Gasly leads Spa tribute to Hubert and van't Hoff

Pierre Gasly will again lead the paddock-wide "Run for Anthoine" at Spa-Francorchamps on Thursday evening, with Alpine confirming the fourth edition of the memorial ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix as a tribute to Anthoine Hubert and Dilano van’t Hoff.

Alpine said the event will begin from the start-finish straight at 6:00 p.m., with members of the Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 paddocks invited to walk or drive the seven-kilometre circuit. The tribute will first head to Eau Rouge to honor Hubert before stopping on the Kemmel Straight to remember van’t Hoff.

The run began as Gasly’s way of remembering Hubert, his childhood friend, who died aged 22 during the 2019 FIA Formula 2 Belgian feature race at Spa. This year’s event also commemorates van’t Hoff, who was 18 when he died in a Formula Regional European Championship accident at the same venue in 2023.

Ahead of the event, Pierre Gasly, Alpine F1 driver, said returning to Spa remains deeply emotional. “Every time I come back to Spa, I remember Anthoine. It is an emotional weekend not only for me, but for many people.” He added: “On Thursday evening we will hold ‘Run for Anthoine’ again this year. It is the fourth time now, and it is a special moment to reflect on so many memories with him.”

Gasly said the circuit still brings back the images of Hubert’s accident. “There is really a before and an after this accident,” he said. “Every time we talk about Spa, when I come here, when I enter the paddock or go down the stairs, I have the images in my head from the day of the accident.”

What started as a personal act of remembrance has become a much wider gathering across the paddock, drawing drivers, mechanics, engineers, hospitality staff and media. Gasly said organizing it matters not only to him but also to Hubert’s family, and that it remains a way to remember “the champion that he is” while acknowledging a reality of racing that improved safety cannot erase: the risk “will never be zero.”