like and follow me for more. Thank you for reading.

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