Sainz: 'Obvious' that Eau Rouge has 'fundamental issue'

Carlos Sainz says it's been obvious for some time for F1 drivers that Spa's high-speed Eau Rouge/Raidillon sequence has a "fundamental issue", but the Spaniard and his colleagues are awaiting changes.

Spa-Francorchamp's daunting corner was in high focus once again on Saturday when McLaren's Lando Norris crashed heavily while running up the hill, fortunately suffering only material damage.

But the incident which occurred just 24 hours after a horrendous six-car pile-up at the corner during qualifying for the W Series event, triggered an outcry for change, with the zone's run-off area seen as the main focal point.

Following the tragic events that unfolded during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend in 2019, when Renault hopeful Anthoine Hubert was killed during the F2 event in a collision that took place at the top of the hill, the Eau Rouge/Raidillon sequence was included in the track's €80 million renovation plans.

More specifically, the corner's tarmac run-off area is expected to be replaced with gravel while the barriers in the upper part of the corner are expected to pushed back, with the changes hopefully significantly dampening the bounce-back effect that has caused cars crashing at the corner to ricochet off the tyre barriers and on to the track where drivers find themselves sin harm's way.

"It's very obvious that this corner has a fundamental issue that means when you crash, first of all, you crash very heavy and second, you crash back into the circuit," said Sainz, who witnessed his friend Norris' crash live on Spa's big screen while conducting an interview in the media pen.

"This is when, in these kind of conditions, in the spray, if someone in P2 crashes and someone coming in P17 doesn't know, it's an extremely dangerous situation that we as drivers, we have asked for changes.

"We've asked for reviewing this corner, and we've been told that the FIA is already on it. So we are more calm about it, but this year is going to be another tricky one."

Sainz's Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc welcomed the future changes but was also understandably unsettled by Norris' impressive wreck.

"It was very scary for me to see, as for everyone, this crash at the same place where I've lost a friend two years ago," commented the Monegasque.

"It was incredibly good to see Lando walking out alone, out of the car.

"In terms of the track, they know that there is something there that needs to change, and the changes are planned for next year I think, which is good to know.

"Then for this season, I just pray for nothing to happen."

Red Bull's Sergio Perez was on the same page as his colleagues.

"We are very concerned about the corner – basically when you hit it, how it sends you back to the track and it’s a blind spot," said the Mexican.

"So I really hope to see some solutions for next year. It’s something that we will definitely have to improve because with conditions like today, if we have a wet race tomorrow, it’s not a great place for drivers to have contact."

While the changes at Eau Rouge/Raidillon will hopefully mitigate the consequences of an impact at the corner, they won't put an end to high-speed crashes in the area insists Fernando Alonso.

"Even with a different barrier, probably you save some of the accidents, but it is still a high-speed corner," said the Alpine driver.

"It is the nature of the circuit and that is why it is special."

• Read also: Ricciardo supports Eau Rouge changes after Norris crash

Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo said that yesterday's qualifying session should have been red flagged early on, or perhaps shouldn't have started at all given the bad track conditions.

But Alonso says that Spa's extended 7-kilometer length that often leads to a blend of wet and dry zones at different parts of the circuit make it particularly difficult to judge when overall conditions justify stopping a session.

"It's very difficult to keep up with the track conditions because it is a long lap with 20 cars running, so every lap you get a different feeling and a different track condition," added the Spaniard.

"When it is drying up it is always good news, but when is getting wetter and wetter it is sometimes a surprise with aquaplaning. So it is difficult to predict."

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