Pierre Gasly and the Alpine F1 team have confirmed plans to hold the fourth annual ‘Run for Anthoine’ at Spa-Francorchamps ahead of the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix.
The tribute run is held in memory of Anthoine Hubert and Dilano van ‘t Hoff, two young racing drivers who lost their lives in separate fatal incidents at the Belgian circuit.
Hubert, a 22-year-old F2 driver, died in 2019 following a serious multi-car crash that also left fellow competitor Juan Manuel Correa with life-changing injuries to his legs.
The incident began after Hubert became caught up in the aftermath of a collision involving Giuliano Alesi and Ralph Boschung at the Raidillon curve during the F2 feature race.
Hubert’s car was left almost stationary on the track, where Correa struck the left side of his vehicle in a devastating impact before both drivers were transported to the Spa medical centre.
Hubert was sadly pronounced dead approximately 90 minutes after the accident, and his driver number, 19, was subsequently retired permanently from use in F2.
Since that tragic day, Gasly, a close friend and fellow Frenchman, has paid his respects annually at Spa, placing flowers trackside before beginning to lead a formal tribute run in 2023.
An Alpine team statement confirmed that on the evening of Thursday 16th July, the run will commence at 18:00 on the Start-Finish straight, with stops at Eau Rouge for Hubert and the Kemmel Straight for van ‘t Hoff.
The statement read: “All members of the F1, F2 and F3 paddocks are invited to run or walk the circuit in honour of Anthoine and Dilano.”
Gasly said ahead of the event: “I am organising the Run For Anthoine again on Thursday evening, the fourth time this special gathering has been held as we reflect fondly on all the memories with him.”
The Alpine driver also acknowledged the emotional weight of returning to Spa each year, saying: “There is also the more emotional side of returning to Spa year-on-year as I, amongst many others, remember Anthoine.”
Van ‘t Hoff, an 18-year-old Spanish F4 champion, lost his life on July 1, 2023, during a Formula Regional European Championship race at the very same circuit.
Racing in heavy rain conditions, van ‘t Hoff was involved in a multi-car accident at the exit of Raidillon, the same corner where Hubert had crashed four years earlier.
He lost control of his car on the Kemmel Straight and was struck on the side by a vehicle driven by Adam Fitzgerald, tragically killing the teenage MP Motorsport driver.
The annual run serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers that remain present in motorsport, even as driver safety standards have significantly improved over the past decade.