It was announced on Friday morning that the legendary Belgian GP had been offered a new deal keeping it on the calendar until the end of 2025, the same time that the Dutch GP’s contract expires.

According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the two events could rotate from 2026 onwards, when the new power unit regulations are introduced.

Verstappen’s home race only returned to the calendar in 2021 following a 35-year hiatus, with it having become more like a Dutch festival since it returned.

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Zandvoort becomes a sea of orange during the Dutch GP, with it having produced some excellent racing since its return.

This year’s race saw a thrilling Grand Prix with changeable conditions, yet it was still Verstappen who came out on top.

The three-time World Champion has actually won his home race every season since its return, something which delights his adoring fans.

Verstappen has actually addressed the possibility of Zandvoort and Spa-Francorchamps being rotated, with him warning the sport that it might not work.

“I think many circuits deserve a place on the calendar, but they [F1] also want to make a lot of money. It’s always a difficult story. I think rotating can work wrong too,” Verstappen said in August, as reported by The Express.

Rotating the Dutch GP would likely infuriate Verstappen’s supporters, with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali having acknowledged that the race has become a “fan favourite”.

READ: Red Bull make damning Sergio Perez admission as rival drivers praised

Domenicali appears to be a supporter of the event, which is why they were given a new deal until the end of 2025.

“The Dutch Grand Prix has quickly established itself on the calendar as a fan favourite, bringing incredible energy and a great fan experience every year,” Domenicali said.

“The sold-out events in the last two years have raised the bar in terms of organisation, entertainment, and sustainability, and we are delighted to extend our relationship with them.

“There is huge demand to host F1 races so it is testament to what the team have done to cement Zandvoort on the calendar until 2025 and we can’t wait to return next summer.”

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Baring his rookie season when he finished fourth, Hamilton had claimed a rostrum at Spa-Francorchamps whenever he made it to the end of the race, a streak which has since ended.

Hamilton started in third last Sunday but struggled to catch Charles Leclerc in third, before accepting defeat in the closing laps.

After recognising that a podium was off the cards, the seven-time World Champion pitted for fresh tyres, in an attempt at the fastest lap on the final lap.

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He achieved just that, something which stopped reigning World Champion Max Verstappen from completing yet another Grand Slam.

Hamilton’s record at the Belgian GP is very mixed, given that he’s retired at the venue five times.

The Mercedes driver failed to finish at the legendary venue in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2022.

However, in 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, he secured at least a podium.

Four of his 10 podiums at the venue are victories, whilst he’s now finished fourth twice.

His 2023 Belgian GP was a frustrating one, especially after being penalised in Saturday’s sprint race.

Hamilton was battling Sergio Perez and slipped up the Mexican’s inside at Turn 15, only for a sudden bout of understeer to send the British driver wide.

He ended up going into the side of Perez which pierced a hole in the Red Bull driver’s sidepod, which forced him to later retire from the race.

Hamilton received a five-second time penalty and two penalty points for the incident, which demoted him from fourth to seventh.

READ: Franz Tost makes revelation about signing Mick Schumacher over Nyck de Vries

Mercedes opted not to appeal the decision due to how few points are awarded in sprint races; however, many view the collision as a racing incident.

One of the stewards reportedly agreed with Hamilton that it was nothing more than a racing incident, but they were outnumbered by the other stewards who believed that the 38-year-old caused a collision.

Despite this, Hamilton didn’t look set to claim a top three in the sprint either.

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Extremely wet conditions have been forecast for the race at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend.

The topic of visibility and driver safety has been a prominent talking point in the F1 world in recent weeks.

Spa-Francorchamps was the site where FRECA driver Dilano van’t Hoff died in a crash earlier this month.

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It’s believed that weather conditions had a large part to play in this tragedy.

Max Verstappen took a controversial stance when arguing that weather had a larger part to play in van’t Hoff’s crash than the dangerous design of the circuit.

Verstappen commented: “With that scenario, where there is almost no visibility, a lot of water, that is a big issue. I think.

“In the dry, normally, it’s a bit better. You see, of course, more of what is going on in front of you.”

Van’t Hoff was the second fatality at Spa in the last five years, with Anthoine Hubert passing away following a violent crash at the 2019 F2 Feature Race.

The two tragic deaths prompted questions regarding Spa’s safety, with a particular focus on the Eau Rouge corner, where many observed drivers have very limited visibility.

Leclerc highlighted measures that the track could implement to improve safety for drivers.

The Monegasque driver said: “I think there are some changes that could make a difference.

“First of all, the walls on the straight after Eau Rouge, we should have a bit more space on the left and right.

“If you lose control of the car, the way it is done at the moment you are bouncing on the walls and you have a very high chance of finding yourself in the way.

READ: Lewis Hamilton jokes about ‘fighting for a championship’

“Visibility is really difficult to put into words what we are saying, apart from saying we are seeing nothing.

“We are not exaggerating when we say we don’t see anything, we really don’t see anything when it’s raining.”

For these reasons, Leclerc says the FIA would be blameless if it was to cancel this weekend’s Grand Prix.

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Following a meeting with Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali in London, there are positive indications that the race will continue beyond its expiring contract, dispelling rumours of Spa’s potential elimination due to Liberty Media’s focus on new markets.

Maes, who later traveled to Canada to hold further discussions with Domenicali during the Montreal race weekend, described the London meeting as constructive. 

“The appointment was positive. He is now open to discussions with us. We’re not getting carried away – we haven’t signed anything yet. But things seem to be heading in the right direction,” she stated.

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While Maes confirmed that the ongoing contract discussions only pertain to the 2024 race, rumours suggest that a future “Benelux GP” will alternate between Spa and Zandvoort in the Netherlands. 

Maes acknowledged the uncertainty beyond 2025, saying: “We don’t know yet what will happen after 2025. 

“We know that Liberty Media wants a future with Spa-Francorchamps, when two years ago it was looking very difficult. 

“They told us clearly that they no longer wanted to come to Belgium. 

“But we worked a lot and that allowed us to be where we are now – that we can say that our country deserves to be on the calendar. 

“We are a historic circuit but one that is looking to the future.”

READ: Max Verstappen says he wants Red Bull to pay him more

Regarding the speculation about alternating races with Zandvoort, Maes expressed uncertainty, stating: “We don’t know about that.

“What is important is to secure 2024. 

I hope we’ll be on the schedule, but in any case, we are led to believe that there are possibilities. We’ll see what happens next, but we are confident now.”

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The Dutch GP has gained significant popularity since its return to the calendar in 2021 after a 36-year absence. 

The enthusiastic crowd and thrilling racing at Zandvoort have made it a fan-favorite event. 

Recent reports suggest that the event might have to alternate its place on the annual calendar with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

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Van Overdijk revealed that Formula One Management (FOM) intends to reduce the number of races in Europe and is considering implementing a rotation schedule from 2025. 

However, the specific details of such a schedule are yet to be determined.

“While we are ambitious to remain on the calendar every year after 2025, it is not guaranteed,” van Overdijk stated in an interview with Dutch media.

 He highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Dutch GP and the need to wait for FOM’s decisions.

The situation for the Dutch GP organizers is further complicated by the local authorities’ plan to impose a tax of EUR 900,000 on the event to cover associated costs. 

READ: George Russell says he doesn’t ‘trust’ three drivers

Van Overdijk expressed disagreement with the tax, emphasising the financial benefits brought by the race to the region. However, if implemented, they would have to accept it.

Regarding F1’s proposal for a potential ‘Benelux GP’ rotating between Zandvoort and Spa-Francorchamps, van Overdijk suggested that the final decision rests with FOM. 

He clarified that discussions about the post-2025 period have not taken place yet, as FOM has not reached a verdict. 

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Speculation had been circulating that the discussions would centre around securing a new race contract for the 2024 season and beyond.

Earlier, promoter Vanessa Maes dismissed reports suggesting that Spa’s best chance of retaining the race next year might be through an annual rotation agreement with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, calling it “pure speculation.” 

Maes expressed a preference for signing a multi-year contract, but emphasized that they would be content with whatever they could secure.

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Maes and Melchior Wathelet, the president of race promotion company Spa Grand Prix, accompanied her to the meeting with Domenicali in London. 

Vigneron reported that the outcome of the meeting was positive, although no official agreement has been put on paper yet. 

“Nothing is on paper yet but we can probably assume that the announcement of a grand prix at Spa for 2024 should not be delayed for much longer,” he said.

However, based on the information received, it is likely that an announcement regarding the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa for 2024 will be made soon.

READ: Max Verstappen reveals Lewis Hamilton wish

There are rumours suggesting that Domenicali and Formula 1 owner Liberty Media may only grant Spa a single-year contract extension for the upcoming season. 

The future beyond that remains uncertain, and Vigneron noted that: ““It’s still too early to tell but a lot of factors come into play.”

Nevertheless, there is a sense that Formula 1 holds respect for Spa and that the overall sentiment at the moment is positive.

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On and off, the Spa Francorchamps Circuit has hosted the Belgian Grand Prix since the start of the championship era in 1950, and had held 10 beforehand between 1925 and 1949.

The track has undergone numerous changes over the years, moving from a course that was made up almost entirely of precarious, high-speed corners, to the revised, still dangerous, but more sensible track we see today.

Located in the midst of the Ardennes Forest, there really is no place quite like Spa, with famous corners such as Eau Rogue, Raidillon, Pouillon and Blanchimont pulling spectators in every year.

READ: Red Bull comment on reliability as Helmut Marko spurs Sergio Perez on

The challenging, high-speed, technical thrill ride is something that the drivers thrive off; it is eye of the needle stuff 44 times over, and getting it right is one of the most rewarding feelings they can obtain.

Yet its place on the 2023 calendar was jeopardised by the arrival of new circuits such as Vegas and Miami, with the return of Kyalami expected to be the final straw.

It appears that the racetrack in South Africa will not be ready to host a Formula 1 grand prix next year though so, for now at least, Spa will remain.

Spa is one of the greats of the racing schedule, and one of the founding venues of the world championship.

It is considered as one of the untouchable races along with the likes of Silverstone, Monza and Monaco – there is a mighty scramble to keep the latter on for next year too.

Verstappen won the race last weekend from 14^th on the grid, beating team-mate Sergio Perez by nearly 18 seconds.

The Dutchman looked on rails all weekend at a track he adores, and his mastery of the circuit, coupled with the incredible Dutch support he gets there every year, makes it an event he never wants to leave the calendar.

“It’s my favourite track on the calendar, it’s amazing, especially when the car is really hooked up, like in qualifying it was really enjoyable to drive,” he said, quoted by RaceFans.net

“From my side, I hope we will never stop coming here, but at the end of the day it’s not up to me, but I’m very happy that it’s here and that it’s happening next year.”

Plenty of changes were made to the track this year in the interests of safety following multiple scary crashes over the years.

Many of those have taken place up Eau Rouge, and one of them tragically claimed the life of Anthoine Hubert in 2019.

The run-off and the layout of that corner was revised, while gravel was inserted on the exits of Turn 11, Pouillon and Blanchimont.

The gravel on the latter arguable prevented a Formula 3 crash between between Oliver Goethe and Zane Maloney from ending a lot worse.

Sainz is a fan of the alterations, and he too wants to keep racing at Spa for many years to come.

“It’s one of the best tracks in the calendar, they’ve also done a very good job with the changes they’ve done on track, putting gravel, getting rid of some Tarmac run-offs, making Eau Rouge safer,” added the Spaniard.

“It’s all changes that are in the right direction, and I think we need to congratulate the circuit for that. 

READ: Would Max Verstappen dominate Lewis Hamilton in equal machinery?

“It makes for a better show, and we look forward to come back in the future and hopefully it can stay in the calendar long[-term].”

Sainz finished third behind Verstappen and Perez as Red Bull took their fourth one-two of the season.

George Russell and Fernando Alonso both came home ahead of sixth-placed Charles Leclerc.

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Last year was a disaster. Torrential rain had fallen onto the circuit over the course of race day and, while Formula 3 and the Porsche Supercup were able to run their races, Formula 1 was delayed.

The drivers headed out behind the Safety Car, but very quickly reported that there was too much standing water, too much aquaplaning, and not enough visibility.

The only excitement television viewers got came through some shenanigans in the pit lane and the garages, but the poor old fans in the grandstands were left to sit in the cold and wet, eating soggy chips and seeing no racing action.

READ: ‘It’s hurt others’: Christian Horner denies new Red Bull chassis, suggests reason for Spa pace

In the end, two laps were completed behind the Safety Car, so enough distance had been covered to declare a race result.

The drivers walked away with half points, and the fans walked away thoroughly disappointed.

Due to the financial strains Spa is going through, no refunds were offered to the spectators, although they did at the very least hold a prize draw.

Rain threatened to disrupt the weekend this year, but there was minimal water on the track, and none during the race, which Max Verstappen won from 14^th on the grid.

There was a small bit of chaos for fans leaving the circuit due to traffic but, apart from that, thankfully, this year was a success.

“Everyone was happy, from the spectators to Formula One Management and all stakeholders,” Promoter Vanessa Maes said.

“We received congratulations from [F1 CEO] Stefano Domenicali and while I am a rather reserved person, I think I can say we had a very good grand prix.

“According to some, it was one of the best, if not the best in years. 

“I want to thank everyone involved because we wanted to show what we were capable of.”

Domenicali confirmed ahead of the race on Sunday that the Belgian Grand Prix will be sticking around for one more season, but it looks as though extending beyond 2023 will be increasingly tough in today’s climate.

“We will proceed step by step,” said Maes.

READ: Breaking: Stefano Domenicali announces Belgian Grand Prix will be on 2023 calendar

“The contract is confirmed for 2023, but we are also looking at the long term, it was very difficult to get this contract for 2023 because the places are expensive.

“But of the races that are at the end of their contract, we are the first to re-sign.”

Next year’s Belgian Grand Prix will be the 56^th running of the event at Spa in the championship era.

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The Alpine F1 Team driver called the 37-year-old an “idiot”, after the pair collided on the opening lap at Les Combes.

Hamilton and Alonso both made excellent starts, with the Spaniard running P2 and Hamilton P3 on the run to the end of the straight leading to Les Combes.

The seven-time World Champion was right in the slipstream of the 41-year-old and pulled to the outside at the corner.

READ: Haas comment on Mick Schumacher’s future amid reports he’ll end Ferrari ties

Hamilton swooped around the outside of Alonso; however, the Brit cut across the front of the double World Champion leaving him nowhere to go.

The pair collided in dramatic fashion, as the rear of Hamilton’s W13 launched into the air, performing somewhat of a nosedive.

The Brit slammed back onto the circuit but was forced to retire immediately following suspected floor damage.

Alonso somehow came out of the incident clean and went on to finish fifth at Spa-Francorchamps.

The Spanish driver had some strong words for Hamilton when the incident happened, after letting his frustrations know over the Alpine radio.

“What an idiot, closing the door from the outside. I mean, we had a mega start, but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first,” Alonso insisted.

Hamilton was asked about his former team-mate’s comments after the race, for which he gave no reaction.

“It doesn’t really matter what he said. I don’t care,” said the Mercedes driver.

“Like I said, it was my fault, I couldn’t see him.”

Hamilton took full responsibility for the crash, which was deemed a racing incident.

The Mercedes driver explained how he couldn’t see the Alpine due to it being in his blind-spot, but nevertheless the 103-time GP winner recognised he was at fault and owned up to it.

Alonso was much calmer after the race where he was told that Hamilton had accepted responsibility.

The Spaniard admitted it was a racing incident, but that it was still “frustrating” after making a good start.

“I mean, I was surprised, and for sure he now saw the incident and he takes the responsibility, which is obviously very nice from him.

“It was a lap one incident, nothing really to say there. The stewards, they didn’t say anything because these things happen, especially in that corner. It happened in the past, I remember also with Lewis and [former Mercedes team-mate Nico] Rosberg [in 2014]. It’s a tricky corner.

“I was frustrated in that moment for sure; every time we start in the first row, second row or we are fighting top two, top three, there is something going on. And yeah, I was frustrated but luckily my car was very strong, and nothing happened, I could continue. Lewis did not have that luck and had to retire the car.”

READ: Otmar Szafnauer expecting key decision on Oscar Piastri’s future today

Since Alonso made the comment that Hamilton only knows how to drive from first, F1 statman Sean Kelly has posted some incredible figures to silence the Spaniard.

42 of Hamilton’s 103 F1 victories have come from starting second or lower, this number alone is higher than Ayrton Senna’s (41), Alonso’s (32), Nigel Mansell’s (31) and Max Verstappen’s (29) total race victories no matter where they started.

Hamilton only has eight more chances to continue his record of winning at least one race in every F1 season he’s competed in, a streak that goes back all the way to 2007.

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The race had been called into doubt previously due to the influx of new venues in Formula 1 worldwide.

Netflix docuseries, Drive to Survive, sparked a great deal of interest in F1 when it was initially introduced in 2019, and an enormous American audience began to develop.

Since then, Miami has been added to the calendar, and the event was a success from a spectatorship perspective, although the organisers did announce a loss having underestimated the amount of expenditure it would take to pull off the ambitious plan.

READ: Belgian GP: Lando Norris shocked after Max Verstappen hilariously jokes about qualifying

Vegas has also been added for next year, with a Saturday night race, which features the world famous Vegas strip, set to take place in November.

Further venues, such as the possibly returning Kyalami, another track in Saudi Arabia, and a circuit in Colombia, have all been speculated.

Spa was initially out of contract this year, and the calendar is expected to hold 24 races next season – around eight of them in Europe.

Monaco too does not have a deal for 2023, and negotiations, which now reportedly include Prince Albert, are ongoing.

Indeed, Monaco and Belgium are too of the oldest and most iconic races in the sport having hosted 122 championship races between them, so racing would certainly seem strange without them.

READ: Stefano Domenicali backs up Toto Wolff amid war of words with ex-F1 champion

Monte Carlo may still be in the balance, but Domenicali was proud to give a “straightforward” answer of “yes,” while stood next to FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem when Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle asked him if there will be a Belgian Grand Prix next season.

Carlos Sainz is set to start P1 in Spa on Sunday after Max Verstappen initially took pole, but will go from 14^th due to an engine penalty.

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