Have you been wondering why Formula 1 fans seem so to love getting manicures so much? This is your guide to Spa, otherwise known as the Belgian GP.
This weekend we kick off the second half of the 2021 season with the Belgian Grand Prix. Known by its track name, Spa-Francorchamps, or more simply Spa, this GP has a long-standing history in motorsport. The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is one of the oldest tracks in the world and was one of seven championships in the original Formula 1 championship season in 1950.
Track Breakdown:
Laps: 44
Circuit Length: 7.004 km
Race Distance: 308.052 km
The Belgian GP is widely known as both a fan and driver favourite for its history, scenic track location, and the racing it brings. Considered to be one of the most dangerous tracks of Formula 1, Spa has gone through various iterations of layouts and safety features. Most recently, the fatal accident of Anthoine Hubert in the 2019 Formula 2 race led to the circuit adding gravel traps in 5 track locations and expanding run off areas in corners in the hopes of improving driver safety.
The Spa circuit is the longest circuit on the F1 calendar and has some of the steepest ascents and descents of current circuits. Both the descent and ascent happen practically consecutively in the Raidillon-Eau Rouge-Kemmel section of the track. This is why Spa is considered one of the most skill-requiring tracks of motorsports. It’s not only a challenge for drivers to navigate the turn itself, but the straight that follows requires them to do so at high speed and come out on a good line.
Spa-Francorchamps’ current layout includes 2 DRS zones: the first in the track area in front of the pit lane between turns 19 (Chicane) and 1 (La Source), and the second at the Kemmel Straight just after Eau Rouge. At the 2018 Grand Prix, Valterri Bottas set the current fastest lap record with a time of 1:46:286.
Due to the geographical location and overall track layout, Spa is known to have rainy conditions and some areas of the track can remain dry while others experience showers and wet conditions. These mixed conditions add a layer of unpredictability to every Grand Prix. This June, the track was hit with heavy flash flooding, leading to the cancellation of the Spa Euro Race. The track had to be repaved and is now believed to be fully functional. However it did set back an 80 million Euro revamp.
GIF from roadandtrack.com
Another reason that Spa is so popular amongst drivers and fans alike is the plethora of overtaking opportunities. Wide lanes and long straights mean that Spa averages around 32 overtakes a race; this is only surpassed by Brazil, Bahrain, and Shanghai. Comparatively, Monaco averages 12 overtakes a race.
La Source, a hairpin turn just after the start/finish straight and the pit exit, is one of the best overtaking opportunities, especially as it follows a DRS Zone. However drivers attempting to pass at this turn need to be careful defensively heading into the Eau Rouge complex if they are successful. Les Combes, following the Eau Rouge, is another great area for overtaking due to the slipstream and DRS zone before it. The Chicane (or Bus Stop Chicane) corner, the final corner of the circuit, and the Rivage hairpin, are other spots where we can expect to see overtaking action.
Fun Facts:
Spa was boycotted by F1 drivers in 1969 for being too dangerous, which led to its cancellation as a Formula 1 circuit from 1971-1983 and, eventually, various safety improvements
The original Spa-Francorchamps circuit was a road circuit over 14-kilometres long
The circuit itself crosses three cities including Francorchamps, but the headquarters are located in Spa
Michael Schumacher has the most trac
k wins at Spa (6). Of the current F1 lineup, Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton are tied with 4 wins each.
Fast 5s:
The top five finishes in the past two events at Spa-Francorchamps have been the following:
2020 Belgian GP: Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Ricciardo (fastest lap), Ocon
2019 Belgian GP: Leclerc, Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel (fastest lap), Albon
Technical Talk:
Spa’s layout with a mix of long straights and high-speed corners classifies this circuit as a mix of high downforce and high power, similar to Silverstone. While Spa features high downforce sequences, with one of the longest stretches at top speed in F1 and high-speed corners, a powerful car can easily make up lost ground. Constructors need to compromise on straight-line speed and downforce sensitivity.
The high-speed nature of Spa’s corners leads to increased degradation of tyres, so we can expect multiple pit stops and various tyre strategies by constructors. The weather looks like it will once again be rainy this weekend, leading to further demands on the constructors’ tyre strategies as they will likely balance wet, dry, and intermediates throughout the weekend.
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