Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Interesting facts

Eau Rouge ('red water') takes its name from an iron-rich, genuinely rust-coloured stream that runs beneath the corner, while the climb above it, reaching gradients of up to 15%, is called Raidillon, carved out in 1939 to replace the older, slower Ancienne Douane corner. The circuit sits in the Ardennes forest, where the local microclimate often means genuinely different weather on opposite sides of the same lap. The original circuit, laid out on public roads in 1920, ran nearly 15 km between Spa, Malmedy and Stavelot; it hosted its first Grand Prix as early as 1922, and the legendary 24 Hours of Spa began in 1924. The old road circuit turned lethal by the 1960s: two drivers, Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey, were killed within fifteen minutes of each other at the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, and Stirling Moss was seriously injured the same weekend; drivers boycotted the race entirely in 1969 over safety concerns. The track was completely rebuilt in 1979, replacing the 14.1 km road course with today's purpose-built, roughly 7 km circuit; despite the shortening, Spa remains the longest track on the Formula 1 calendar. French driver Anthoine Hubert was killed just after Raidillon in 2019 during a Formula 2 race, when he crashed into wreckage from an earlier incident and was then struck by an oncoming car. The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix was effectively washed out by torrential rain, red-flagged after just one official lap and two more behind the safety car, yet half points were still awarded under the rules then in force; drivers called it 'a farce,' making it the shortest race in Formula 1 history. The circuit is located in Spa, Belgium. Formula 1 has raced here since 1950, with 59 races held so far, most recently in 2026. The first race here was won by Juan Fangio, in 1950. The most recent winner here was Andrea Kimi Antonelli, in 2026. Michael Schumacher has won here more than anyone else, 6 times. Among constructors, Ferrari has been the most successful here, with 14 wins. The lap record here is held by Sergio Pérez, at 1:44.701 (Red Bull, 2024). The recorded top speed at this circuit is 348 km/h.

Circuit history