08/02/2006
NEWS STORY
When the future of the 2006 Belgian Grand Prix was first thrown in doubt, it was because the former promoter had gone bankrupt and, with the local government unwilling to pump in more money, there was nobody to promote the event.
As the saga continued, various options were looked at, including running the Spa event as the Luxembourg Grand Prix, but this too was dropped.
At one point, F1 supremo, Bernie Ecclestone told Reuters that he would possibly step in and promote the event, claiming that the race at the legendary track had to be on the calendar.
Then, seemingly, from out of nowhere, came reports that other than financial concerns, there was the matter of redevelopment that had to be carried out to the pit and paddock area in order to satisfy Ecclestone's demands.
Today's statement from the Belgian National Sporting Authority, the RACB, only refers to the 'improvements' needed for the facilities, and makes no mention of the financial situation.
Therefore, one has to ask, what was the real reason for the cancellation of the 2006 Grand Prix, was it financial, and the lack of a promoter, or was it the failure to improve the facilities?
As recently as 2001, Spa catered for 11 teams, so why the urgency - other than for aesthetic reasons - in 2006?