On August 31, 2019, a promising Formula 2 driver, Anthoine Hubert was involved in a major accident during the Formula 2 Sprint race at Spa. 90 minutes after the accident, he was pronounced dead due to injuries that occurred from the accident.
Anthoine Hubert was a French Formula 2 driver. The 2019 Formula 2 season was his debut season in the Championship. The previous year, he had won the GP3 series (now Formula 3). Anthoine was a very exciting prospect racing under the Alpine Driver Academy. He was racing for the BWT Arden Team.
Anthoine Hubert was close friends with Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly among others. His funeral was attended by a number of Formula 1 drivers including Gasly, Leclerc, George Russell, and Esteban Ocon. Before each race weekend at Spa, Pierre Gasly goes to the sight of Hubert’s crash to pay his respects.
Halfway through the Formula 2 season, Anthoine Hubert had already won 2 races. Not a lot of drivers win races in their rookie season in Formula 2. Unlike Formula 1, no teams in Formula 2 have an advantage. So in order for a driver to win, skill is the main tool for achieving this goal.
After just 10 races, Anthoine Hubert was a serious competitor to win the Championship. Winning the Championship in your rookie Formula 2 season almost guarantees you a racing seat in Formula 1 in the near future.
However, the events that occurred on August 31 would deny him the chance to do so. The entire racing community paid their respects to Anthoine Hubert the following day.
What happened to Anthoine Hubert during the Spa Sprint race in 2019?
On lap 2 of the Sprint race at Spa before the Belgian Grand Prix, Anthoine Hubert suffered a major crash while going up the hill on Eau Rouge. The left-right-left sequence in Eau Rouge is usually taken flat out by the drivers in dry conditions, so it is a very high-speed corner that becomes very tricky if you miss the entry.
On the second lap of the Sprint Race, Giuliano Alesi, who was a couple of cars ahead of Anthoine Hubert, lost control of his car and spun. Noticing this incident, Ralph Boschung, who was ahead of Hubert and behind Alesi, slowed down to avoid Alesi’s car. Anthoine Hubert was close behind Boschung and did not anticipate him to slow down. He steered right to try and avoid hitting him, but Hubert hit the right rear of Boschung’s car.
This impact sent Hubert’s car flying into the wall on the right side of the track. Unfortunately, the car bounced off the wall and landed back on the track in the path of Juan Manuel Correa’s car. Correa could not avoid Hubert and collided at high speed.
Hubert’s car was torn apart into two, while Correa’s car was sent toppling ahead on the track. The rest of the cars were able to slow down and avoid further damage. The accident itself looked really horrible.
Both Correa and Hubert were airlifted to the hospital. While Correa was able to survive after surgery, Anthoine Hubert did not have the same fate. 90 minutes after the accident, Hubert was pronounced dead at the hospital. Hubert joined the list of lives taken by the sport which included legends like Ayrton Senna and Jules Bianchi.