Prior to the litigious decade of the 1980s fans were given a lot more liberties at the races, even the big ones. This photo perfectly illustrates that innocent, albeit somewhat riskier age. Fans casually sit squarely in the impact zone at the 1981 Belgian Grand Prix as Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene hustle their GP bikes through a turn. These spectators are so close they could literally reach out and touch the riders. Getting into the heads of some fans, perhaps they felt the riders they loved to watch were taking such huge risks – especially at a track like Spa – that they felt it was their duty to reciprocate by taking a perilous vantage point. Check out the third guy from the right, he’s mesmerized by a babe across the track or something and wouldn’t know what hit him should one of the riders high-side through the turn. Even though I don’t condone this type of high-risk spectating, I did like the days when fans could get close the action, a far cry from most of today’s tracks where you need binoculars to even see the riders.
Prior to the litigious decade of the 1980s fans were given a lot more liberties at the races, even the big ones. This photo perfectly illustrates that innocent, albeit somewhat riskier age. Fans casually sit squarely in the impact zone at the 1981 Belgian Grand Prix as Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene hustle their GP bikes through a turn. (Henny Ray Abrams photo)
Rider Files 
While spectators have been know to put themselves in really scary positions, this appears to be LaSource hairpin, where speeds were probably about 20 mph.
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So if a rider got flicked he’d be going slow enough that you could actually catch him as he landed on your lap. Ha, ha.
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And looking at Sheene’s sponsor, remember when Akai tape decks were the bomb!
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And Sheene would peel off his helmet and fire up a smoke.
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I agree w Mark’s idea that it’s La Source hairpin although the hotel on the outside is not in view here.
That’s the only really slow corner at Spa (especially old Spa) and after this the wide open downhill towards Eau Rouge and then the climb to Raddillion were incredibly fast and also lined with spectators, even and especially for F1 cars.
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