2023 Belgian Grand Prix: a new date far from trivial

The officialization of the 2023 F1 calendar and the confirmation of the holding of the Belgian Grand Prix during the last week of July risks disrupting the plans of the GT championship, whose initial date of the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps was also scheduled for July 30. If the news was expected from SRO Motorsports Group, the organizer of the championship, many changes will have to be made to restore a certain order and avoid clashes between disciplines.

« We are considering organizing the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on July 1 and 2, we were told at SRO, before the officialization of the calendar of the F1. We will have to adapt, but it will not be easy. For us, this upheaval involves 11 changes to dates in other championships.

Furthermore, we wish to maintain the principle of Speedweek with the organization of a round of the French GT4 championship a week earlier (i.e. June 24. Editor’s note). »

Initially, however, Liberty Media wanted to organize the Belgian Grand Prix during the weekend of July 22 and 23, 2023, which is traditionally held during the last week of August. But this date was quickly ruled out by the Belgian authorities, already mobilized on July 21, a national holiday, while Hungary finally inherited this slot.

With 24 races to be organized in the space of just nine months for the FIA ​​and Liberty Media, this kind of conflict was to be expected. But although good news had to be found, let us still note that Formula 1 took care not to organize a Grand Prix during the weekend of 24 Hours of Le Mans, scheduled for June 10 and 11.

Today the FIA ​​World Motor Sport Council has voted to approve the @F1 calendar for 2023.

Read more about the record-breaking 24 GPs here: https://t.co/EubEX5bMzc#F1 pic.twitter.com/0vJ62nyM98

- FIA (@fia) September 20, 2022