Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps at a glance

Location

Francorchamps (Stavelot), Liège Province

Type

road course

Length

7.004 km (4.352 mi)

Turns

19

Direction

clockwise

Surface

asphalt

Elevation change

330 ft

Opened

1921

Owner

Walloon Region (public ownership, operated commercially)

Capacity

130,000

Address

Route du Circuit 55

Phone

+32 87 29 37 00

Website

spa-francorchamps.be/en

Track map and layout

Spa-Francorchamps is widely regarded as one of the greatest circuits in the world, combining huge elevation changes, blind crests and a mix of fast sweepers and technical sections spread across the Ardennes forest. The lap opens with the La Source hairpin, drops downhill into the Eau Rouge/Raidillon combination — a compression-heavy left-right-left that climbs steeply out of a valley — then feeds the long Kemmel Straight. The middle sector winds through Les Combes, Malmedy, the Bruxelles hairpin and the fast downhill sweep of Pouhon, before Fagnes, Campus, Stavelot and the very high-speed Blanchimont lead into the Bus Stop chicane before the line. Weather is famously localised: it can be dry at La Source and raining at Blanchimont at the same moment, which has produced some of motorsport's most chaotic races.

Named corners and sections

• Eau Rouge/Raidillon. The circuit's signature sequence: a compressing downhill left, uphill right, then left again on a blind crest, taken flat by modern F1 cars but still intimidating and a common accident site in slower or wet conditions.
• La Source. A tight, very slow hairpin immediately after the start/finish straight, the main overtaking point into lap one and a frequent first-corner incident zone.
• Pouhon. A fast, downhill double-apex left-hander in the middle sector that drivers rate as one of the best corners on the calendar for the g-forces involved.
• Blanchimont. A long, very high-speed left-hand kink taken flat out in modern cars, with a steep drop behind the barriers on the outside.
• Bus Stop chicane. A tight left-right chicane just before the start/finish line, added for safety and often the last overtaking chance of the lap.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

The Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix has run at Spa almost every year since 1950 and remains one of the sport's most respected rounds; it is on the 2026 and 2027 calendars, then skips 2028 and 2030 as it alternates with Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Total 24 Hours of Spa, held each June/July, is one of the biggest GT endurance races in the world and draws enormous trackside crowds and camping numbers. The FIA World Endurance Championship also stops at Spa each spring, and the circuit hosts major motorcycle events including the Spa Bikers Weekend.

Getting there and parking

Spa-Francorchamps sits in the Ardennes near the German and Luxembourg borders, about 45 minutes from Liège by car. There is no train station at the circuit; the nearest mainline station is Verviers-Central, roughly 25 km away, with shuttle buses (TEC lines) laid on to the circuit gates during the Belgian Grand Prix and 24 Hours weekends. Most fans drive in via the E42 motorway, and traffic around Francorchamps and Stavelot backs up heavily on race mornings.

• Liège Airport (LGG) · about 50 min drive
• Brussels Airport (BRU) · about 90 min drive
• Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) · about 60 min drive

Parking

Official car parks around the circuit are ticketed for the Belgian GP and 24 Hours and should be booked in advance with race tickets; free informal roadside parking in the surrounding villages fills very early on race day.

For the Belgian GP or 24 Hours, book train-plus-shuttle tickets or accommodation many months ahead — Spa, Stavelot and Malmedy sell out well before race week.

Hotels and camping near Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Spa town itself, about 8 km from the circuit, has the widest hotel selection and a spa-resort tourism base, while Stavelot and Malmedy are closer to the track gates and popular with race fans. Liège offers a bigger city base with more transport options for those happy to commute in. Rooms across the region sell out and prices multiply for the Belgian Grand Prix and 24 Hours weekends.

Where to look

Spa (spa-town amenities), Stavelot and Malmedy (closest to the gates), and Liège (more choice, ~45-50 minutes away) are the main bases for visitors.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Spa-Francorchamps runs an official 'Public Driving Experience' that lets road-car owners lap the full Grand Prix circuit in supervised, non-competitive sessions, plus taxi laps for passengers who want the experience without driving. Independent operators, most notably RSRSpa, run dedicated trackday events with timed and open-pitlane formats through the season for cars and, on some dates, motorcycles.

Who runs days here

• Spa-Francorchamps Public Driving Experience (official)car
• Spa-Francorchamps Taxi Laps (official)car
• RSRSpa Trackdaysboth

Typical cost: Public Driving Experience from about €389 for four 25-minute sessions; taxi laps from about €209; RSRSpa trackdays roughly €699-€1,299 per day

Lap records

Spectator guide

Grandstands cluster around La Source, the start/finish straight, Eau Rouge and the Bus Stop chicane, while much of the middle sector through the forest is open, free hillside viewing that gives Spa a reputation as one of the best circuits for watching on foot. The famously changeable Ardennes weather means rain gear is essential even on a forecast-dry day.

Seating

Main grandstands are at La Source, along the Kemmel Straight, at Les Combes and around the Bus Stop chicane; the Eau Rouge hillside has both ticketed grandstands and free public viewing banks.

Best places to watch

The public hillside overlooking Eau Rouge/Raidillon is the classic free vantage point; Pouhon and Blanchimont offer excellent sightlines for serious fans willing to walk further from the paddock.

Weather

• July (Belgian GP): highs around 20-23°C but frequent, sudden rain showers even in midsummer
• May (WEC): cooler and often wet, highs around 15-18°C

History of Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

From public roads to permanent circuit

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps began in 1921 as a triangular course on public roads linking the towns of Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot, taking its name from the nearby spa town even though the original layout barely touched it. At roughly 14-15 km, the old circuit was punishingly fast and dangerous, run largely on ordinary rural roads, and it quickly built a reputation as one of the most demanding tests in motorsport, hosting the Belgian Grand Prix from 1950 in the early Formula 1 world championship.

Safety crisis and the 1979 rebuild

By the 1960s and 70s the old public-road Spa had become too dangerous for top-level single-seater racing: high average speeds, minimal run-off and roadside obstacles led to serious accidents and driver boycotts, and Formula 1 left the full circuit after 1970. A shortened, purpose-built circuit of roughly 7 km, reusing the Eau Rouge, La Source and Blanchimont sections of the old road course but adding modern infrastructure, opened in 1979 and welcomed F1 back in 1983.

Modern era

Since the 1980s the shortened Spa-Francorchamps has been repeatedly refined — resurfaced, widened in places and fitted with more run-off — while keeping the elevation changes and the Eau Rouge/Raidillon combination that make it a favourite among drivers. The 24 Hours of Spa grew from a touring-car race into one of the world's premier GT endurance events, drawing camping crowds that rival the Grand Prix itself, and the World Endurance Championship added Spa to its calendar as a regular European round. From 2028 the Belgian Grand Prix moves to alternate years with Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Spa skips 2028 and 2030), reflecting F1's crowded modern calendar, but Spa remains a fixture that drivers and fans consistently rank among the sport's best circuits.

Frequently asked questions

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