BELGIAN GP OVERSHADOWED BY HUBERT’S TRAGIC DEATH
Reigning GP3 champion dies from injuries suffered in horrific F2 crash
The Belgian Grand Prix weekend was overshadowed by the death of Renault protege Anthoine Hubert in the Formula 2 support race on Saturday.
Arden driver Hubert hit the wall at Raidillon as part of a chain reaction accident that began with Giuliano Alesi getting out of shape at Eau Rouge. Hubert’s car rebounded towards the track and was hit at high speed by Sauber Junior team driver Juan Manuel Correa.
The FIA announced later that evening that 22-year-old Hubert had died as a result of injuries from the crash. Correa, whose car came to rest upside down, has undergone surgery for fractures to his legs and minor spinal fractures.
Hubert had won the 2018
GP3 title and earned Renault patronage that helped him into his F2 seat with Arden. He had impressed the paddock greatly in his rookie year, and was much in demand with teams for 2020. The Frenchman had already won races both in Monaco and at his home track Paul Ricard this season.
F2 abandoned its Spa round entirely after the crash, with the feature race not restarted and the sprint race cancelled. Sister championship FIA Formula 3 went ahead with its Sunday race, but held a minute’s silence on the grid first. Hubert’s mother and sister were joined by a large crowd from the F3, F2 and Formula 1 paddocks in the tribute.
FIA race director Michael Masi said the governing body had launched an immediate “full and complete” investigation into the circumstances of the crash. He declined to comment on the scope of the inquiry when asked if the profile of the track or runoff in the Eau Rouge/ Raidillon section would be under the spotlight.
Hubert’s Arden team will only field one car, for Tatiana Calderon, at the coming weekend’s Monza round.