Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Racing Circuit

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is set in the rolling, forested hills of the Ardennes near Stavelot in Wallonia, southern Belgium, around eight kilometres from the town of Spa. First used by motorcyclists in 1921 and by cars from 1922, it was originally a vast triangular course of public roads stretching nearly 15 kilometres between Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot. Its signature corner sequence appeared in 1939 when a connecting road bypassing the old Ancienne Douane hairpin created the dramatic uphill left-right-left now universally, if technically inaccurately, called Eau Rouge and Raidillon. The original long circuit grew notorious for its speed and danger, prompting a 1979 redesign that cut a new permanent section before Les Combes to create the roughly seven-kilometre layout still used today. That shorter course preserved the circuit's flowing, high-speed character while greatly improving safety margins. Beyond Eau Rouge and Raidillon, its celebrated corners include the long downhill Pouhon double-left, the flat-out Blanchimont, the tight La Source hairpin, and the Bus Stop chicane before the start-finish line. Spa is famous for its changeable Ardennes weather, where rain can fall on one part of the track while another stays dry. It hosts the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, held there nearly every year since 1985, along with the Spa 24 Hours and FIA World Endurance Championship rounds. Major works completed in 2021-22 added gravel traps and a new Raidillon grandstand, while a new corner at Turn 9 met FIM motorcycle homologation requirements. The circuit remains widely regarded as one of the greatest and most challenging tracks in the world.

Operated by: RTBF / Spa Grand Prix SA