About Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has held a Grand Prix every year since 1985 (except 2003 and 2006). It is the longest track on the calendar at over 7 km.
Spa is universally adored by drivers for its challenging, high-speed nature and undulating terrain through the Ardennes forest. The most famous corner is Eau Rouge/Raidillon, a steep uphill left-right-left combination that compresses the suspension and launches cars up the hill onto the Kemmel Straight. It is one of the most iconic sights in motorsport.
The circuit's length means that weather can be notoriously changeable; it can be raining on one part of the track while dry on another. This adds a critical strategic element to races. Other famous corners include Pouhon, a double-apex left-hander, and the ultra-fast Blanchimont. It is a true "driver's track" where skill can make a significant difference.
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is owned by the Walloon regional government through the intercommunale SPI+ and is operated by a public-benefit company chaired since 2020 by former Belgian racing driver and Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx. The venue's most recent F1 renewal in October 2024 secured only a single-year 2026 slot with an option for 2027 and 2029, an unusual short-term arrangement reflecting Formula One Management's stated ambition to rotate historic European venues. The current racing surface uses an aggregate mixed with basalt sourced from a quarry near Vielsalm in the Belgian Ardennes; this specific stone has proven exceptionally durable against the frost cycles common in the region, where winter temperatures routinely drop below minus 15 degrees Celsius and the circuit closes to public traffic between mid-December and late March.