F1 Belgium - Speed Race F1

Australia

China

Japan

Bahrain

Saudi Arabia

Miami, USA

E. Romagna

Monaco

Spain

Canada

Austria

Great Britain

Belgium

Hungary

Netherlands

Monza, Italy

Azerbaijan

Singapore

Austin, USA

Mexico

Brazil

Las Vegas, USA

Qatar

Abu Dhabi

First Grand Prix

1950

Number of Laps

44

Circuit Length

7.004 km

Race Distance

308.052 km

Lap Record

1:44.701

Spa-Francorchamps Circuit

History and Construction

The original circuit was created in 1921 using public roads connecting the towns of Spa, Francorchamps, and Stavelot, in the Belgian Ardennes region.
Its initial layout was approximately 14.9 kilometers long, with long straights that allowed for extremely high speeds.
The circuit hosted its first Belgian Grand Prix in 1925. Over the years, it became known for its challenging and dangerous nature.
Due to its extreme danger, especially in the 1970s, the circuit was boycotted by Formula 1 drivers.
For its return, a new, shorter 6.947-kilometer layout was built, opened in 1979, and is the layout used today.

Design and Features

The circuit's chicane, known as the "Bus Stop," was introduced to reduce car speeds before the final straight and improve safety.
Pouhon Corner is one of the circuit's most challenging corners. It is a long, high-speed, double-apex corner that is taken blindly and downhill.
In addition to being famous for Formula 1, the circuit is the venue for the legendary Spa 24 Hours endurance race.
Spa's pit lane is unusually long and has a considerable travel time. This makes pit stops strategically expensive.
The circuit is nicknamed "The Roller Coaster of the Ardennes" for its constant elevation changes and fast, flowing corners.

Key Facts

The official race lap record is held by Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) with a time of 1:46.286 in 2018.
At 7.004 km long, Spa is the longest circuit on the calendar. It is run over 44 laps, with a total distance of 308.052 km.
The first F1 race at Spa, in 1950, was won by legendary Argentinian driver Juan Manuel Fangio in an Alfa Romeo.
In addition to Formula 1, Spa-Francorchamps hosts the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the World GT Championship.
The driver with the most wins at the Belgian GP at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit is Michael Schumacher, with six victories.