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About the Formula 1 race Spa-Franchorchamps, Belgium

Circuit/Race info - Formula 1 - Spa-Franchorchamps, Belgium

Spa Franchorchamps circuit
Drivers and fans alike love races at Spa-Francorchamps. A dull race at Spa is very rare, and most drivers today say that the course is one of the two most challenging race tracks in the world (in addition to Japan's Suzuka Circuit).
Over the years, the Spa course has been modified several times and today it has been shortened to 4.3 miles and is a fast and hilly route through the Ardennes where speeds in excess of 330 km/h can be reached. Since inception, the place has been famous for its unpredictable weather. Frequently drivers confront a part of the course that is clear and bright while another stretch is rainy and slippery.
The most famous part of the circuit is the Eau Rouge / Raidillon combination. Having negotiated the La Source hairpin, drivers race down a straight before being launched steeply uphill into a sweeping left-right-left collection of corners (the first of which is the actual Eau Rouge bend, the rest of the climb being called Raidillon) with a blind summit. The challenge for drivers has always been to take Eau Rouge-Raidillon flat out, at speeds exceeding 300km/h. However, this is now considered rather normal thanks to modifications made to the circuit, and the high downforce of modern Formula One cars.

Region
Spa is recognised throughout the world for its water, next to this it is the home to one of the greatest circuits on the Formula One calendar. The Romans were the first people to discover its natural springs deep in the Ardennes countryside, and people still visit the town today in search of hydrotherapy. The biggest industry in the town is the famous bottled water company, Spa. Spa itself is the obvious place to go out when going to Belgian Grand Prix. With its many outdoor cafes and restaurants, it is full of charm. Spa even has a Casino!

Liege and Brussels are a 40-minute and two-hour drive respectively, so there is something for everyone at the Belgian Grand Prix.

History info - Formula 1 - Spa-Franchorchamps, Belgium

Historic info Spa Franchorchamps
World Champion Michael Schumacher, who made his debut at Spa in 1991 and won his first F1 race there in 1992, won his 52nd Grand Prix at Spa in 2001, surpassing Alain Prost's all-time record of 51 wins. Schumacher also won his seventh World Drivers' Championship title at Spa in 2004. There was no Belgian Grand Prix in 2003 because of the country's tobacco advertising laws but it returned to the schedule again in 2004.

Another notable race was the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix which took place in torrential conditions. The race was originally stopped after a massive accident involving thirteen of the twenty-two runners at the first corner. The heavy rain caused bad visibility, and Michael Schumacher ran into the back of David Coulthard, an event that angered Schumacher so much that he attempted to threateningly confront Coulthard in the McLaren garage. Only eight drivers were classified finishers (two of whom were five laps behind, one of whom was Coulthard) and Damon Hill secured a memorable victory ahead of team mate Ralf Schumacher to record the previously underperforming Jordan team's first Formula One win in its history, and a 1-2 to top it off

2005 winner: Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes
Pole Position: Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:46.391
Fastest lap: Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:51.453

Listings of past winners / team
2005 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes
2004 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes
2002 Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2001 Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2000 Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes
1999 David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes
1998 Damon Hill Jordan-Mugen-Honda
1997 Michael Schumacher Ferrari
1996 Michael Schumacher Ferrari

Travel info - Formula 1 - Spa-Franchorchamps, Belgium

How to get there: Spa Franchorchamps
The nearest international airport is Brussels. It has connections all over Europe, as well as many intercontinental flights. The small airport near Spa is only suited for the well fortunated during the Grand Prix weekend.

How to get to the track (and back)
Normally spoken the airport of Brussels is only a two-hour drive from the track, but be careful on the race day. The traffic jams start on the highway and b-roads will cause a big delay. Two hours can become 4 hours easily on that way!
If you don't choose to hire a car, catch a train to Liege and take one of the many buses laid on to the track

Parking options
In the village of Francorchamps the local inhabitants will let you use their fields against payment of a small fee. There are a lot of camping sites to be found at the village as well.
Only limited parking area can be found just of the track, with most spaces being available for the VIP's and other exceptions.

Where to stay
Hotels should be booked well in advance. Recommended areas are Maastricht, aachen and Liege. You can use our hotel guide for booking.

Tickets info - Formula 1 - Spa-Franchorchamps, Belgium

General information
The Belgian Grand Prix is very popular with the drivers and race fans but the GP in the Belgian Ardennes is very poorly rated by the fans that actually visit the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The local organisers are not well organised so to say. Ticket prices used to be high, and the facilities rather poor. Parking and driving up to the parkings is usually dreadful. The stands have been improved and although most are temporary a lot of them are now covered and feauture bucket seats. But with the changing wheather conditions and the spectacular Eau Rouge there still are enough reasons to visit the Belgium Grand Prix.

Viewing quality
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is a very long track in the hills of the Ardennes. This means there only a couple of locations where stands are built. The Gold 2 - Raidillon stand is by far the most popular one as it offers a great view of the Eau Rouge bend. Cars are accelerating down the second straight and only the best drivers dare to take the Eaus Rouge flat out. The difference in heights of the track is nowhere more apparent than here - something not appreciated when watching the event on television. The Gold 3 and Gold 5 stands are at the start-finish line and offer excellent views of pit lane action and the first turn. At the far end of the track there are good stands at the Bruxelles corner (Silver 11 and Silver 3) or in Stavelot (Silver 9). The Busstop chicane is also a favoured location in the Gold 7 stand.

Prices
The Belgium Grand Prix was always a very expensive stand. The moment the prices were lowered for 2006 the organisers went belly up. It is unknown if prices will be at a more economic level for 2006.

Best Deal
The best deal on F1 tickets for the Belgian Grand Prix is not yet known.