Revered by every racing driver on Earth. Spanning 7 kilometers across the undulating Ardennes hills, Spa combines extreme vertical compression through Eau Rouge and Raidillon with the supersonic 300 km/h Pouhon double-left.
01 SECTOR BY SECTOR GUIDE
Sector 1 (La Source & Eau Rouge-Raidillon)
Hairpin stop & 17% compressionTight La Source hairpin into the blind uphill crest of Eau Rouge and Raidillon.
Sector 2 (Les Combes, Pouhon, Stavelot)
Kemmel slipstream & 290 km/h PouhonOvertaking into Les Combes followed by the fearsome downhill Pouhon double-left.
Sector 3 (Blanchimont to Bus Stop)
315 km/h Blanchimont into chicaneSupersonic Blanchimont sweep into the heavy braking Bus Stop chicane.
02 DRIVER CRAFT & TELEMETRY LESSONS
Eau Rouge vertical g-compression
Bottom of Eau Rouge pushes driver into cockpit with 4g vertical load before going light over Raidillon.
The Spa microclimate paradox
At 7km long, it can be pouring rain at Blanchimont while bone dry at La Source.
Aero setup dilemma
Low downforce wins on Kemmel straight; high downforce is needed in Sector 2's Pouhon.
“Spa-Francorchamps is the ultimate driver's circuit, where courage meets elevation.”
Track geometry: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) ↗. Circuit facts: Formula 1 circuit guide ↗. Official circuit: Spa-Francorchamps official site ↗.