Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Spa, Belgium
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is a long, permanent road circuit cut through the forested hills of the Ardennes, retaining much of its original 1920s route despite modern safety modifications. Its dramatic elevation changes, most famously the uphill Eau Rouge-Raidillon combination, combine with notoriously changeable weather that can see rain falling on one part of the lap and sunshine on another. At just over seven kilometres it is the longest circuit on the current calendar.
Length
7.004 km
Turns
19
Race Laps
44
Elevation
100m
First GP
1950
Lap Record
1:46.286
Valtteri Bottas (2018)
Famous Corners
Turn 1
La Source
Turn 5
Eau Rouge
Turn 6
Raidillon
Turn 9
Les Combes
Turn 18
Blanchimont
Turn 19
Bus Stop
Location
Nearest Town
The circuit takes its name from Spa, a small Belgian spa town famous since Roman times for its mineral springs, and Francorchamps, the hamlet nearer the track itself. The wider region, in the French-speaking Wallonia countryside, is characterised by forests and rolling hills rather than urban development. The town of Spa gave its name to the very word used worldwide for wellness resorts.
Getting There
Liège Airport is the closest, around 40 minutes by car, while Brussels Airport is a further option at roughly 1.5 hours away. There is no direct train to the circuit, so most fans arrive by car or organised shuttle bus from nearby train stations such as Spa or Verviers.
Circuit History & Trivia
Notable Incidents
The most historically significant tragedy came during the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, when two drivers, Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey, were killed within about fifteen minutes of each other in separate crashes, with Stacey's fatal accident caused by a bird striking his face at speed; Stirling Moss was also seriously injured in a practice crash at Burnenville the same weekend. More recently, Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert was killed in a multi-car collision on the Kemmel Straight during the 2019 feature race, after his car was deflected into the path of another competitor following an earlier impact. These incidents, decades apart, both had lasting influence on how the circuit's high-speed sections are engineered and marshaled.
Design History
The original circuit, used from 1921 to 1938, was a 14.982-kilometre triangular road course connecting the towns of Spa, Malmedy, and Stavelot, retaining the character of ordinary public roads including the fearsome Masta Kink, once described by Jackie Stewart as the most difficult corner in the world. Mounting safety concerns led to a dramatic shortening in 1979, down to the roughly seven-kilometre layout that forms the basis of the modern circuit, eliminating the Masta Kink entirely. Further changes followed in 2007, when the Bus Stop chicane was repositioned to accommodate a new pit lane, and in 2022, when gravel traps and expanded run-off areas were added, particularly around the Raidillon section above Eau Rouge.
Records & Notable Races
Sergio Pérez holds the official F1 lap record at Spa with a 1:44.701 set in 2024, while Oscar Piastri posted an unofficial all-time quickest lap of 1:40.510 during sprint qualifying in 2025. The circuit's long straights combined with its demanding corners have historically rewarded powerful, well-balanced cars, making it a favorite proving ground across multiple eras of Formula 1. Its unpredictable weather has also produced some of the sport's most chaotic and memorable wet-weather races.
Fun Facts
The circuit takes its name from the neighboring spa town of Spa and the village of Francorchamps. Its most famous corner, Eau Rouge, is named for the reddish tint of the water in a nearby stream that gives the section its name. The circuit's dramatic weather is legendary even by Ardennes standards, with rain frequently falling on one part of the lap while another stays dry and sunny. A marshal, Léon Grisard, was fatally struck by a car at the old Masta Kink during the 1972 24-hour race, a grim reminder of the dangers the original road circuit posed even to trackside personnel.