Spa Belgian GP F1 Track Guide
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is generally regarded as one of the best racing tracks in the world, but what makes it so unique in Formula 1? Here's our full in-depth track guide for this weekend's race.
Video Transcript
Spa-francorchamps, put simply, in my opinion, is the greatest racing circuit in the world, and it's also by default therefore the best track in Formula One as well.
I was privileged enough to attend the Belgian Grand Prix in 2018, and I would happily go back in a heartbeat.
It is in the middle of nowhere.
The circuit is absolutely massive, and to walk around the thing takes about two hours, and that's at a brisk pace.
It is deceptively difficult with the inclines and declines.
You can see them clearly on the TV cameras, but in terms of actually walking it and seeing it for yourself, it's way more extreme.
The cameras very much do flatten it, believe it or not.
It's in the one part of Belgium that's actually quite hilly, and it's also located in the beautiful and serene Ardennes forest which, yeah, it looks good, but in terms of the weather, that means that it is extremely unpredictable.
And indeed, I've seen some forecasts that are saying it's going to be very, very wet conditions throughout this entire weekend in this part of the world.
Europe is absolutely baking in whatever number of heat waves it's been now this year so far, but inevitably Belgium will always see a bit of rain.
So with that all in mind, guys, I am here to take you on a tour of the Belgian Grand Prix.
I'll try and dig out my old photos from 2018.
The track has not changed at all really in that time.
In truth, it's not really changed that much over the past 40 years.
But let's dive into everything you need to know about the, the track g- But let's dive into our in-depth track guide for Spa-Francorchamps, the Belgian Grand Prix, here on thef1chronicle.com and Formula Reports.
So Spa used to be absolutely massive.
The original circuit from the 1970s and before was massive.
Just look at it there.
There's not that much of the circuit from back then that survives today, at least in terms of it still being part of the modern track.
I'll try and get an image of them both superimposed on each other.
But basically the start and the finish of the lap, that was a part of the Belgian Grand Prix, sectors one and sector three.
The middle part was added when the circuit was redesigned ahead of the 1985 Belgian Grand Prix.
And you can probably guess why this happened, of course, safety concerns.
There were a lot of fatal accidents around here in Formula One and other motorsport series as well.
Simply put, this old circuit, I mean, if you did it in a modern Formula One car, you'd basically be on throttle for the entire lap.
You'd be doing an average speed of at least 200 miles an hour around what are essentially country lanes.
It's an interesting thought experiment to try and think what modern Formula One would be like around this track, but it would not be very safe, let me tell you that.
Personally, I love this new circuit.
I mean, the, the layout of it is absolutely incredible.
Adding corners like Pouhon I think in the middle of the lap has really, really spiced it up.
But let's talk about the layout itself.
Here is my track guide, guys.
Since that redesign, not much has really changed in terms of the layout.
The only part that's really changed is the final corners of the circuit, the part that used to be known as the Bus Stop Chicane back when it was actually the bus stop.
It has changed a few times in this area, but now it's a relatively simple right left chicane.
Back in the day, it used to be a little bit more complicated, but we'll touch on that more as we go round the lap.
The first corner, La Source, is an incredibly important one around Spa-Francorchamps.
This is because when you accelerate out of this corner, you do not touch the brakes again until you hit Les Combes, which is turn seven.
Turn two is a light kink to the right, not a really a proper corner.
But Raidillon and Eau Rouge, turns three through five, very much are proper corners.
You can take this flat in modern Formula One of course, but it is unbelievably spectacular watching Formula One cars in person go up there.
It just seems as though it can't be possible, that the car should not be able to go up it.
But somehow it manages it.
I don't even know how.
You can overtake going into turn one, La Source, but you do leave yourself vulnerable if you don't put a decisive move in going down to Eau Rouge and Raidillon.
You'd be very vulnerable going up the Kemmel straight.
Indeed, this is probably the circuit on the calendar where it is easiest to overtake.
I also imagine we're gonna see a lot of pass and repassing round here as well.
The energy's gonna be very difficult to deploy throughout the entire lap.
It is the longest lap in Formula One by a long, long way as well.
44 laps around here.
I believe the second longest is Las Vegas at 50 nowadays.
Silverstone, for reference, used to be second longest at 52.
Yeah, Les Combes, corners seven through nine, is probably the easiest overtaking opportunity on the track.
It's effectively a triple chicane.
It's relatively quick, but at the same time if you take too much speed going through here, you can really easily end up going through the gravel.
Turn 10 is a deceptively difficult one.
It's a downhill wide horseshoe effectively.
And again, if you go too quick here, because the braking zone's actually longer than you think 'cause it's downhill, you're gonna end up in the kitty litter pretty quickly.
Turn 11 is one of the few tracks on the calendar that has no name, but ironically is now known as No Name .
That is effectively a 90-degree left-hander, relatively pedestrian by Spa standards.
However, the next one, turn 12, Pouhon, is very much not pedestrian.
Some Formula One cars in the past that have been down on power like McLaren-Honda back in the day in the hands of Fernando Alonso were able to go full throttle through here.
I don't think they're gonna be able to do that with this current generation of cars.
There's not enough downforce.
They're too quick in a straight line.
But it is really quick.
You see some serious speed being taken through here.
And if you set yourself up correctly for an overtake, you can get it done into the Campus chicane.
That is quite a fast one.
That is quite a difficult one too.
And then you've got Stavelot, turn 15 and 16.
Again, you need to be absolutely pinpoint here with your car placement because it's a really long flat-out zone once again between turns 15 and turn 19, which is the start of the chicane.
You can overtake going through Blanchimont, which is turns 17 and 18.
These are really fast left-handers.
In today's Formula One, they are very much easy flats to the left.
I think Max Verstappen actually managed to put a move on, who was it?
Felipe Nasr in 2015, I think it was.
Yeah, very brave to say the least.
But the easier overtaking place very much is the chicane.
You go around there, you start another lap.
The pit entry is on your right into turn 20 as well as you go into the pit lane.
Rejoin after turn one, La Source.
So yeah, it's absolutely thrilling.
It's my personal favorite circuit in Formula One is Spa.
Some question the safety of it around the Raidillon-Eau Rouge complex, but for me, there's just simply not a replacement on the calendar.
It's like Monaco.
It's like Silverstone.
It's like Monza.
There will never be another track like this.
I absolutely love it, and long may it continue on the calendar.
It is such a shame it's only going to be on the calendar every other year after 2027.
Very sad.
Boo, Formula One, on that one.
In terms of straight zones and overtaking zones, by the way, guys, Formula One has not revealed these as of the time of recording, but I imagine there'll probably be maybe one, only one overtaking zone around this track, that being on the Kemmel straight between turns six and seven.
And we'll probably see straight zones as well going between the chicane and La Source, and possibly out of La Source and heading up to Eau Rouge, but maybe not.
Maybe not.
But yeah, get your thoughts in the comments below.
Who's winning this weekend?
Like, share, comment, and subscribe as always, and we'll see you soon for much more content on the world of Formula One right here on thef1chronicle.com and Formula Reports.
