Amaury Bertholomé: “I am not in the position to put a lid on a pot”

Amaury Bertholome, where are we going?

At Stavelot Abbey. A place steeped in history that I have always frequented. When you love old stones, it is impossible to resist the charm of this monastic foundation more than a thousand years old. It must be said that I am “regional of the stage”: I was born here, grew up there, I attended Saint-Remacle college… and I have been the president of the abbey since January 2021. It is a non-profit association which hosts three permanent museums. One is dedicated to local history, a second to Guillaume Apollinaire who stayed in the city, and the third is dedicated to the history of the circuit. It is also a very nice place to organize events and meetings.

And why this Mazda MX-5?

Because this is my first car. In fact, my mother bought this kind of Mazda in 2007. Unfortunately, she died a year later and I inherited this beautiful car. Everyone in the family told me: “ Very good, you are the one who received this MX-5, but it is obvious that you are going to sell it to buy a smaller, more practical car ". I replied: “ Sure ! ". In my head, it was clear that I would not sell it because I wanted to profit from it. It's a fantastic car to drive, an exceptional chassis enhanced by the propulsion. This machine expresses itself particularly well in this region. When I was studying in Liège, I made hundreds of round trips via the valley rather than the highway to enjoy the beautiful bends and bucolic landscape. The MX-5 I drove was blue, almost the same shade as this one. I kept it for thirteen years and did a lot of miles. Lots of memories, road trips in Wallonia and Champagne.

In Champagne? We can't take many boxes on board!

Think again. I remember an expedition to Epernay where I brought back nine cases of six bottles.

As a Stavelotain, what was your relationship with motor sports?

From the parental garden, I could hear the cars. This is the circuit that brought me to motor sports. Not as a pilot, technician or journalist, but as an amateur. This is the circuit that piqued my curiosity. As a kid, I came there to watch races. I liked it. I became passionate about F1. I also worked there as a student for quite a few years. I have always kept a link with this circuit. Later, I joined the Board of Directors and, since mid-February, I have been its general director.

Carpooling with Amaury Bertholomé – General Director of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit © Jacques Letillon

Do you have any memories from childhood?

When I was a kid, my uncle took me to the Boucles de Spa. I must have been 7-8 years old. I have a vague memory of being perched on an embankment and waiting for cars. Impossible, on the other hand, to tell you about the cars that I saw passing by. As a teenager, I worked at the circuit. A job that I kept until I was 18-19. I was cooking fries in one of the huts located on the site. At the time, two companies shared the entire circuit. I worked for the dealership that went from the Stavelot bend to the end of the commercial meadow that became the Fan Zone at the foot of Raidillon. We worked in rudimentary conditions: no connection to water or electricity. Old-fashioned, that is. This job allowed me to become aware of the variety of audiences that we meet on a circuit. It doesn't take a sophisticated sociologist to understand that the people who come to F1 are not the same as those who attend the 6 Hours of Spa motorcycle race.

And no trace of a particular feat of arms?

Yes, of course. I always tried to manage with colleagues to watch the start and finish of the Grand Prix. Twenty minutes during which I enjoyed the show. The advantage, when you work in Francorchamps, is that you know the strategic points, the shortest routes to access the most spectacular places. I was on the Combes straight at the 2000 Belgian Grand Prix when Mika Häkkinen overtook Michael Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta. An exceptional moment, especially since I was a big supporter of the Finn.

Broadly speaking, what is your background?

I will be 35 years old on October 6th. I graduated in Business Management from HEC Liège. I started by working in the private sector as a public finance advisor for four years. Then I moved into politics. I was first in the opposition, then in the Walloon Parliament, as an advisor. I became deputy chief of staff, then chief of staff, to the Minister of the Economy, Pierre-Yves Jeholet (Reform Movement. Editor's note) in 2017. As the circuit's main shareholder is the Walloon Region, I was required to handle some files related to these infrastructures and Spa Grand Prix.

We can therefore speak of a progressive immersion in the life of Spa-Francorchamps circuit...

Progressive and multifaceted.

We know the tragic circumstances of your arrival at the management of the circuit. Is it true that you don't like people saying that you look top of the class?

You already wrote it and it amused me. Of course, I was never a punk and I didn't fail my studies. But I have sometimes been a source of resistance, not always in agreement with the teachers' mentality. The value that is most dear to me is freedom. Incidentally, the link with the Mazda MX-5 is obvious. This freedom also implies responsibility. In the teaching that I knew (at Saint-Remacle college. Editor’s note), this notion was not always put forward. All this to say that I am not a yes-man.

Some claim that politicians chose someone from the inside to avoid the waves...

It's not rewarding for me. I remind you that there were more than 70 applications for this position. Personally, I had the first interviews in mid-October. I'm not in the job of putting a lid on a pot. Since my arrival at the head of the circuit in mid-February, I have started to prove those who were spreading this rumor wrong. I identified a few points – I won't talk about scandals – which were fraught and consuming energy for the team. So, we decided to part ways with cashless (replacing cash with bank cards. Editor's note) and we are not going to continue installing the ten headsets installed throughout the circuit. In front of each of them, we will erect a panel which will summarize, in broad terms, the highlights of a decade. We will also refer to the permanent exhibition at the Stavelot Museum. As the scenography of the museum dates from the time of its restoration, twenty years ago, we are going to review it and increase its content on the theme of the hundred years of the circuit. Furthermore, it is very healthy to have wanted to bring other disciplines to Francorchamps. We are very happy with the return of theEndurance motorbike. It was a good first edition on a sporting level. There is reason to be satisfied.

However, the 24 Heures Motos seems to have suffered a loss of 500 euros?

Loss or investment? Okay, it's a costly ordeal and, in the future (the contract runs for ten editions. Editor’s note), more spectators will be needed to make this event profitable.

The team that works at the circuit was also the organizer of this event. Will this still be the case in the future?

This is clearly a strategic point on which I am working and which I will submit to the Board of Directors for consideration. For now, we have contacts with other potential organizers. The decision will be made in the coming weeks.

Since there is a real desire to welcome the motorcycle, where are you in relation to the Superbike and the MotoGP ?

The goal is to work methodically. Grade C, essential for motorcycle endurance races, we obtained. We also know what needs to be improved, but overall, both the competitors in the 24 Heures Motos and the representatives of the Fédération Internationale Motocycliste (FIM) were satisfied. For grade B (Superbike) and grade A (MotoGP), other adjustments will be necessary. In the coming months, we will request a visit from FIM homologation officials. We will then establish the cost that such work will represent. We now have a budget of 25 million euros. There is no question of spending a single euro of this budget if we do not have the guarantee of MotoGP coming to us. And above all, it will be a question of analyzing whether the discipline is still as popular. Clearly, we first want a formal contract before starting the work.

The adjustments imposed by the FIM, such as the multiplication of gravel traps, arouse comments and even irritation among many track-day or race organizers...

Gravel traps are not new in motorsport and there were already some at Francorchamps in the past. But it's true: there are more tanks since the double FIA/FIM homologation. So far the season has gone well. The two days of testing scheduled at the beginning of July, a few weeks before the 24 Hours of Spa, revealed shortcomings such as the formation of ruts and quite a few punctures. On the circuit side, we have not remained inactive. Concretely, our teams worked to round off the ridge between the borders and the bins. We also installed honeycombs on the first portion of the bins to stabilize the gravel. Finally, we will make our system of cameras aimed at the track available to race management. They will allow photos to be taken of vehicles that leave 2 or 4 wheels outside the racing limits.

The 24 Hours of Spa were, however, marked by numerous neutralizations linked to this invasion of gravel on the track. Have you taken any other measures for the Belgian Grand Prix?

No. It is clear that the circuit will remain as it is until the end of the season. But such infrastructure continues to evolve. Therefore, I do not rule out changes later. It will be necessary to find the right balance between the requirements of the FIA ​​and the FIM. Will the latter accept a strip of asphalt at the exit from the Source? The question will be asked.

Another delicate subject: Rallycross. What will be its future on the site?

We have confirmed that the Belgian round of World RX will take place on October 8-9. Will discipline visit us later? I cannot answer you at the moment. We must not organize this event at all costs. No question of extending if we lose money. For now, we are observing the launch of this championship and will take stock of the financial results on the evening of the meeting in October.

Is it true that the Rallycross track is not rentable because it does not have an operating permit?

I confirm ! This track is not currently covered by the circuit's operating permit. Each time you use it, you have to apply for a temporary permit.

So what are you going to do with this immense infrastructure?

We have initiated a single permit review process. Which will take eighteen to twenty-four months. The one we have at the moment dates from 2012. In ten years, the circuit has evolved a lot. As soon as we receive a new license, we will be able to use this track in other circumstances: kart-cross, learning to drive small electric motorcycles, drifting courses, etc.

Why not organize concerts there?

We think about it. But for this type of event too, it is essential to obtain certain authorizations. It's up to us to include this type of gathering in the permit.

Carpooling with Amaury Bertholomé – General Director of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit © Jacques Letillon

During the 24 Heures Motos, you were faced with a shortage of track marshals. Was this an occasional or recurring problem?

It was not accidental. This is a real concern, a major issue for many circuits in Europe. It is obvious that working in current conditions is not ideal. If we want to be able to count on a sufficient number of commissioners, it is necessary to make their involvement more interesting. Why not develop training that would allow the loyalty of these people who are essential to the proper functioning of a circuit? However, the circuit cannot do this alone. We must be concerned about this with the auto and motorcycle federations who, for their part, are well aware of the problem. Here, a design office is responsible for designing a permanent campsite to accommodate them. The project includes convenient parking, toilet blocks. There is no question of dismantling it when the Grand Prix comes.

What work will be done next winter?

We will begin work in October, in particular the construction of the grandstand in front of the Endurance stands. It will be able to accommodate 4000 spectators and will also have a VIP area of ​​200 square meters. As for the asphalt to be replaced, we have not yet made the decision. The feedback from the drivers about the two re-asphalted areas (at Raidillon and on the Speaker's Corner side. Editor’s note) is good. This represents 1 of the 7 km of the track. Elsewhere, the macadam always gives complete satisfaction. There is therefore no urgency in this area.

Do you have any news from the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix? From the outside, we have the impression that politicians are not stepping up to defend this global event...

It is clear that the political world evolves as society does. But we still have objective data on the economic benefits for the region. Everything doesn't always happen out in the open. Personally, I think that Francorchamps will host F1 in 2023. It is not impossible that an announcement to this effect will be made before the end of the week.

If F1 no longer came to Spa, what would that change for the circuit?

I don't want to consider this scenario, but if it were the case, the first challenge would be to bring Formula 1 back to the Ardennes. It is obvious that the sustainability of the circuit does not depend on one event or one season. However, it is essential to maintain this premier category because it helps to maintain the image of Francorchamps on a global level. We must not look at this debate solely through a financial lens; we must remain on a sporting dynamic. But I recognize that the investment dynamic is maintained by the arrival of the Grand Prix. It allows this circuit to remain among the most popular in the world.

You often talk about diversification of activities. Where are we ?

Things are progressing well. The week after the Grand Prix, we will host an event dedicated 100% to soft mobility. The circuit will serve as the setting for a round of the E-mountain bike World Cup organized by the International Cycling Union (UCI). There will also be a soap box race on the descent of Raidillon. From now on, you can also enjoy a very educational walk along the Eau Rouge. Finally, we have traced a permanent mountain bike circuit. It develops 7 km. Next year, we plan to allow cyclists to use the path after 18 p.m. when the engines have stopped.

In the meantime, let's continue to make yours sing on these pretty roads!

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