Spa-Francorchamps round in Belgium was cancelled
This weekend the Spa-Francorchamps Race Track in Belgium hosted the drivers and teams of the F2 World Championship for the ninth double round of the World Championship. Like the other races of the year, the events were scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday consisting of free practice, a qualifying session and the two races. However, an unfortunate tragic accident at the start of Saturday’s race prematurely ended all the scheduled activities and took the life of the French driver Anthoine Hubert and left the American Juan Manuel Corrêa seriously injured.
Currently in the third position of the Championship, the young Brazilian driver Sérgio Sette Câmara (YOUSE | BMG | MRV | CCR | CEMIG | GASMIG | CBMM | COPASA), was experiencing an ascending streak. After getting the eighth place in the free practice, held on Friday morning, the driver of the French team DAMS and the engineers could find a good balance for his equipment. Thus, in the qualifier, he was the second-fastest on the track, securing a front-row seat to the race.
The first race of the weekend started on time at 5 pm on Saturday. Sergio, after being grazed by one of the competitors in the first corner, eventually dropped to the fourth position, but kept fast after the leaders. At this point, all the cars were very close, and by the end of the first lap less than two seconds separated the first four. However, in the second lap, still in the first sector of the track, a serious accident involving drivers Giuliano Alesi, Juan Manuel Corrêa and Anthoine Hubert led to the interruption of the race with a red flag and, soon after, the complete cancellation of the race.
After moments of great tension throughout the race track, where the lack of information caused even more anxiety, and around 18:40 FIA issued an official statement informing that Hubert had died due to injuries caused by the accident. Correa, on the other hand, was consciously on the way to surgery due to fractures in both legs. The American driver still had a slight fracture in the spine, however, without the need for surgical intervention.
“We lived through an extremely sad weekend for the whole F2 family. When we get into our cars we feel like we are in a real armour suit. Seeing a competitor die on the track, who was there next to me every weekend, the feeling of sadness and helplessness is extremely great. I pray to God to welcome Anthoine with open arms while comforting his family at this inexplicable moment. Rest in peace, friend, ”commented Sette Câmara.
Regarding the scene of the accident, Sérgio commented on the speed at which cars take that turn. “That is one of the fastest points on the track. It’s a very fast, and blind turn and in the first few laps, with cars still very close, we got there with very little downforce. The steering wheel is very light and, precisely for this reason, any detail that comes out of the normal procedure can take great proportions exactly as it happened, ”he explained.
The F2 World Championship resumes its calendar next week with the Italian Grand Prix. The disputes will take place at Monza Racetrack, between September 5 and 7.