Pierre Gasly details emotional switch after Anthoine Hubert passing

Pierre Gasly has highlighted how his feelings about the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit have changed in recent years.

The track, which is the host of the Belgian Grand Prix, is a favourite among F1 drivers for its high-speed corners and deep history with the sport.

However, it was also the scene of tragedy in 2019 as in the early stages of a Formula 2 race, Anthoine Hubert lost his life in a high-speed accident.

Hubert was a close friend of Gasly's, meaning every return to Spa brings back painful memories for him, having originally enjoyed his early-career visits to the circuit.

“It’s a beautiful track,” Gasly told media including RacingNews365. “It's always been one of my favourites. I had my first single-seater victory here in Formula 4.

“I always looked forward to coming here for all these years, and since 2019, it’s something that has changed drastically in this feeling and the emotions I get coming here.

“It’s always a very strange one. You can't really describe between the excitement of being on the track and the memories that come with it.

“But at the end of the day, I just try to use this as extra strength and get some more power and strength out of it.”

Pierre Gasly expects Eau Rouge challenge to return in 2026

One of the most iconic corners in the world is located at Spa, with the Raidillian/Eau Rouge complex forming Turns 3 to 5 at the track.

However, it has been the location of dangerous crashes in the past - including Hubert's fatal accident.

While Gasly outlined the downforce of modern F1 cars eliminates the majority of the corner's intimidation, he expects the 2026 challengers under new technical regulations will bring back the challenge of the corner.

“I think over the years, the corner has changed in the fact that, with this year's car in the dry, people are very impressed - but it's very easy,” he said.

“When it comes to the wet, then it becomes one of the most challenging corners of the season.

“It depends on the conditions at that moment. Considering next year's regulations, [with] a loss of downforce, then it’s probably going to become a very tricky corner.

“It’s depending on that fine line between making it very easy, where you don't necessarily need a lot of runoff because I could do it with one hand and be fine, or being on the wet and going through there at 300 km/h and there is a very [big] likelihood that you can lose the car and have a big incident.”