Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Address: Circuit of Spa Francorchamps, SA Route du Circuit 55 4970 Francorchamps
Stavelot , Belgium
Route type:	permanent race track
Opening:	August 1921
Formula 1 venue :	since 1950
Time zone:	UTC + 1 ( CET )
Track layout
Route data
Important events:	Formula 1 , FIA GT1 World Championship , WEC
Route length:	7.004  km (4.35  mi )
Curves:	21st
Audience capacity:	84,000
Records
Track record: (Formula 1)	1: 46.286 min. ( Valtteri Bottas , Mercedes , 2018 )
www.spa-francorchamps.be

Coordinates: 50 ° 26 ′ 17 ″  N , 5 ° 58 ′ 11 ″  E

The new pit area with grandstand in 2009

Aerial photo of the route in June 2008

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is a motorsport race in the Walloon region in Belgium . It is located in the Ardennes , in the triangle between the towns of Stavelot (to whose municipality the course belongs), Spa and Malmedy  - just under 20 km away from the German-Belgian border near Monschau . The start-finish area of ​​the route is near the village of Francorchamps, which is where the name of the route comes from.

Because of the height difference in the course of a total of around 100 meters and the numerous curves in which high centrifugal forces occur, the route is also known as the “Ardennes rollercoaster”. Since 1925 the Belgian Grand Prix has been held there with a few interruptions ; since 1950 as a Formula 1 world championship race.

history

Original route

Until the Versailles Treaty came into force in January 1920, the eastern part of the racetrack belonged to the German Empire . The area of Eupen-Malmedy was incorporated into the Belgian state after a controversial referendum , which also went down in Belgian history as the “petite farce belge” after a five-year transition period.

The originally 14.863 km long route was opened in 1921 and consisted largely of otherwise public country roads in the triangle between the villages of Francorchamps in the north, Malmedy in the southeast and Stavelot in the southwest. However, only one participant appeared for the first planned car race, so it was canceled and the course was instead opened with a motorcycle race .

Shortly after the Eau Rouge depression , the original route turned sharply to the left and then led uphill to the right in a hairpin bend . This curve was called Virage de l'Ancienne Douane (curve at the old customs post) because the former Belgian-German border fortifications were located there. It was not until 1939 that the later famous Raidillon courage curve was created as a steeply uphill abbreviation in order to increase the average speed of the course. The public road traffic, which led through the route as a diversion of the not yet completed section of Autobahn 27 until 2001 , was routed behind the grandstands over the old hairpin bend. The two directional lanes met again in the depression. The second German-Belgian border station was behind the long right-hand bend through Bürnenville at the beginning of the long Masta straight from Malmedy to Stavelot. In order to bypass the narrow curve in the through-town of Stavelot and to increase the average speed of the course, an abbreviation in the form of a long, slightly elevated right-hand curve has also been inserted there.

Otherwise the triangular route consisted of long straights and only a few, but mostly very fast, corners. The famous exception to this rule is the La Source hairpin in the north, which was not circumvented by any further measures. The hairpin was once the last bend before the original start-finish facility in the middle of the downhill section to Eau Rouge and at the start the entire field drove towards this narrow point at high speed. For Formula 1, an additional pit area and start-finish line were built on the level section in front of La Source, so that the starter field first has to go around this hairpin, after which the cars usually drive individually and thus safely through Eau Rouge.

Not only the fast route and the poor security - lanterns, street signs, trees and buildings stood unsecured close to the route, manhole covers in the roadway caused surprising slides - but also the unpredictable weather made Spa-Francorchamps life-threatening. Because of the length of the route, it happened that it was dry at the start and finish, while it was pouring rain a few kilometers further. At the Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1966 , after the start, the cars drove at high speed into the wet section of the track near Burnenville and sometimes had an accident, which was documented from the helicopter's perspective in the film Grand Prix .

The first car race took place in 1922, the first 24-hour race in 1924 .

• 

  Original route

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  The old and new Grand Prix track in comparison (gray = old) (south is up)

• 

  The route before the renovation in 2006 (south is up)

Banished from the Formula 1 racing calendar

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was banned from the Grand Prix calendar after 1970 because it was classified as too dangerous due to the high speeds. Most recently, the Mexican Pedro Rodríguez achieved an average speed of almost 240 km / h on the 14.099 km long route with his BRM P153 . The old route variant can still be virtually “driven” on the PC with simulations such as Project CARS , Grand Prix Legends or rFactor (with the help of add-ons ). The 1966 film Grand Prix , some of which was shot in Spa-Francorchamps , also gives a good impression of the track conditions and dangers in the 1960s .

Remodeling

The legendary curve combination Eau Rouge / Raidillon 1999 with gravel run- off zone before the renovation in 2001

The newly designed Eau Rouge / Raidillon combination with a large asphalt run-off zone

The route was shortened to about half by 1979. The new section of the route branches off after the Kemmel Straight, leads downhill and joins the existing road at the Stavelot curve. This conversion increased safety and still partially preserved the original character of the route. In 1983 , after lengthy renovation work, Spa was again included in the Formula 1 calendar instead of the course in Zolder .

Since spring 2001, parts of the 6.976 km long route that were still regular country roads have been permanently closed to public traffic. To the east, a new bypass road (N62c) from Francorchamps to Les Combes and Burnenville was built. The section of the old racetrack from Stavelot to the confluence of the new Stavelot curve became a dead end or the southern entrance to the paddock, sometimes with very poor pavement. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps has been a permanent race track ever since .

After the 2005 season , the Formula 1 administration (FOA) demanded extensive renovation work on the track, especially in the infrastructural area. At the beginning of 2006 , construction work had not yet started, so that completion for the planned race was not guaranteed and the Belgian Grand Prix was canceled. As a result, the FOA, under the leadership of Formula 1 promoter Bernie Ecclestone, took over the lead for the renovation work and the future of the course and contractually committed to a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps for at least five years from 2007 align. This ensured that they would remain in the seasonal calendar until 2012.

The work, estimated at around 18 million euros, began in mid-November 2006 and was completed in May 2007. Among other things, the Bus Stop chicane was converted into a tight right-left combination, the La Source hairpin curve was modified and supplemented with a larger run-off zone, and a new pit area including a paddock was built. In addition, there was the construction of new grandstands in the area of ​​the start and finish straight, at La Source and Eau Rouge, with an increase in spectator capacity from 70,000 to 84,000. The double left turn Pouhon was given a more level surface and an asphalt run-off zone. The current 7.004 km long route has been added to the calendar for the Formula 1 seasons 2007 (September 16) and 2008 (September 7). Also in 2008, curve 15 (formerly Stavelot ) was named after the Belgian racing driver Paul Frère .

particularities

A curiosity about Spa are two starting variants and pit systems . While the start and finish line for Formula 1 is in front of La Source , other races are started on the downhill straight in front of Eau Rouge . The old pit area is also located there. This is sometimes used in addition to the new boxes at large events - for example on Formula 1 weekends or at the 24-hour race. The teams of the frame races are usually housed in the old pit area and the race start of these vehicles takes place on the old start and finish straight.

Michael Schumacher celebrated his 300th Grand Prix participation on September 2, 2012 in Spa. It was there that he drove his first Formula 1 race on August 25, 1991 , and a year later he clinched his first victory on this track.

More racing series

In addition to Formula 1, there are also races in numerous other motorsport classes in Spa-Francorchamps; these include the Blancpain Endurance Series , Formula 3 , RCN , Motorcycle Endurance, the ADAC GT Masters , and formerly the DTM and WTCC . The most famous long-distance races and sports car races held in Spa are the 24-hour race of Spa-Francorchamps and the 6-hour race of Spa-Francorchamps of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). There is also a kart track and a motocross course on the site .

statistics

Lap records

Q = qualification; R = race; T = test drive

14.12 km route (1950–1956)

Q	4: 09.8 min	203.49 km / h	Juan Manuel Fangio	Ferrari	1956
R.	4: 14.7 min	199.58 km / h	Stirling Moss	Maserati	1956

14.10 km route (1958-1970)

Q	3: 28.0 min	244.04 km / h	Jackie Stewart	March-Ford	1970
R.	3: 27.4 min	244.74 km / h	Chris Amon	March-Ford	1970

6,949 km route (1983)

Q	2: 04.615 min	200.75 km / h	Alain Prost	Renault	1983
R.	2: 07.493 min	196.22 km / h	Andrea de Cesaris	Alfa Romeo	1983

6,940 km route (1985–1991)

Q	1: 47.811 min	231.74 km / h	Ayrton Senna	McLaren Honda	1991
R.	1: 55.087 min	217.09 km / h	Alain Prost	Ferrari	1990

6,974 km route (1992–1993, 1995)

Q	1: 47.571 min	233.39 km / h	Alain Prost	Williams-Renault	1993
R.	1: 51.095 min	225.99 km / h	Alain Prost	Williams-Renault	1993

6,968 km route (1996-2002)

Q	1: 43.726 min	241.84 km / h	Michael sSchumacher	Ferrari	2002
R.	1: 47.176 min	234.05 km / h	Michael sSchumacher	Ferrari	2002

6.976 km route (2004-2005)

Q	1: 46.391 min	236.05 km / h	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren-Mercedes	2005
R.	1: 45.108 min	238.93 km / h	Kimi Raikkonen	McLaren-Mercedes	2004

7.004 km route (since 2007)

Q	1: 41.501 min	248.42 km / h	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	2018
R.	1: 46.286 min	237.23 km / h	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	2018

All winners of Formula 1 races in Spa-Francorchamps

No.	year	driver	constructor	engine	tires	time	Route length	Round	Ø pace	date	GP of
1	1950	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo	P	2: 47: 26,000 h	14.120 km	35	177.097 km / h	18th of June	Belgium
2	1951	Giuseppe Farina	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo	P	2: 45: 46,000 h	14.120 km	36	183.989 km / h	17th of June
3	1952	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari	Ferrari	P	3: 03: 46,300 h	14.120 km	36	165.962 km / h	June 22
4th	1953	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari	Ferrari	P	2: 48: 30,300 h	14.120 km	36	180.999 km / h	June 21st
5	1954	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	Maserati	P	2: 44: 42,400 h	14.120 km	36	185.173 km / h	20th June
6th	1955	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes	Mercedes	C.	2: 39: 29,000 h	14.120 km	36	191.238 km / h	0June 5th
7th	1956	Peter Collins	Ferrari	Ferrari	E.	2: 40: 00,300 h	14.120 km	36	190.614 km / h	03rd of June
8th	1958	Tony Brooks	Vanwall	Vanwall	D.	2: 37: 06,300 h	14.100 km	36	209.093 km / h	15th June
9	1960	Jack Brabham	cooper	Climax	D.	2: 21: 37,300 h	14.100 km	36	215.052 km / h	June 19th
10	1961	Phil Hill	Ferrari	Ferrari	D.	2: 03: 03,800 h	14.100 km	30th	206.235 km / h	18th of June
11	1962	Jim Clark	lotus	Climax	D.	2: 07: 32,300 h	14.100 km	32	212.266 km / h	17th of June
12	1963	Jim Clark	lotus	Climax	D.	2: 27: 47,600 h	14.100 km	32	183.175 km / h	0June 9th
13	1964	Jim Clark	lotus	Climax	D.	2:06:40, 500 h	14.100 km	32	213.712 km / h	14th June
14th	1965	Jim Clark	lotus	Climax	D.	2: 23: 34.800 h	14.100 km	32	188.550 km / h	June 13th
15th	1966	John Surtees	Ferrari	Ferrari	D.	2: 09: 11,300 h	14.100 km	28	183.360 km / h	June 12
16	1967	Dan Gurney	eagle	Weslake	G	1: 40: 49.400 h	14.100 km	28	234.946 km / h	18th of June
17th	1968	Bruce McLaren	McLaren	ford	G	1: 40: 02,100 h	14.100 km	28	236.797 km / h	0June 9th
18th	1970	Pedro Rodríguez	BRM	BRM	D.	1: 38: 09.900 h	14.100 km	28	241.308 km / h	0June 7th
19th	1983	Alain Prost	Renault	Renault	M.	1: 27: 11.502 h	6.949 km	40	191.275 km / h	May 22
20th	1985	Ayrton Senna	lotus	Renault	G	1: 34: 19.893 h	6.940 km	43	189.811 km / h	Sep 15
21st	1986	Nigel Mansell	Williams	Honda	G	1: 27: 57.925 h	6.940 km	43	203.548 km / h	25. May
22nd	1987	Alain Prost	McLaren	Porsche ( TAG )	G	1: 27: 03.217 h	6.940 km	43	205.680 km / h	17th of May
23	1988	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	Honda	G	1: 28: 00.549 h	6.940 km	43	203.447 km / h	28 Aug
24	1989	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	Honda	G	1: 40: 54.196 h	6.940 km	44	181.576 km / h	27 Aug
25th	1990	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	Honda	G	1: 26: 31.997 h	6.940 km	44	211.729 km / h	26 Aug
26th	1991	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	Honda	G	1: 27: 17.669 h	6.940 km	44	209.883 km / h	25 Aug
27	1992	Michael sSchumacher	Benetton	ford	G	1: 36: 10.721 h	6.974 km	44	191.429 km / h	30 Aug
28	1993	Damon Hill	Williams	Renault	G	1: 24: 32.124 h	6.974 km	44	217.795 km / h	29 Aug
29	1994	Damon Hill	Williams	Renault	G	1: 28: 47.170 h	7.001 km	44	208.170 km / h	28 Aug
30th	1995	Michael sSchumacher	Benetton	Renault	G	1: 36: 47.875 h	6.974 km	44	190.204 km / h	27 Aug
31	1996	Michael sSchumacher	Ferrari	Ferrari	G	1: 28: 15.125 h	6.968 km	44	208.443 km / h	25 Aug
32	1997	Michael sSchumacher	Ferrari	Ferrari	G	1: 33: 46.717 h	6.968 km	44	196.159 km / h	24 Aug
33	1998	Damon Hill	Jordan	Mugen	G	1: 43: 47.407 h	6.968 km	44	177.238 km / h	30 Aug
34	1999	David Coulthard	McLaren	Mercedes	B.	1: 25: 43.057 h	6.968 km	44	214.596 km / h	29 Aug
35	2000	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	Mercedes	B.	1: 28: 14.494 h	6.968 km	44	208.468 km / h	27 Aug
36	2001	Michael sSchumacher	Ferrari	Ferrari	B.	1: 08: 05.002 h	6.968 km	36	221.050 km / h	0Sep 2
37	2002	Michael sSchumacher	Ferrari	Ferrari	B.	1: 21: 20.634 h	6.968 km	44	226.133 km / h	0Sep 1
38	2004	Kimi Raikkonen	McLaren	Mercedes	M.	1: 32: 35.274 h	6.976 km	44	198.824 km / h	29 Aug
39	2005	Kimi Raikkonen	McLaren	Mercedes	M.	1: 30: 01.295 h	6.976 km	44	204.580 km / h	Sep 11
40	2007	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	Ferrari	B.	1: 20: 39.066 h	7.004 km	44	229.266 km / h	16 Sep
41	2008	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	Ferrari	B.	1: 22: 59.394 h	7.004 km	44	223.873 km / h	0Sep 7
42	2009	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	Ferrari	B.	1: 23: 50.995 h	7.004 km	44	220.431 km / h	30 Aug
43	2010	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	Mercedes	B.	1: 29: 04.268 h	7.004 km	44	207.510 km / h	29 Aug
44	2011	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	Renault	P	1: 26: 44.893 h	7.004 km	44	213.066 km / h	28 Aug
45	2012	Jenson Button	McLaren	Mercedes	P	1: 29: 08.530 h	7.004 km	44	207.344 km / h	0Sep 2
46	2013	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull	Renault	P	1: 23: 42.196 h	7.004 km	44	220.817 km / h	25 Aug
47	2014	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	Renault	P	1: 24: 36.556 h	7.004 km	44	218.453 km / h	24 Aug
48	2015	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	Mercedes	P	1: 23: 40.387 h	7.004 km	44	215.874 km / h	23 Aug
49	2016	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	Mercedes	P	1: 44: 51.058 h	7.004 km	44	176.279 km / h	28 Aug
50	2017	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	Mercedes	P	1: 24: 42.820 h	7.004 km	44	218.183 km / h	27 Aug
51	2018	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	Ferrari	P	1: 23: 34.476 h	7.004 km	44	221.157 km / h	26 Aug
52	2019	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	Ferrari	P	1: 23: 45.710 h	7.004 km	44	220.663 km / h	0Sep 1

Record winner
drivers: Michael Schumacher (6), Ayrton Senna (5), Jim Clark / Kimi Räikkönen (4 each)
Driver nations: Great Britain (16), Germany (10), Brazil (6)
Constructors: Ferrari (14), Lotus (5 )
Engine manufacturers: Ferrari (14), Mercedes (10), Renault (8)
Tire manufacturers: Goodyear (16), Pirelli (14), Dunlop (9)

References

Web links

Commons : Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• official page
• 24 hour race Spa
• Presentation of the route in 1955
• 24 hour race for 2CV in Spa-Francorchamps

Individual evidence

1. ^ German topographic map "5501 Bürnenville", edition 1893 ( Memento from July 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
2. ↑ Official route history on spa-francorchamps.be ( Memento from October 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (French)
3. ^ Daniel Bour: Bernie Ecclestone, nouveau patron du circuit de Spa Francorchamps. In: caradisiac.com , February 9, 2006 (French).
4. ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: Communiqué of the authorities on the route conversion (February 9, 2007, French)
5. ↑ Schumacher's number of Grand Prix participations is not given consistently in official sources. In Wikipedia, only those races are counted in which the respective driver started at least for the first time. According to this, this race would have been Schumacher's 299th Grand Prix.
6. ↑ "300. Grand Prix: Fans agree with Schumacher " (Motorsport-Total.com on September 3, 2012)