The Spa-Francorchamps event was told by F1 in no uncertain terms to improve its fan offering in the wake of a disastrous, rained-out 2021 edition, with its heritage as one of F1's most historic and exciting circuits no longer sufficient to stay on the calendar.
Spa bought into Liberty Media's vision of what a modern grand prix should look like and pulled out all the stops to reinvigorate its event, aided by a government-backed 80m euro investment plan to bring the ageing circuit into the 21st century.
With improved facilities, new grandstands and off-track entertainment, the 2022 edition impressed F1's bosses, earning a fresh one-year extension for 2023 on the morning of the grand prix.
Groundhog Day now looms again for organiser Spa Grand Prix as, much like last year, its chances to agree to a fresh, one-year deal hung in the balance with efforts to revive the South African Grand Prix.
After that Kyalami plan was declared dead in the water for at least 2024, reports suggested Belgian's short-term future is secure, but talks with F1 on 2024 are still ongoing ahead of the late July event.
Meanwhile, Spa is continuing to double down on its efforts to improve its fan experience for the 2023 edition, which is as good as sold out. The only tickets still available on the event website include an "experience in the sky" lunch served atop a 150ft crane as guests enjoy unparalleled views of the Ardennes circuit.
"We have raised our capacity from 100,000 to 110,000 spectators per day, with an extra 10,000 grandstand tickets compared to last year," the event's commercial director Stijn de Boever told Autosport.
Source: Autosport