Spa-Francorchamps CEO found dead in suspected murder tragedy

Tributes are being paid to Nathalie Maillet, the CEO of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, who was found dead alongside two others in a suspected murder.

The bodies of three people - two women and one man - were found in Maillet’s home, close to the border with Luxembourg, with gunshot wounds.

Maillet was appointed CEO of the venue in 2016 and had been instrumental in assuring the future of the F1 Belgian Grand Prix after years of uncertainty.

Though Spa-Francorchamps hasn’t been featured on the Grand Prix calendar since 1990 or the WorldSBK calendar since 1992, the venue will welcome international motorcycle competition again for the first time in 2022 with a round of the Endurance World Championship.

Set to run across 24 hours - with a start-end time of 10pm - the event will be made possible with a series of modifications being made to run-offs in order for it to attain the ‘B Grade’ licence needed to host EWC. 

With this in mind, it is speculated Spa-Francorchamps could be included on the 2022 WorldSBK calendar too.

“My thoughts are with Nathalie's family, her parents, her loved ones and her teams,” read a statement from Spa-Francorchamps. 

“I know how much this news will upset our teams and I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the entire Circuit team on behalf of the entire board.

“Today, we are losing a highly respected lady, a true leader who will be greatly missed. Nathalie had become the face of the Circuit, she embodied the passion for racing that we all share.”