THE JUDGE13 NOTEPAD ✍🏻 AN F1 PRESS PARODY – SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, BELGIUM The sun may rise in the east and set in the west, but when it comes to the Formula One calendar, certain races are immovable icons. And Spa-Francorchamps – that twisting, undulating ribbon of asphalt that snakes through the Ardennes forest – is nothing less than holy ground for the faithful.
The news hit like a champagne cork popping from a well-shaken bottle: Formula One has signed a multi-year extension with the Belgian Grand Prix, cementing the legendary circuit’s place in motoring lore for four of the next six years. It’s a deal as slippery as Eau Rouge in the rain and just as exciting.
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The eternal dance of Spa
Imagine the roar of the engines, the roar of the fans and the unmistakable wall of sound bouncing off the trees that line the longest circuit in Formula 1.
Spa has always been a temple for speed junkies and purists, a place where the ghosts of Senna, Schumacher and Lauda still haunt the corners.
The Belgian Grand Prix will now be held in 2026, 2027, 2029 and 2031 – a sporadic but significant presence in a world calendar increasingly dictated by oil money and exotic locations. Spa’s survival is no accident. It’s the result of a Herculean effort, a labour of love fuelled by equal parts nostalgia and necessity.
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Spa 2.0: Bigger, bolder, better?
Let’s face it. This isn’t the same Spa you’d find in a black and white photograph from 1950, when the circuit was part of the inaugural F1 championship.
Over the years, Spa has undergone facelifts and tweaks, always careful to retain its dangerous allure while embracing modernity.
Recent investments – read: two gleaming new grandstands and a fan zone that would make a music festival blush – have transformed Spa into a bona fide spectacle. Capacity has been increased by 10,000, allowing even more wide-eyed pilgrims to make their way to this motoring mecca.
It’s not just about the race anymore, it’s about the *experience*. From DJ sets to food trucks, the Belgian GP has become Woodstock for gearheads.
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What makes Spa special?
Ask any driver worth his fireproof suit and they’ll tell you: Spa is magic. From the hellish plunge of Eau Rouge to the relentless charge up Raidillon, it’s a circuit that rewards the brave and punishes the fainthearted.
It’s a symphony of long straights, fast corners and weather that changes its mind more often than a teenager at a buffet.
It’s no wonder that 380,000 fans flocked to the Ardennes this year to watch Lewis Hamilton remind everyone why he’s still a stone-cold legend by claiming his fifth victory at Spa. For those of you keeping score at home, that puts him alongside Schumacher and Senna in the pantheon of Spa greats.
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Legends born on the longest stage
At 7.004 kilometres, Spa is the longest circuit on the calendar and has been the scene of some of the most epic moments in F1 history. Schumacher’s maiden victory in 1992. Senna’s rain-soaked masterclass. Verstappen’s utter dominance in the modern era. It’s a track that doesn’t just test skill – it demands it.
And let’s not forget the allure of the Walloon wilderness, where weather systems can arrive uninvited and often ruin a team’s best-laid plans.
In the blink of an eye, sunny skies give way to torrential downpours, leaving even the sharpest minds scrambling to survive.
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“The Belgian Grand Prix was one of the races that made up our first championship in 1950,” he said, his voice no doubt tinged with nostalgia and relief. “Spa-Francorchamps is rightly praised by drivers and fans alike as one of the best circuits in the world.”
Translation: “We fought to keep it alive and thank God we did.”
Wallonia’s vice-president Pierre-Yves Jeholet couldn’t resist waxing poetic either: “Thanks to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, Spa-Francorchamps – and thus Wallonia – is at the centre of the world’s attention”.
Jeholet knows that the value of the Belgian GP goes beyond the tarmac. It’s a cultural and economic behemoth, pumping countless euros into the local economy and putting Belgium on the map for reasons other than waffles and beer.
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A sprint into the future
The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix will not only mark the continuation of Spa’s legacy, it will also bring back the controversial but undeniably entertaining F1 sprint.
The three-day extravaganza promises more action, more drama and, let’s face it, more opportunities for someone to get dumped in Les Combes.
Spa Grand Prix President Melchior Wathelet and CEO Vanessa Maes are already popping the proverbial bubbly, touting record attendance and fan experience as the secret sauce behind this deal. Their message is clear: Spa isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving.
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Why it matters
Let’s get real for a second. Formula One has flirted with the idea of abandoning historic circuits for shiny new playgrounds in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia. It’s all part of the sport’s global expansion, a strategy as divisive as it is profitable.
But spa? Spa is untouchable. It’s where the heart of Formula One beats most strongly. It’s not just a circuit – it’s a cathedral, a proving ground, a battlefield.
This extension isn’t just a victory for Belgium. It’s a victory for tradition, for romance and for every fan who has ever stood in the rain at Pouhon, drenched but deliriously happy.
So here’s to Spa, to the chaos and the glory, to the champagne splashes and the heartbreaks. Long may it reign.
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The world of Formula One rarely mingles with the chaotic cesspool of global politics, but when Martin Brundle, a former F1 driver and current Sky Sports pundit, decided to take shots at Elon Musk on X (formerly known as Twitter), it felt like watching Verstappen do a hot lap – unexpected, daring and ‘electrifying’.
Brundle, a figure known for his wit and measured tone, rarely descends into outright hostility. But on a chilly Monday night, he logged on to X, cracked his knuckles and let loose.
“I like Twitter/X and it has served F1, Sky, me and those around me well for a while,” Brundle wrote. “But Elon Musk is such a daily, globally meddling prick that I feel the need to go elsewhere.”
It wasn’t just a criticism – it was a gut punch aimed squarely at the heart of the platform’s controversial owner. For context, Musk has been involved in everything from advising Donald Trump to ruffling political feathers across Europe, asserting his techno-oligarchic presence wherever possible. Musk’s fingerprints are on more global dramas than a Netflix thriller, and it seems Brundle has had enough…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
