The Belgian Connection to Formula 1

As some of you may know, I used to work for a Belgian company. During my time there, I met the most incredible people and was steeped in the Flemish culture which I truly do adore. Also, they made a complete beer snob out of me as well. 

During my time there, I met many people that are still my friends and I would love to work for another Belgian company so I could still travel there and spend time in West Flanders. One person I have the honor of calling my friend is Koen Werbrouck.  Koen is a motorsport fan and we have the best time sharing links and talking racing. 

Koen lives in the nation that, in my opinion, created the world’s best race track. Spa Francorchamps is incredible! Koen authored this nice piece to remind us all of the connection Belgium has to racing and F1 in particular. I do hope you enjoy it and please let Koen know you did in the comment section below, he is a wonderful guy and a dear friend.  ~ Todd

The Belgian Connections

Belgium, one of the smallest countries in Europe, is bordered by France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Today, it is renowned for its beer, chocolate, diamond industry, French fries, and cycling. However, for car enthusiasts, Belgium holds a special place for other reasons.

Belgium’s history includes periods of occupation by various countries before gaining independence. It was occupied twice during the World Wars. In the First World War, Belgian, French, and English troops managed to halt the German advance at the River Yser, preserving a small portion of Belgian territory. From 1914 to 1918, intense battles occurred around the city of Ypres, including the First and Second Battles of Ypres, the Battle of Passchendaele, the Battle of Lys, and the Fifth Battle of Ypres.

During the First World War, the German headquarters were in Spa. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 separated the Eupen-Malmedy region from Germany, and in 1925, the region was unified with Belgium. Jules de Thier, a newspaper owner, sought to host a race in the area. The race route stretched from (Spa-)Francorchamps to Malmedy, then to Stavelot, and back to Francorchamps—a 14.1 km triangle featuring long, fast sections and some tight corners. This challenging course included iconic corners like La Source and Blanchimont, which remain part of the modern Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

The first race at Spa-Francorchamps was held in 1921, followed by the inaugural 24 Hours of Spa in 1924 (one year after Le Mans). The first Belgian Grand Prix took place in 1925, and Spa-Francorchamps has been a fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since 1950. After a series of fatal accidents in the 1960s, the track was shortened to a safer 7 km layout. During this time, F1 races in Belgium alternated between Spa-Francorchamps, the Circuit of Nivelles (now defunct), and the Circuit of Zolder, famously associated with Gilles Villeneuve’s tragic accident.

The only Belgian drivers to win a Grand Prix are Jacky Ickx and Thierry Boutsen. Ickx also won the World Endurance Championship twice, claimed six victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, triumphed twice at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and won the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1983.

In the region around Ypres, the Ypres Rally—originally launched in 1965 as the 12 Hours of Ypres—evolved into a 24-hour event before becoming the Rally of Ypres. This prestigious rally has been part of the European Championship for many years, with notable winners such as Walter Röhrl, Miki Biasion, and Henri Toivonen. Despite numerous attempts to join the World Rally Championship (WRC), it was only during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 that Ypres hosted its first WRC event. That year’s rally included stages in Spa-Francorchamps, and Belgian driver Thierry Neuville claimed victory for Hyundai. However, since 2023, the Rally of Ypres is no longer part of the WRC calendar.

Jean-Pierre Van Rossem and Belgian Motorsport

Jean-Pierre Van Rossem, born on May 29, 1945, in Bruges, experienced a tumultuous childhood. His brother Paul died in a car accident while playing with Jean-Pierre and their friends, leading to a strained relationship with his family.

Van Rossem studied economics and won the International Scholarship of Flanders in 1968 for his thesis, The Velocity of Money. This achievement allowed him to study at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He later gained fame as a stock market guru with his company Moneytron, which he claimed used a proprietary model to predict market movements and deliver unprecedented returns. At the height of his success, Van Rossem owned a yacht, 108 Ferraris, and two Falcon jets.

Van Rossem funded Onyx Race Engineering’s transition from a Formula 2 team to an F1 team, with Moneytron as the primary sponsor. He eventually became the team’s owner. The Onyx-Moneytron F1 team debuted with drivers Bernard Gachot and Stefan Johansson. However, a judicial investigation into Moneytron in 1990 forced Van Rossem to step away from the team, which ceased operations before the 1991 season. In 1995, Van Rossem was convicted for operating Moneytron as a scam.

Bernard Gachot, Michael Schumacher, and Belgian F1 Legacy

In 1990, Bernard Gachot raced for the Coloni team before joining Jordan GP in 1991. That year, Gachot achieved notable finishes, including a fifth place and two sixth places, and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the iconic Mazda 787B. However, just before the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, Gachot was imprisoned in London for a road rage incident involving a taxi driver.

Jordan GP replaced Gachot with a young German driver from Kerpen, just over the Belgian border. This driver was none other than Michael Schumacher, who made his Formula 1 debut at Spa-Francorchamps in 1991. Schumacher won his first race at Spa in 1992 and went on to become one of the sport’s greatest champions.

Belgium also had Thierry Boutsen driving for Benetton in 1987 and 1988. In 1991, Benetton’s lineup included Nelson Piquet Sr. and Roberto Moreno. After the Belgian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher replaced Moreno, marking the start of Schumacher’s legendary career.

In the 1994 season, Schumacher’s teammate, JJ Lehto, suffered injuries during testing. Lehto’s replacement was Benetton’s test driver, Dutchman Jos Verstappen. Verstappen later married Belgian karting champion Sophie Kumpen, whose racing lineage included rally and racing drivers in her family. At the age of 11, Sophie competed against future F1 stars like Jenson Button, Nick Heidfeld, Jarno Trulli, and Giancarlo Fisichella. After her marriage, she paused her career to support her husband and their children.

Max Verstappen: A Belgian-Dutch Superstar

Max Verstappen, born in Belgium in 1997, began karting at age four and entered competitions at seven. In March 2015, at just 17 years old, he made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso at the Australian Grand Prix, becoming the youngest F1 driver in history. Remarkably, he completed half the season before obtaining his driver’s license.

In 2016, Verstappen joined Red Bull Racing and secured his first victory at the Spanish Grand Prix. In 2021, he clinched his first World Championship. At the FIA Awards in Rwanda last Friday, Verstappen was honored with his fourth F1 Drivers’ Championship title.

Other Belgian Connections in Motorsport

McLaren Racing won the F1 Constructors’ Championship in Rwanda, with drivers Lando Norris (runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship) and Oscar Piastri. Norris, whose father was an amateur cyclist, has Belgian heritage through his mother, Cisca Wauman, making him half-Belgian like Verstappen.

In the FIA WRC, Belgian duo Thierry Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe claimed the World Championship. Neuville, who won Belgium’s first WRC race in 2021, is sponsored by Red Bull.

In the WEC Hypercar category, Belgian legend Jacky Ickx presented the award to the drivers of the Porsche Penske Motorsport car number 963, which included Kevin Estre, André Lotterer, and Belgian Laurens Vanthoor.

From iconic races to legendary drivers, Belgium’s contributions to motorsport remain unforgettable.

Koen Werbrouck