The toboggan of the Ardennes, better known under the name of Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, has the distinctive feature of not having even the smallest part of its track located in the Commune of Spa. Nowadays, the track is solely concentrated in the Malmedy and Stavelot municipal areas.
This is one of the favourite circuits for drivers because of the variety of the track in the hilly landscape of the Belgian Ardennes that allows them to showcase their talent. Dan Gurney used to say that this circuit “separated the men from the boys”.
Designed in 1921 by Jules de Thier and Henri Langlois Van Ophem, the original 14,981 km track essentially had the shape of a triangle connecting Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot and used public roads open to traffic in normal time. It became permanent in 2000.
No fewer than 100 metres difference in height separate the summit of Combes and the Paul Frère Corner. The current track has been modified on several occasions and henceforth is a permanent 7,004-metres-long circuit of development. It is still a very fast and undulating circuit, taking up part of the former track, which presents features appreciated by the greatest drivers in the world of various categories.
Spa-Francorchamps is also known for its abrupt changes in weather conditions.
Follow us later in the afternoon for the latest updates and results from the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, as the qualifying session for the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix is about to get underway, with Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc at the wheel of the SF1000.
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