Spa is everything right with F1

Even as an American Formula One fan, thousands of miles removed from the forests of the Ardennes, it’s impossible not to love Spa.

This weekend, the sport returns to one of its most iconic venues—Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium—and it feels like F1 is home. The track’s long straights, sweeping elevation changes, and legendary corners like Eau Rouge and Raidillon offer something that even the best-designed street circuits can’t replicate: a raw, unfiltered racing experience. This is what F1 should be about.

Sure, there’s a place for city-center spectacles like Monaco, Miami, and even the chaotic thrill of Jeddah. But those races thrive more on atmosphere than racing purity. Tracks like Silverstone—and now Spa—remind fans why we fell in love with Formula 1 in the first place. They’re racing circuits built for racing cars, not promotional events disguised as Grand Prix.

So it’s beyond frustrating that Spa’s place on the calendar continues to hang by a thread.

Changes coming?

Yes, the circuit is confirmed through 2027, but the fine print of the new agreement reveals the same problem that’s been brewing in F1 for years: money over meaning. Spa will rotate with other venues in 2029 and 2031, forced into a part-time role in a 24-race schedule that somehow still finds room for more city circuits and questionable additions like Madrid. How can the sport, at the peak of its global popularity, justify cutting one of its crown jewels?

It’s not just disrespectful—it’s emblematic of a deeper rot in the sport’s leadership. Spa, like Monza, Suzuka, and Silverstone, should be untouchable. You don’t grow a sport by alienating its soul.

But for now, we’ve got Spa. And it couldn’t come at a better time.

The here and now in F1

The 2025 season has been a whirlwind, and as we dive into the second half, the storylines are more compelling than ever, none more so than the battle brewing at McLaren. After the heartbreak of Montreal, where Lando Norris’s DNF looked like a championship derailment, the Brit has responded like a true contender. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri has been just as relentless, losing out in Silverstone more to circumstance than pace. The penalty may have stung, but it left the two McLaren drivers closer than ever in the standings.

Now, it’s Lando versus Oscar. Teammates. Rivals. Both in cars that look capable of winning anywhere, any weekend. There’s real tension. Real pressure. And Spa, with its unforgiving layout and unpredictable weather, is the perfect stage for it.

We’re just weeks away from the summer break, but the sprint toward it begins here. Spa is more than a race—it’s a tone-setter. It’s a proving ground. It’s everything Formula 1 should be.

So celebrate this weekend. Take in the sight of F1 machines flying through the trees, down the Kemmel Straight, around Blanchimont at impossible speed. Remember what it feels like to watch racing at a place that was built for it.

And then ask yourself: why are we letting tracks like this fade into part-time novelty status?

F1 doesn’t need more glitter. It needs more greatness. Spa delivers that every single lap.