The legendary venue in the Ardennes is one of the most cherished race tracks on the planet, a battlefield of a thousand tales which in the past has delivered epic races.
This year the F1 circus returns to take on the challenges of one of the most daunting tracks on the 21-race roster. Spa is old school as it gets in this politically correct era of sterile pop-up billion-dollar Grand Prix arenas.
Spa punishes waywardness and tests bravery to the maximum, Eau Rouge, of course, remains the crown jewel of tarmac strips, while the hairpin has also provided its fair share of drama over the years. Of course, there’s tricky Le Combes, big-balls Pouhon, unforgiving Stavelot, flat out Blanchimont and that pesky final chicane to test drivers to the maximum.
The current 7.004km track layout has been in use since 1979 after safety concerns forced the closure of the original 14.863kph circuit. The track is still the longest on the 2020 F1 calendar – more than one kilometre longer than any other venue – and it’s one of the fastest, with an average speed in excess of 230kph.
Belgian Grand Prix Facts & Stats
Lap distance: 7.004km.
Total distance: 308.052km (44 laps)
2019 pole: Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – 1:42.519
2019 winner: Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
Race lap record: 1:46.286, Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Mercedes, 2018.
Start time: 1310 GMT (1510 local)
This year’s race will be the 53nd Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. Nine of the last 18 have been won from pole position. Ferrari has won the last two races at Spa.
Michael Schumacher won a record six times at Spa, including from 16th on the grid in a wet 1995 race.
Spa is the longest lap of the season and one of the fastest, with an average speed of around 230 kph. Cars are flat out for about 70% of the time.
Five current drivers have won at Spa: Kimi Raikkonen (2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009), Hamilton (2010, 2015, 2017), Vettel (2011, 2013, 2018), Daniel Ricciardo (2014) and Charles Leclerc last year.
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