Fast, undulating Ardennes circuit famed for the Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex; hosts the Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours.
Origins
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was first used in 1921, laid out on public roads through the forests of the Belgian Ardennes between Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot. The original course measured almost 15 km and was among the fastest and most dangerous in the world. After years of safety concerns it was cut to a permanent layout of roughly 7 km in 1979; that circuit, revised at the pit complex and Bus Stop chicane in 2007, is the one raced today.
The circuit
At 7.004 km and 19 turns, Spa is the longest circuit on the current Formula One calendar. Its defining feature is the Eau Rouge–Raidillon complex: a compression at the foot of a valley that flicks left then right before climbing steeply over a blind crest, historically taken at full throttle. The following Kemmel Straight is one of the strongest overtaking opportunities in Formula One. The circuit's elevation in the Ardennes also gives it a well-known microclimate, in which one part of the lap can be wet while another stays dry — a factor that has shaped many races.
Racing at Spa
Spa has hosted the Belgian Grand Prix in almost every season since 1985. Its endurance tradition is older still: the 24 Hours of Spa has been run since 1924 and remains one of the world's major sports-car races, complemented today by the FIA World Endurance Championship's 6 Hours of Spa. The modern Formula One lap record is 1:44.701, set by Sergio Pérez for Red Bull in 2024.