Belgian Grand Prix »
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
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Fans reminisce about the great classic circuits but Spa came through the changes much better than others to produce one of the great modern circuits. As it follows the contours of the Ardennes mountains it remains the most thorough test of a Formula One car on the current calendar. Average lap speeds are high, aerodynamic loadings are prolonged, and handling is tested to the limit as 320 km/h (199 mph) straights combine with 70 km/h (43 mph) hairpins, several high-speed bends and, of course, the famous Eau Rouge. There is also the less famous Pouhon (turn 12) which is taken blind in sixth gear and which still allows the drivers to make the difference.
There is also the notoriously unpredictable Ardennes weather and a circuit that is soaked at one end and bone dry at the other is not unusual.
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Spa, along with Monza, provides the most rigorous test of an engine in the calendar. 73 per cent of the lap is spent at full throttle with two prolonged full throttle periods of over 20 seconds. The most demanding of these is without a doubt the 23 second stretch from La Source to Les Combes, via Eau Rouge (turns 1 to 7). This stretch presents a unique test to engines as they are exposed to both extreme positive and negative vertical 'g' forces as the car drops through Eau Rouge and out over the following crest which must be factored in to the engine design.
Spa is also the longest lap of the season, and the circuit has a very high fuel penalty meaning that an engine with good fuel consumption can be beneficial under the current qualifying system. Meanwhile, downforce levels are a compromise between maximizing grip in the high number of 'aero corners' and maximising overtaking opportunities down the two long flat-out 'straights'.
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Overview
| Circuit Length: |
7.004 km (4.352 miles) |
| Race Length: |
44 laps (308.2 km, 191.5 miles) |
| Circuit Type: |
Permanent course |
| Direction: |
Clockwise |
| Corners: |
20 (11 right-hand and
9 left-hand corners) |
| Elevation Change: |
High |
| Run-off Area: |
Medium |
| Maximum G-Force: |
3.5 G |
| Joined Calendar: |
1950 |
| Lap Record: |
1:45.108 (Kimi Räikkönen, McLaren-Mercedes, 2004) |
| Av. Temperature: |
16°C |
| Typical Weather: |
Changeable |
| Altitude: |
392 m AMSL |
| Official Website: |
External link |
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Very High
2.39 kg/5km
0.091 s/5km
Medium
Low-Mid
Medium / 
Soft