Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

LocationStavelot, Belgium
Time zoneCET (UTC+1)
CEST (DST)
Coordinates50°26′14″N 5°58′17″E / 50.43722°N 5.97139°E / 50.43722; 5.97139
Capacity70,000
FIA Grade1 (GP)
2 (Motorcycle)
6R (Rallycross)[lower-alpha 1]
OpenedAugust 1921 (1921-08)
ArchitectJules de Thier & Henri Langlois van Ophem
Major eventsCurrent:
Formula One
Belgian Grand Prix (intermittently 1925–1970, 1983–present)
Intercontinental GT Challenge
Spa 24 Hours (1924–1934, 1936, 1938, 1948–1949, 1953, 1964–present)
FIA World Endurance Championship
6 Hours of Spa (1953, 1963–1975, 1981–1990, 1999–present)
FIM Endurance World Championship
24H Spa EWC Motos
(1973–2001, 2022–present)
TCR World Tour (2023)
European Le Mans Series
(2004–2011, 2016–present)
Former:
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix (1949–1979, 1981–1986, 1988–1990)
FIA World Rallycross Championship
World RX of Benelux (2019, 2021–2022)
WTCC
Race of Belgium (2005, 2014)
World SBK (1992)
DTM (2005, 2020, 2022)
FFSA GT Championship (1998, 2008, 2013–2015, 2019, 2021–2022)
Websitewww.spa-francorchamps.be/en
Grand Prix Circuit (2007–present)
Length7.004 km (4.352 miles)
Turns20
Race lap record1:46.286 (Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes W09, 2018, Formula One)
Motorcycle Circuit (2022–present)
Length6.985 km (4.341 miles)
Turns20
Race lap record2:20.578 (Sylvain Guintoli, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2023, FIM EWC)
Grand Prix Circuit (2004–2006)
Length6.976 km (4.335 miles)
Turns19
Race lap record1:45.108 (Kimi Räikkönen, McLaren MP4-19B, 2004, Formula One)
Grand Prix Circuit (1995–2003)
Length6.968 km (4.330 miles)
Turns19
Race lap record1:47.176 (Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2002, 2002, Formula One)
Grand Prix Circuit with chicane at Eau Rouge (1994)
Length7.001 km (4.350 miles)
Turns19
Race lap record1:57.117 (Damon Hill, Williams FW16B, 1994, Formula One)
Grand Prix Circuit (1981–1993)
Length6.940 km (4.312 miles)
Turns19
Race lap record1:51.095 (Alain Prost, Williams FW15C, 1993, Formula One)
Grand Prix Circuit (1979–1980)
Length6.947 km (4.317 miles)
Turns17
Race lap record2:48.800 (Gordon Spice, Ford Capri III 3.0S, 1979, Group 1)
Old Circuit (1939–1978)
Length14.100 km (8.761 miles)
Turns21
Race lap record3:13.400 (Henri Pescarolo, Matra-Simca MS670B, 1973, Group 5)
Original Pre-War Circuit (1921–1938)
Length14.982 km (9.310 miles)
Turns25
Race lap record5:04.100 (Hermann Lang, Mercedes-Benz W125, 1937, GP)

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (French pronunciation: [siʁkɥi spa fʁɑ̃kɔʁʃɑ̃]), informally referred to as Spa,[1][2] is a 7.004 km (4.352 mi) motor-racing circuit located in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium, about 8 km (5.0 mi) southeast of Spa. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has held a Grand Prix every year since 1985 except 2003 and 2006.

Spa also hosts several other international events including the 24 Hours of Spa, the World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. It is also the host of the Uniroyal Fun Cup 25 Hours of Spa, one of the longest motor races in the world.

The circuit has undergone several redesigns through its history, most extensively in 1979 when the track was modified and shortened from a 14.100 km (8.761 mi) circuit using public roads to a 6.947 km (4.317 mi) permanent circuit due to safety concerns with the old circuit.[3]

Track configurations

Original layout

The original 14.982-kilometre (9.309 mi) track layout

In 1918, German headquarters were in Spa, and in 1919, the Treaty of Versailles separated the Eupen-Malmedy region from Prussia and the German Empire. Between January and June 1920, a plebiscite was held, without a secret ballot and under other questionable circumstances. As a result, the Transitional Government prepared for the unification of Eupen-Malmedy with Belgium in June 1925.

Jules de Thier, owner of the Liège newspaper La Meuse, was looking for a site to host a race, and following a meeting at the Hotel des Bruyères in Francorchamps, with burgomaster Joseph de Crawhez and racing-car driver Henri Langlois van Ophem, it was decided that the roads from Spa-Francorchamps to the former German Malmedy, to Stavelot, and back towards Francorchamps constituted an ideal triangle-shaped circuit with few tight corners and long fast sections.[4] Eau Rouge creek was the Belgian-German Empire border[5][6] until 1920, with the Ancienne Douane customs office being rather recent than ancient. After passing through former German Bürnenville, the track crossed the former border again halfway on the road between Malmedy and Stavelot, at the junction of the Meiz road. In Stavelot, there was a sharp right-hander, later replaced with a sweeping bypass.

The quicker 14.1-kilometre (8.8 mi) track layout used from 19391978

The track's inaugural race was planned for August 1921, but was cancelled when only one driver entered.[4] The first car race was held at the circuit in 1922, and 1924 saw the first running of the now famous 24 Hours of Francorchamps race.[4] The circuit was first used for Grand Prix racing in 1925.[4]

The original Spa-Francorchamps circuit was essentially a speed course, with drivers managing higher average speeds than on other road race tracks. At the time, the Belgians took pride in having a very fast circuit, and to improve average speeds, in 1939 the former Ancienne Douane slow uphill U-turn after the bottom of the Eau Rouge creek valley was cut short with a faster sweep straight up the hill, called the Raidillon. In public traffic until 2000, at Eau Rouge, southbound traffic was allowed to use the famous uphill corner, while the opposite downhill traffic had to use the old road and U-turn behind the grandstands, rejoining the race track at the bottom of Eau Rouge. Around 2001, a new bypass road N62c was built to the East, and the track was closed to the public as the road from Stavelot to Blanchimont became a cul-de-sac.

The old race track continued through the dynamic Kemmel curves (straightened in 1979) to the highest part of the track (104 m (341 ft) above the lowest part), then went downhill into Les Combes, a fast, slightly banked downhill left-hand corner towards Burnenville, passing this village in a fast right hand sweep. Near Malmedy, the Masta straight began, which was only interrupted by the Masta Kink between farm houses before arriving at the town of Stavelot. Then, the track progressed through an uphill straight section with a few bends called La Carriere, going through two high-speed turns (the former being an unnamed right-hand turn, and the latter named Blanchimont) before braking very hard, for the Bus Stop chicane that was added later, and for La Source hairpin, that rejoined the downhill start finish section (as opposed to today where the start–finish section is before La Source).

Eau Rouge and Raidillon in 1997, with a maximum gradient in excess of 18%

Spa is located in the Belgian Ardennes countryside, and the long old circuit was, and for most parts still is, used as an everyday public road, and there were houses, trees, electric poles, fields and other obstacles located right next to the track. Before 1970, there were no safety modifications of any kind done to the circuit and the conditions of the circuit were, aside from a few straw bales, virtually identical to everyday civilian use. Former Formula One racing driver and team owner Jackie Oliver was quoted as saying "if you went off the road, you didn't know what you were going to hit".[7]

Spa-Francorchamps was the fastest road circuit in Europe at the time, and it had a reputation for being dangerous and very fast – it demanded calmness from drivers, and most were frightened of it. The old Spa circuit was unique in that speeds were consistently high with hardly any let-up at all for three to four minutes. This made it an extraordinarily difficult mental challenge, because most of the corners were taken at more than 290 km/h (180 mph) and were not quite flat – every corner was as important as the one before it. If a driver lifted the throttle more than expected, then whole seconds, not tenths, would be lost. The slightest error of any kind carried multiple harsh consequences, but this also worked inversely: huge advantages could be gained if a driver came out of a corner slightly faster.

Like the Le Mans circuit, which also ran on public roads, Spa became notorious for fatal accidents. At the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, two drivers, Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey, were killed within 15 minutes (although Stacey's accident was caused by a bird hitting him in the face) and Stirling Moss had crashed at Burnenville during practice and was severely injured. When Armco crash barriers were added to the track in 1970, deaths became less frequent, but the track was still notorious for other factors. The Ardennes forest had very unpredictable weather and there were parts where it was raining and the track was wet, and other parts where the sun was shining and the track was completely dry. This factor was a commonality on long circuits, but the unpredictable weather at Spa, combined with the fact that it was a track with all but one corner being high-speed, made it one of the most dangerous race tracks in the world (if not the most). As a result, the Formula 1 and motorcycle Grands Prix and 1000 km sportscar races saw smaller than usual fields at Spa because most drivers and riders feared the circuit and did not like racing there. Multiple fatalities during the 1973 and 1975 24 Hours of Spa touring car races more or less sealed the old circuit's fate, and by 1978, the last year Spa was in its original form, the only major races held there were the Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours touring car race; the 1000 km World Sportscar Championship race no longer took place after 1975 and did not come back until 1982.

In 1969, the Belgian Grand Prix was boycotted by the F1 drivers because of the extreme danger of Spa. There had been ten car racing fatalities in total at the track in the 1960s, including five in the two years previous. The drivers demanded changes made to Spa which were not possible on short notice, so the Belgian Grand Prix was dropped that year. Armco barriers were added to the track and sections of it were improved (especially the Stavelot and Hollowell sections), just like they had been added for the 1969 Le Mans race. One last race there the following year on the improved track was still not satisfactory enough (even after a temporary chicane was added at Malmedy just for that race) for the drivers in terms of safety, and even with the chicane, the drivers averaged over 240 km/h (150 mph) during the race. For the 1971 race, the track owners and authorities had not brought the track up to date with mandatory safety measures, and the race was cancelled. Formula One would not return to Spa until 1983 on the modern track.

Masta Kink

Map of the old and new (2004–2006) Spa circuits, overlaid

The Masta Kink "was by far the most difficult corner in the world", according to Jackie Stewart,[8] requiring skill and bravery in equal measure to get it right. After a long run from Malmedy, the cars would reach top speed before having to negotiate Masta, a high speed left-right chicane, and a good exit speed was vital as it was followed by another long straight run to Stavelot. This was a very fast and very dangerous corner, as it was situated right in the middle of two long unbroken straights, both about 1.5 mi (2.4 km) long. The speed in this sector could reach 310 km/h (190 mph).

Masta was removed from F1 racing after the 1970 season. Jackie Stewart's crusade to improve safety in racing was set in motion by his crash there in 1966, when his BRM ended upside-down in a ditch near a farmhouse on the outside of the corner, with fuel gushing out of the tank onto Stewart, who had broken ribs. At this point, many of the Formula One drivers disliked Spa (including Stewart and Jim Clark, who had some of his greatest wins there) because of the immense speeds that were constant on the track. While he was spectating at the 1972 12 Hours of Sebring, Stewart attempted to organise a boycott of the Spa 1000 km race that year, a move that was not respected by many of the drivers, because Spa was still popular with racing drivers outside of Formula One. Stewart later described the old Spa circuit in 1986 as being as "ferocious as a tiger", and he later described Masta in an interview in 2011 as perhaps the hardest corner on any racetrack he raced on in his career; even more so than Eau Rouge.[9]

A Porsche 904 GTS turning into La Source in 1965

Another particularly gruesome story comes from the 1972 24-hour touring car race.[10] During one of his pit stops at night, Hans-Joachim Stuck shouted to his co-driver Jochen Mass over the noise from the cars that he should "look out for body parts at the Masta Kink". Mass arrived there expecting to see pieces from cars all over the road but was appalled to discover it was in fact the remains of a marshal.[11]

After Masta, and at the end of the subsequent Hollowell Straight, there used to be a sharp hairpin at the entrance to the town itself, which was later bypassed by a quicker, banked right hand corner. Another fast section of road in the forest leads to Blanchimont. Here, the new short Grand Prix track of 1979 joins the old layout.

Eighteen Formula One World Championship Grands Prix were run on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit's original configuration, which was boycotted by F1 in 1969,[12] before the revised circuit banished it to the history books in 1979. The lap record of the old triangle-shaped track is 3 minutes and 13.4 seconds, held by the French driver Henri Pescarolo, driving a Matra at the 1973 Spa 1000 km World Sportscar Championship race at an average speed of 262 km/h (163 mph), but the fastest ever recorded time of the old Spa circuit was the pole position time for the same race—3 minutes and 12.7 seconds by Jacky Ickx in a Ferrari 312PB.

New layout

A satellite view of the modern circuit

Over the years, the Spa course has been modified several times. The track was originally 14.982 km (9.309 mi) long, but after World War II, the track underwent some changes. In 1930, the chicane at Malmedy was eliminated and bypassed, making the course even faster, but the chicane was re-installed in 1935, albeit slightly different. In 1939, "Virage de l'Ancienne Douane" was eliminated and cut short, thus giving birth to the Eau Rouge/Raidillon uphill sweeping corner. In 1947, the chicane at Malmedy was again eliminated and bypassed, and was made part of the Masta Straight. The slight right-hander that was originally Hollowell (the corner before Stavelot after the second Masta Straight) was eliminated. And finally, instead of going through a slight left-hander that went into the town of Stavelot and a sharp right-hander at a road junction in Stavelot, a shortcut was built that became a very fast, very wide right-handed turn that bypassed Stavelot. All these changes made the final configuration of the old Spa circuit 14.100 km (8.761 mi) long, and also made Spa the fastest open road circuit in the world. In the final years of the old circuit, drivers could average 240 km/h (150 mph). The biggest change, however, saw the circuit being shortened from 14.100 to 6.947 km (8.761 to 4.317 mi) in 1979. The start/finish line, which was originally on the downhill straight before Eau Rouge, was moved to the straight before the La Source hairpin in 1981. Like its predecessor, the new layout is still a fast and hilly route through the Ardennes where speeds in excess of 330 km/h (210 mph) can be reached. Since its inception, the place has been famous for its unpredictable weather, where drivers are confronted with one part of the course being clear and bright while another stretch is rainy and slippery.

The "Raidillon" in the Eau Rouge valley
Red water ("Eau rouge" in French) on the banks of the river close to the circuit

Eau Rouge

The most famous part of the circuit is the Eau Rouge and Raidillon combination. Having negotiated the La Source hairpin, drivers race down a straight to the point where the track crosses the Eau Rouge stream for the first time, before being launched steeply uphill into a sweeping left-right-left series of corners with a blind summit. Properly speaking, the Eau Rouge corner is only the left-hander at the bottom. The following right-hander that leads steeply uphill, which was introduced in 1939 to shortcut the original Ancienne Douane hairpin, is called Raidillon. The corner requires an amount of skill from the driver to negotiate it well and the long Kemmel straight ahead produces good overtaking opportunities for drivers at the following "Les Combes" corner. The corner was tighter and narrower before 1970, allowing drivers to take the corner faster.

Double F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso explained:

"...You come into the corner downhill, have a sudden change [of direction] at the bottom and then go very steep uphill. From the cockpit, you cannot see the exit and as you come over the crest, you don't know where you will land. It is a crucial corner for the timed lap, and also in the race, because you have a long uphill straight afterwards where you can lose a lot of time if you make a mistake. But it is also an important corner for the driver's feeling. It makes a special impression every lap, because you also have a compression in your body as you go through the bottom of the corner. It is very strange – but good fun as well."[13]

A challenge for drivers has always been to take Eau Rouge/Raidillon flat out. Touring cars can take the corner at 160–180 km/h (99–112 mph), and Formula One cars at over 300 km/h (190 mph) due to high downforce.[14] World Champion Jacques Villeneuve once spoke of the effects of downforce, saying that to get through the corner the drivers have to drive faster, because downforce increases the faster a race car goes. Without lifting the throttle through Eau Rouge, a car would be flat out from La Source, along the Kemmel straight to Les Combes, a total distance of 2.015 km (1.252 mi).

A loss of control through this section can often lead to a very heavy shunt, as usually the rear end of the car is lost and the resulting impact is often lateral. Several famous racing drivers have crashed while driving through Eau Rouge/Raidillon, including Stefan Bellof in a Porsche sportscar, Guy Renard during the 1990 24h of Spa-Francorchamps in a Toyota Corolla GT, and Alex Zanardi in a season-ending crash during a practice session of the 1993 Belgian Grand Prix in a Lotus. Jacques Villeneuve suffered a spectacular crash at the top of Raidillon in qualifying during the 1999 Belgian Grand Prix which he described as "My best-ever crash". His teammate Ricardo Zonta followed Villeneuve by having a similar accident later in practice, leading cartoonist Jim Bamber to show BAR boss Craig Pollock telling Zonta: "Jacques is the quickest through Eau Rouge, so go out there and do exactly what Jacques does…" It was revealed later that Villeneuve and Zonta had a personal bet to see if either could take the corner flat out.[15]

Following the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at Imola in 1994, the following F1 races saw the introduction of chicanes made up from stacked tyres. The entry to Eau Rouge was obstructed in such a way in 1994, although it was returned to its previous configuration the following year. The corner was slightly modified for the 2002 Belgian Grand Prix.

When fans first got to see the course configuration at the start of the weekend of the 2005 Turkish Grand Prix, they noted that an uphill kink on the back straight was very similar to Eau Rouge; the kink was therefore jokingly dubbed "Faux Rouge" (a pun on the name of the original Spa corner using the French word "faux", meaning "false").[16]

Blanchimont

The Blanchimont high-speed left-hand turn, present in both the old 14.100 km (8.761 mi) circuit and the new, shorter, 7.004 km (4.352 mi) track, is the final sweeping corner of the track before the chicane, which leads to the pit straight.

This turn and the approach to it have been the scene of serious accidents over time, the most recent being in 2001, when Luciano Burti lost the front wing of his Prost due to a clash with Eddie Irvine's Jaguar, losing front downforce and steering, leaving the track at 298 km/h (185 mph) and piling into the tyre wall, the impact knocking him out and burying the car into a mound of tyres. Problems have also occurred in lower classes of racing with Tom Kristensen having a very violent crash in a Formula 3000 car in 1997 after running wide on the entry to the Blanchimont turn and subsequently hitting the wall, throwing the monocoque back out in the middle of the track, where it was hit by numerous cars before coming to a complete halt.[17]

The run-off area is narrower than in other turns taken at this speed, and behind the protective barriers there is a 7–8 metre drop. This is the first turn taken by the cars after the new track rejoins the route of the old 14.100 km (8.761 mi) track. Blanchimont was also the scene where in 1992 after Érik Comas had crashed heavily during Friday's session, Ayrton Senna stopped, disembarked his car and sprinted to help the injured driver, with other cars driving past at racing speeds.

Jacky Ickx corner

From the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix turn 11 has been called the Jacky Ickx corner as a tribute to his career.[18] The corner was formerly known by most drivers as "speakers corner" because the circuit's public address announcer could see the cars for the first time after the cars disappeared into the forest past Raidillon. There are two versions of Jacky Ickx as of 2022, the car turn and a turn inside of it for motorcycles.

Problems and renovations

Due to the introduction of the Television Without Frontiers Directive (1989),[19] tobacco advertising and sponsorship on television were banned within the European Union from 1991. Formula One faced a major threat regarding races in its historical European heartland. Due to these political and legislative circumstances, the Grand Prix at Spa was left out of the 2003 calendar as a response to the internal tobacco legislation in Belgium. The event was tagged as a world class event within the national senate, and thus it was saved for the 2004 Formula One season. The final Bus Stop chicane was reprofiled for 2004 with an additional sweep to the right.

Spa was dropped from the Formula One calendar in 2006. The organiser of the event went bankrupt in late 2005, and therefore the planned improvements to the race track and paddock had not yet been made. The Wallonia government stepped in and provided the necessary funds, but too late for the 2006 race to take place.

Redevelopment for the 2007 season

With a new financial backer, the renovation started on 6 November 2006 and finished in May 2007, costing around €19 million.[20] Formula 1 returned to Spa for 2007, with a modified track layout. The Bus Stop chicane was moved back towards Blanchimont and the La Source hairpin moved forward. This allowed more space for the new pit lane, and gave a longer start/finish straight.

Modifications

New asphalt runoff was added to the inside and outside of Les Combes for the 2010 race, in line with the prevailing trends at other Formula One circuits. Prior to the 2013 race, drainage grooves were cut into the asphalt on the start–finish straight, underneath the first 11 grid slots. Drivers were initially concerned that this would affect grip at the start.

Eau Rouge and Raidillon safety concerns

In Spa Francorchamps' tenure as a permanent racing facility, after it was removed from the public road network in 2000, there have been multiple accidents in the Eau Rouge/Raidillon combination. In the day and age where safety is paramount to many racing organizations and governing bodies like the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, these crashes, of which some noteworthy ones are listed below, opened up public debate whether the Eau Rouge/Raidillon combination was deemed unsafe. Criticism centred around the nature of the tyre barrier and run-off area of Raidillon, which tended to bounce out-of-control cars back onto the track rather than collect them.[21]

In October 2020 the circuit announced that gravel traps would be placed at La Source, Raidillon, Blanchimont, Les Combes and Stavelot. The runoff areas of some corners including Raidillon would be expanded. It was part of an €80 million upgrade to the circuit that would make it able to hold motorcycle races. The upgrade will also include a grandstand at the top of the Eau Rouge/Raidillon hill. The upgrades were completed in March 2022, ready for the FIM Endurance World Championship race, due to be held in June. The circuit is also shortened to 6.985 km (4.340 mi), as Jacky Ickx corner is bypassed in favour of a shorter section with more runoff for motorcycles.[22][23]

Fatal crash of Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert in 2019

During the Formula 2 feature race in late August, a serious incident between Anthoine Hubert and Juan Manuel Correa occurred shortly after Raidillon on the Kemmel Straight. As the second lap began, Trident driver Giuliano Alesi lost control of his car as he climbed the Raidillon curve due to a puncture he had received earlier, causing his car to spin and hit the left wall of the circuit, tearing off his rear wing and spreading debris onto the track. As another Trident driver, Ralph Boschung reached the crest of Raidillon, he slowed down and moved towards the run-off area to avoid Alesi's damaged car and the field of debris. Hubert, who was following Boschung closely and had no view of what had happened to Alesi, moved right to avoid Boschung's slowing car, clipping Boschung's right rear wheel with his front wing. Hubert's car crashed into the tyre barrier on the right side of the track at an acute angle and was deflected sideways into the path of Charouz driver Juan Manuel Correa, who struck it on the left side in the driver seat area.[24]

The incident resulted in the death of Hubert and serious injury to Correa with the feature race being abandoned and the scheduled sprint race a day later being cancelled too, whilst the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix went ahead.

2021 W Series and Formula One incidents

During the qualifying session of the W Series, rain started to fall, affecting the grip. This caused a serious incident that involved six cars crashing into each other. Sarah Moore was the first driver to lose control of her car, spinning into the barrier at Raidillon. Abbie Eaton also lost the car and spun into the same barrier. She bounced back into Moore at low speed. Beitske Visser lost the rear end, spun around and went straight into Eaton and Moore, causing Eaton to become airborne. Ayla Agren did the same as Visser, spinning and running into Moore and an airborne Eaton. Belén García then hit all four cars, causing Visser to become airborne and mount the tyre barrier. The final car of Fabienne Wohlwend then hit Beitske Visser head on, causing Visser to spin into the track and roll over.[25][26] The incident ended with cars all over the track and run off areas. All drivers were checked as a precaution, and Visser and Agren were sent to hospital for x-rays and further checks.[27] Eventually, all drivers were cleared and unharmed.[28]

Just one day after the W Series crash, Formula One held its qualifying session in heavy rain. In the third segment of qualifying, many drivers were complaining that the conditions were not safe and that the session should be delayed or red flagged. Lando Norris then had a snap of oversteer, and subsequently corrected but then aquaplaned into the tyre barrier at Raidillon. His McLaren then spun into the track while crossing the racing line.[29][30] Norris was taken to hospital for x-rays, but was cleared to race the next day.[31]

After this crash and the W Series incident just a day before, drivers from all series were calling for changes to that section of the track. Jack Aitken, who a month earlier suffered a broken collarbone and fractured vertebra after a crash at Raidillon in the 2021 24 Hours of Spa, said "everyone has gotten the picture of what needs changing"[32] on social media, regarding the W Series crash. Zhou Guanyu stated "Eau Rouge corner in Spa needs to making a change,"[33] while Pietro Fittipaldi said "they need to do something to Eau Rouge to make it safer.”[34] Carlos Sainz Jr. insisted the "corner maybe needs a bit of fine-tuning still."[35] Sacha Fenestraz, Jake Hughes, Daniel Ricciardo and Toto Wolff all agreed changes need to be made immediately to make the circuit safer.[36][37][38][39]

Fatal FRECA crash of Dilano van 't Hoff

On 1 July 2023, a multi-car crash in the second race of the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship resulted in the death of Dutch racing driver Dilano van 't Hoff.[40] The crash happened at the exit of the Raidillon corner, at the beginning of the Kemmel straight. Dilano lost control of his MP motorsport car at the exit of the Raidillon corner, hitting the barrier on the left side of the track. The car was bounced back in the middle of the track, after which Adam Fitzgerald hit the cockpit of the car on drivers right side at full speed. Poor visibility due to heavy rain prevented the Irish racing driver from reacting in time to avoid the collision. Other drivers involved in the crash were Joshua Dufek, Emerson Fittipaldi Jr., and Enzo Scionti.

Other incidents

Multiple other incidents have happened at the Eau Rouge/Raidillon section of the circuit. These include crashes for Kevin Magnussen in 2016, where he managed to walk away with only minor injuries;[41] Pietro Fittipaldi in 2018, where he broke his leg[42] and Jack Aitken in 2021, where he broke his collarbone.[43] In May 2023, during the Franco Fun Festival, the driver Olivier Parigi, who was driving the car #508, crashed and died. According to a statement of the organizers "Excessive speed and then a loss of control on his own in the Speaker Corner. Minor accident but a chain of circumstances after breaking away in the car were fatal to our friend during his stay in Liège hospital."[44]

Redevelopment for the 2022 season

Ahead of the 2022 FIM EWC 24H Spa EWC Motos race and 2022 F1 Grand Prix, the circuit underwent a major facility and safety facility redevelopment which had been planned since 2020. Extra run-off was added to the Eau Rouge/Raidillon part of the course – changes made in response to several big accidents in recent years at that section of the track, including the fatal accident of Anthoine Hubert during the 2019 Spa-Francorchamps Formula 2 round.[45] In addition, gravel traps were added to and modified at various corners around the circuit including: La Source, Les Combes, Speaker's Corner, Pouhon, Stavelot and Blanchimont.[46][47] The track has also been resurfaced for this year's event altering track grip levels, with Max Verstappen the first driver to run a Formula One car around the renovated circuit in a Red Bull RB7.[48] Jarno Zeffelli, head of Dromo Circuit Design, the company who carried out the renovations, revealed twenty possible different iterations of Eau Rouge were evaluated, with the selected iteration chosen with the help of form of ex-Formula One drivers Thierry Boutsen and Emanuele Pirro and fine tuned with simulations for Formula One and GT cars.[49]

Spa-Francorchamps is part of the 2023 Formula 1 calendar.[50]

Other racing series

Besides Formula 1 other races in different motorsports classes are hosted at Spa-Francorchamps. The most notable ones are the FIA World Endurance Championship, FIM Endurance World Championship, European Le Mans Series, Intercontinental GT Challenge, GT World Challenge Europe, FIA Formula 2 Championship, FIA Formula 3 Championship, FIM Endurance World Championship, Sidecar World Championship, International GT Open and previously the FIA World Rallycross Championship, DTM, ADAC GT Masters and the WTCC. The most famous long-distance and sports car races are the Spa 24 Hours and the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The circuit also hosts a 25-hour and 24-hour races for Citroën 2CV cars.[51]

2024
Former events

Layout history

Lap records

The unofficial all-time track record set during a race weekend is 1:41.252, set by Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance, during final qualifying for the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix.[52][53] The official lap record for the current circuit layout is 1:46.286, set by Valtteri Bottas during the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix. As of September 2023, the fastest official race lap records of the modern Spa-Francorchamps circuit for several top series have been listed as:[54]

CategoryTimeDriverVehicleEvent
Modern Grand Prix Circuit with New Pit Lane and Bus Stop Chicane: 7.004 km (2007–present)
Formula One1:46.286[54]Valtteri BottasMercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+2018 Belgian Grand Prix
GP21:56.731[54]Sergio PérezDallara GP2/082009 Spa GP2 round
LMP11:57.394[54][55]Mike ConwayToyota TS050 Hybrid2019 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
FIA F21:59.871Jack DoohanDallara F2 20182023 Spa F2 round
Formula Renault 3.52:00.928[54][56]Jules BianchiDallara T122012 Spa Formula Renault 3.5 Series round
LMH2:02.327[57]Kamui KobayashiToyota GR010 Hybrid2023 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
LMP22:04.155[54][55]Pastor MaldonadoOreca 072019 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
LMDh2:04.906[57]Richard WestbrookCadillac V-Series.R2023 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
Auto GP2:04.921[54][58]Romain GrosjeanLola B05/522010 Spa Auto GP round
GP32:06.456[54][59]Daniil KvyatDallara GP3/132013 Spa GP3 round
FIA F32:06.865Logan SargeantDallara F3 20192020 Spa F3 round
FTwo (2009–2012)2:07.722[54][60]Markus PommerWilliams JPH12012 Spa FTwo round
Class 1 Touring Cars2:08.715[54][61]René RastAudi RS5 Turbo DTM 20202020 Spa DTM round
Euroformula Open2:09.738[62]Yifei YeDallara 3202020 Spa Euroformula Open round
LMP32:13.407[63]Wayne BoydLigier JS P3202023 Spa Le Mans Cup round
International Formula Master2:13.513[54][64]Fabio LeimerTatuus N.T072009 Spa Formula Master round
LM GTE2:13.658[54][65]Kévin EstrePorsche 911 RSR-192021 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
LMPC2:14.933[66]Franck Lagorce[67]Oreca FLM092009 Spa Formula Le Mans Cup round
GT1 (GTS)2:15.423[68]Oliver GavinChevrolet Corvette C6.R2009 24 Hours of Spa
Renault Sport Trophy2:15.795[69]Pieter SchothorstRenault Sport R.S. 012016 Spa Renault Sport Trophy round
GB32:16.176[70]Luke BrowningTatuus MSV-0222022 Spa GB3 round
GT32:16.252[71]Miguel RamosMcLaren 720S GT32020 Spa International GT Open round
Formula Regional2:16.438[72]Hadrien DavidTatuus F.3 T-3182022 Spa FREC round
Formula Renault 2.02:18.441[73]Matevos IsaakyanTatuus FR2.0/132015 Spa Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 round
Lamborghini Super Trofeo2:18.893[74]Loris SpinelliLamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo22022 Spa Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe round
Porsche Carrera Cup2:21.706[75]Ayhancan GüvenPorsche 911 (992) GT3 Cup2021 Spa Porsche Carrera Cup Germany round
Formula 42:22.522[76]Rafael CâmaraTatuus F4-T-4212022 Spa Italian F4 round
Ferrari Challenge2:23.129[77]Thomas FlemingFerrari 488 Challenge Evo2023 Spa Ferrari Challenge Europe round
SRO GT22:23.301[78]Anders FjordbachBrabham BT63 GT22022 Spa GT2 European Series round
JS P42:23.894[79]Mihnea StefanLigier JS P42023 Spa Ligier European Series round
Eurocup Mégane Trophy2:25.504[80]Mirko BortolottiRenault Mégane Renault Sport II2013 Spa Eurocup Mégane Trophy round
TC12:26.579[54][81]Yvan MullerCitroën C-Elysée WTCC2014 FIA WTCC Race of Belgium
Formula BMW2:30.020[82]Jazeman JaafarMygale FB022009 Spa Formula BMW Europe round
TCR Touring Car2:30.858[54][83]Santiago UrrutiaAudi RS 3 LMS TCR2019 Spa TCR Europe round
GT42:31.312[84]Antoine PottyToyota GR Supra GT42022 Spa GT4 European Series round
ADAC Formel Masters2:31.463[85]Jason KremerDallara Formulino2013 Spa ADAC Formel Masters round
JS2 R2:33.449[86]Mathieu DetryLigier JS2 R2022 Spa Ligier European Series round
Super 20002:33.788[87]Franz EngstlerBMW 320 TC2014 FIA WTCC Race of Belgium
Alpine Elf Europa Cup2:34.453[88]Jean-Baptiste MelaAlpine A110 Cup2021 Spa Alpine Elf Europa Cup round
Stock car racing2:34.795[89]Ander VilariñoChevrolet Camaro NASCAR2012 Spa Racecar Euro Series round
Renault Clio Cup2.49.236[90]Alexandre FinkelsteinRenault Clio R.S. V2023 Spa Renault Clio Cup Europe round
Motorcycle Circuit with Modified Speaker's Corner Curve: 6.985 km (2022–present)[91]
FIM EWC2:20.578[92]Sylvain GuintoliSuzuki GSX-R10002023 24H Spa EWC Motos
Modern Grand Prix Circuit with Modified Bus Stop Chicane: 6.976 km (2004–2006)
Formula One1:45.108Kimi RäikkönenMcLaren MP4-19B2004 Belgian Grand Prix
Formula Renault 3.52:06.447[93]Miloš PavlovićDallara T052006 Spa Formula Renault 3.5 Series round
LMP12:06.626[94]Jamie DaviesAudi R82004 1000 km of Spa
GP22:07.563Alexandre PrématDallara GP2/052005 Spa GP2 round
F30002:08.457[95]Marco BonanomiLola B02/502006 Spa Euroseries 3000 round
LMP22:08.781[96]Miguel Angel CastroLola B05/402006 1000 km of Spa
DTM2:13.134[97]Mika HäkkinenAMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 20052005 Spa DTM round
Formula 32:13.844[98]Lewis HamiltonDallara F3052005 Spa F3 Euro Series round
GT1 (GTS)2:15.598[99]Jamie DaviesMaserati MC12 GT12005 24 Hours of Spa
FIA Group 22:19.704[100]Marc GoossensChevrolet Corvette C5-R2004 24 Hours of Spa
Formula Renault 2.02:20.758[101]Scott SpeedTatuus FR20002004 Spa Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup round
N-GT2:23.052[102]Romain DumasPorsche 911 (996) GT3-RSR2004 24 Hours of Spa
GT22:23.862[99]Emmanuel CollardPorsche 911 (996) GT3-RSR2005 24 Hours of Spa
FIA Group 32:28.231[100]Xavier MaassenDodge Viper Competition Coupe2004 24 Hours of Spa
Porsche Carrera Cup2:29.871[103]Wolf HenzlerPorsche 911 (996) GT3 Cup2004 Spa Porsche Supercup round
Formula BMW2:30.983[104]Chris van der DriftMygale FB022005 Spa Formula BMW ADAC round
Super 20002:32.302[105]Frank DiefenbacherSEAT Toledo Cupra2004 Spa ETCC round
Modern Grand Prix Circuit with Original Bus Stop Chicane: 6.968 km (1995–2003)
Formula One1:47.176Michael SchumacherFerrari F20022002 Belgian Grand Prix
F30002:07.133[106]Sébastien BourdaisLola B02/502002 Spa F3000 round
LMP9002:08.074[107]Tom KristensenAudi R82003 1000 km of Spa
GT1 (Prototype)2:12.058[108]Bernd SchneiderMercedes-Benz CLK GTR1997 FIA GT Spa 4 Hours
Group C2:12.167[109]Robbie StirlingLola T92/101997 Spa Interserie round
GT12:16.978[110]Thierry BoutsenPorsche 911 GT11996 4 Hours of Spa
LMP6752:17.051[111]Mirko SavoldiLucchini SR20022002 FIA Sportscar Championship Spa
GT1 (GTS)2:18.745[112]Andrea PicciniFerrari 550 GTS Maranello2002 24 Hours of Spa
FIA Group 22:22.940[113]Pedro LamyChrysler Viper GTS-R2003 24 Hours of Spa
GT22:26.077[114]Jean-Pierre JarierPorsche 911 GT21998 Spa FFSA GT round
N-GT2:26.379[115]Andrea BertoliniFerrari 360 Modena N-GT2003 24 Hours of Spa
Super Touring2:30.780[116]Peter KoxBMW 318is1995 Spa STW Cup round
Silhouette racing car2:31.642[117]Vincent RadermeckerOpel Astra Coupé Silhouette2001 Spa French Supertouring round
Super 20002:33.596[118]Andy PriaulxBMW 320i2003 Spa ETCC round
Porsche Carrera Cup2:34.014[113]Peter ScharmachPorsche 911 (996) GT3 Cup2003 24 Hours of Spa
Group N2:47.241[119]Thierry TassinHonda Integra Type R1998 Spa 24 Hours
Modern Grand Prix Circuit with Modified Eau Rouge Chicane: 7.001 km (1994)
Formula One1:57.117Damon HillWilliams FW16B1994 Belgian Grand Prix
GT12:26.440[120]Anders OlofssonFerrari F40 GTE1994 4 Hours of Spa
F30002:32.388[121]Tarso MarquesReynard 94D1994 Spa F3000 round
Super Touring2:32.780[122]Johnny CecottoBMW 318is1994 Spa STW Cup round
Modern Grand Prix Circuit with Original Bus Stop Chicane: 6.940 km (1981–1993)
Formula One1:51.095Alain ProstWilliams FW15C1993 Belgian Grand Prix
Group C2:06.211[123]Mauro BaldiMercedes-Benz C111990 480 km of Spa
F30002:06.940[124]Pedro LamyReynard 92D1993 Spa F3000 round
Formula Two2:16.810[125]Geoff LeesRalt RH6/811981 Spa F2 round
500cc2:26.110Kevin SchwantzSuzuki RGV5001989 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
World SBK2:29.890[126]Doug Polen[lower-alpha 2]
Fabrizio Pirovano[lower-alpha 2]
Ducati 888 SBK[lower-alpha 2]
Yamaha FZR1000[lower-alpha 2]
1992 Spa World SBK round
Jaguar Sport2:31.420[127]Cor EuserJaguar XJR-151991 Spa Jaguar Intercontinental Challenge round
250cc2:32.060Anton MangHonda NSR2501988 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
Group A2:35.040[128]Anders OlofssonNissan Skyline GT-R1992 24 Hours of Spa
Group B2:36.260[129]Uwe AlzenPorsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.81993 24 Hours of Spa
125cc2:55.740Hans SpaanHonda RS125R1989 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
80cc2:58.240Stefan DörflingerZündapp 801984 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
Modern Grand Prix Circuit without Bus Stop Chicane: 6.947 km (1979–1980)
Group 12:48.800[130]Gordon SpiceFord Capri III 3.0S1979 24 Hours of Spa
500cc2:49.250[131]Kenny BlakeYamaha YZR5001979 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
250cc2:50.080Eduard StöllingerKawasaki KR2501979 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
125cc3:01.280Jean-François LecureuxMorbidelli 125 GP1979 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
Old Grand Prix Circuit: 14.100 km (1939–1978)
Group 5 sportscars3:13.400[132]Henri PescaroloMatra-Simca MS6701973 1000km of Spa
Group 53:14.600[133]Jo SiffertPorsche 917K1971 1000km of Spa
Formula One3:27.400Chris AmonMarch 7011970 Belgian Grand Prix
Group 63:37.100[134]Brian RedmanPorsche 908 LH1969 1000km of Spa
Group 23:49.400[135]Chris AmonBMW 3.0 CSL1973 24 Hours of Spa
500cc3:50.300[136]Barry SheeneSuzuki RGA5001977 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
Group 34:04.500[137]Phil HillShelby Cobra Daytona Coupe1964 500 km of Spa
250cc4:05.400Walter VillaHarley-Davidson RR250[138][139][140]1977 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
Group 5 touring cars4:11.200[141]Chris TuerlinxChevrolet Camaro1969 24 Hours of Spa
Sidecar (B2A)4:13.500Rolf SteinhausenBusch-Yamaha sidecar1977 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
Group 1B4:19.000[142]Loek VermeulenChevrolet Camaro Z281978 24 Hours of Spa
125cc4:22.200Angel NietoMorbidelli 125 GP[143][144][145][146]1977 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
Sports car racing4:44.000[147]Giuseppe FarinaFerrari 375 MM1953 Spa 24 Hours
50cc5:07.400Eugenio LazzariniKreidler 50cc GP[148][149][150][151]1977 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
Pre-war Grand Prix Circuit: 14.58 km (1939)
GP5:19.900[152]Hermann LangMercedes-Benz W1541939 Belgian Grand Prix
Pre-war Grand Prix Circuit: 14.95 km (1934–1938)[153][154]
GP5:04.700[155]Hermann LangMercedes-Benz W1251937 Belgian Grand Prix
Pre-war Grand Prix Circuit: 14.86 km (1930–1933)[156]
GP6:00.000[157]Tazio NuvolariMaserati 8CM1933 Belgian Grand Prix
Original Grand Prix Circuit: 14.98 km (1920–1929)
GP6:51.200[158]Antonio AscariAlfa Romeo P21925 Belgian Grand Prix

As the long-time home of the Belgian Grand Prix and its location within the Ardennes forests it has been a popular backdrop for all kinds of fictional media, from appearances in comics and motion pictures,[159] to regular appearances in dozens of video games going back into the 1980s.

Tour de France

The circuit has been used several times in the Tour de France cycling race. In 1980, the circuit was part of an individual time trial stage, won by Bernard Hinault (Renault–Gitane); while in 1989, several laps of the circuit were completed before the finish of the third stage,[160] which was won by PDM–Ultima–Concorde's Raúl Alcalá. In 2017, the circuit was used as part of the third stage, starting in Verviers, Belgium and ending in Longwy, France.[161]

Climate

The area of Spa-Francorchamps is often rainy or having cool air temperatures, which has led to Formula One events such as the 1998 14-car pileup on a waterlogged track and the dramatic finish to the 2008 event, when rain fell during the last few laps after an all-dry race. The Royal Meteorological Institute runs weather stations both in Stavelot and in Malmedy, which both show similar oceanic climates with some interior influence. Although temperatures generally often stay above freezing in winter, snowfall is quite common. During summer, temperatures most often remain in the low 20s, with frequent cloud cover and showers. With the World Endurance race running in spring and the Formula One race in late summer, hot temperatures during high-profile events are very rare. Even so, the annual warmest temperature averages above 31 °C (88 °F).[162] The official Spa weather station is located at a similar elevation as the race track a few miles north and yields similar conditions to the Stavelot and Malmedy stations. Summer may nights may get rather chilly, but stay above frost during the prime season for the circuit.

Climate data for Spa (1991–2020 normals; extremes since 1950)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.5
(58.1)
19.5
(67.1)
23.1
(73.6)
26.3
(79.3)
30.0
(86.0)
31.8
(89.2)
36.7
(98.1)
35.0
(95.0)
30.9
(87.6)
24.1
(75.4)
19.5
(67.1)
17.0
(62.6)
36.7
(98.1)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 9.8
(49.6)
11.6
(52.9)
16.2
(61.2)
21.1
(70.0)
24.8
(76.6)
28.1
(82.6)
29.5
(85.1)
29.4
(84.9)
24.2
(75.6)
19.7
(67.5)
14.5
(58.1)
10.3
(50.5)
31.6
(88.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.9
(39.0)
4.8
(40.6)
8.6
(47.5)
12.9
(55.2)
16.6
(61.9)
19.5
(67.1)
21.5
(70.7)
21.3
(70.3)
17.5
(63.5)
12.8
(55.0)
7.7
(45.9)
4.5
(40.1)
12.6
(54.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 1.5
(34.7)
1.8
(35.2)
4.8
(40.6)
8.3
(46.9)
12.0
(53.6)
15.0
(59.0)
17.1
(62.8)
16.8
(62.2)
13.4
(56.1)
9.6
(49.3)
5.2
(41.4)
2.2
(36.0)
9.0
(48.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.9
(30.4)
−1.1
(30.0)
1.0
(33.8)
3.7
(38.7)
7.5
(45.5)
10.4
(50.7)
12.6
(54.7)
12.3
(54.1)
9.3
(48.7)
6.3
(43.3)
2.7
(36.9)
0.0
(32.0)
5.3
(41.6)
Mean minimum °C (°F) −8.4
(16.9)
−8.3
(17.1)
−4.9
(23.2)
−2.2
(28.0)
0.7
(33.3)
4.8
(40.6)
7.4
(45.3)
7.4
(45.3)
5.0
(41.0)
0.9
(33.6)
−3.1
(26.4)
−6.2
(20.8)
−11.0
(12.2)
Record low °C (°F) −20.0
(−4.0)
−21.1
(−6.0)
−13.7
(7.3)
−9.6
(14.7)
−3.5
(25.7)
0.0
(32.0)
1.4
(34.5)
1.0
(33.8)
1.0
(33.8)
−6.2
(20.8)
−9.0
(15.8)
−17.8
(0.0)
−21.1
(−6.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 100.3
(3.95)
88.4
(3.48)
86.4
(3.40)
67.0
(2.64)
82.0
(3.23)
90.9
(3.58)
96.8
(3.81)
102.0
(4.02)
89.2
(3.51)
86.6
(3.41)
92.8
(3.65)
118.4
(4.66)
1,100.8
(43.34)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 14.6 13.3 13.2 10.2 12.2 12.0 12.3 12.1 11.1 12.3 14.2 16.6 154.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 53 72 124 174 195 202 211 201 154 108 58 42 1,594
Source 1: Royal Meteorological Institute[163]
Source 2: Infoclimat[162]
Climate data for Stavelot (1981–2010 normals; sunshine 1984–2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.4
(38.1)
4.6
(40.3)
8.5
(47.3)
12.5
(54.5)
16.7
(62.1)
19.4
(66.9)
21.7
(71.1)
21.3
(70.3)
17.4
(63.3)
12.9
(55.2)
7.3
(45.1)
4.2
(39.6)
12.6
(54.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 0.9
(33.6)
1.2
(34.2)
4.4
(39.9)
7.4
(45.3)
11.6
(52.9)
14.4
(57.9)
16.6
(61.9)
16.2
(61.2)
12.9
(55.2)
9.3
(48.7)
4.7
(40.5)
1.7
(35.1)
8.5
(47.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −1.8
(28.8)
−2.1
(28.2)
0.4
(32.7)
2.4
(36.3)
6.4
(43.5)
9.4
(48.9)
11.5
(52.7)
10.9
(51.6)
8.1
(46.6)
5.4
(41.7)
2.0
(35.6)
−0.7
(30.7)
4.4
(39.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 115.1
(4.53)
97.6
(3.84)
105.0
(4.13)
78.8
(3.10)
89.9
(3.54)
96.5
(3.80)
100.9
(3.97)
95.7
(3.77)
97.0
(3.82)
97.3
(3.83)
103.3
(4.07)
120.0
(4.72)
1,197.1
(47.13)
Average precipitation days 15.1 13.1 15.1 11.8 12.5 12.6 12.5 11.7 12.1 12.5 14.9 15.9 159.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 45 69 113 159 185 181 197 188 133 102 49 34 1,453
Source: Royal Meteorological Institute[164]
Climate data for Malmedy (1981–2010 normals; sunshine 1984–2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.0
(37.4)
4.2
(39.6)
7.9
(46.2)
11.8
(53.2)
16.2
(61.2)
18.9
(66.0)
21.1
(70.0)
20.8
(69.4)
17.1
(62.8)
12.6
(54.7)
6.9
(44.4)
3.7
(38.7)
12.1
(53.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) 0.5
(32.9)
0.8
(33.4)
4.1
(39.4)
7.0
(44.6)
11.3
(52.3)
14.0
(57.2)
16.2
(61.2)
15.8
(60.4)
12.5
(54.5)
8.9
(48.0)
4.3
(39.7)
1.3
(34.3)
8.1
(46.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −2.1
(28.2)
−2.4
(27.7)
0.2
(32.4)
2.3
(36.1)
6.4
(43.5)
9.2
(48.6)
11.2
(52.2)
10.7
(51.3)
8.0
(46.4)
5.2
(41.4)
1.7
(35.1)
−1.0
(30.2)
4.2
(39.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 123.6
(4.87)
104.1
(4.10)
109.3
(4.30)
79.5
(3.13)
90.1
(3.55)
97.4
(3.83)
103.9
(4.09)
97.6
(3.84)
100.7
(3.96)
102.3
(4.03)
109.5
(4.31)
128.9
(5.07)
1,246.7
(49.08)
Average precipitation days 15.3 13.3 15.1 11.9 12.6 12.9 12.7 11.9 12.2 12.7 15.0 15.9 161.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 44 68 111 158 184 179 195 186 132 100 47 34 1,437
Source: Royal Meteorological Institute[165]

See also

Notes

  1. Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps's Grade 6R licence expired 31 December 2022 for its rallycross layout.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Both riders took the same lap time independently.

References

  1. "FP2: Verstappen tops second practice, before triggering red flag with late shunt at Spa". Formula One. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  2. "Six female drivers from the W Series evaluated after massive crash at Spa". NBC Sports. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  3. "Spa-Francorchamps".
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Circuit History". Circuit de Spa Francorchamps. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  5. "Deutsche Topographische Karte "5501 Bürnenville", Ausgabe 1893". uni-greifswald.de. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  6. Old TK map superimposed with modern OSM map
  7. Velocity (3 March 2012). "Grand Prix: The Killer Years". Retrieved 25 June 2018 via YouTube.
  8. "Jackie Stewart". Legends of F1. Season 1. Episode 2. Sky. Retrieved 7 November 2017. (10:45) Masta Kink was by far the most difficult corner in the world
  9. "#41 of The Flying Lap: Sir Jackie Stewart". Retrieved 5 June 2022 via YouTube.
  10. "Léon Grisard's untimely death". Motorsport Memorial.
  11. "A History of Spa-Francorchamps". grandprix.com.
  12. "Spa-Francorchamps". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  13. 2004 Belgium Grand Prix – Selected driver quotes The Official Formula One website, 26 August 2004. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2021
  14. "F1 performance map at Spa-Francorchamps". autosport.com. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  15. Tom Bellingham. "This Is What Happened When Two F1 Drivers Made A Dare At Spa". wtf1. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  16. "Istanbul Park". Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  17. "The Official Tom Kristensen Website". Tomkristensen.com. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  18. "Spa-Francorchamps réserve une surprise à Jacky Ickx - France Racing". franceracing.fr. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  19. "Television Without Frontiers Directive 1989". EU. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  20. Renovation of Francorchamps-circuit starts in November F1Technical.net, July 2006
  21. Southwell, Hazel (15 October 2021). "Spa's Most Dangerous Corner Is Finally Being Made Safer". The Drive. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  22. Cooper, Adam (17 October 2020). "F1 drivers support return of gravel to Spa-Francorchamps". Autosport. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  23. Cleeren, Filip (9 October 2020). "Spa unveils €80million renovation project ahead of bike racing return". Autosport.com. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  24. "Fatal F2 crash: detailed new analysis on how it happened, is action needed?". thejudge13.
  25. "2 W Series drivers discharged from hospital after crash". MARCA. 28 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  26. "W-Series drivers hospitalised after big crash at Spa". GRAND PRIX 247. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  27. Valantine, Henry (27 August 2021). "Two drivers treated in hospital after W Series crash". PlanetF1. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
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