The original track had a length of In , a short road link was built, bypassing the Malmedy chicane. The track now measured Unfortunately, the higher speeds meant more accidents, and the chicane was restored in Due to minor road work in several locations, the "original" circuit now measured For , a new bridge was built across the river Eau Rouge.
Cars now went further down the hill after the start, then made a softer left over the bridge, followed by an immediate sharp right heading back uphill to the left hand kink at Raidillon. The lap distance was cut to Unfortunately, this new circuit was only used once, as a mere weeks after the new section opened, the war moved through.
The war was hard on the track, as the Battle of the Bulge was fought in the vicinity, so racing did not resume until The major change to the track was bypassing the town of Stavelot with a new, sweeping banked right.
This, and the removal of the Malmedy chicane, dramatically increased the average speed of the track. It now measured The Grand Prix had been cancelled in , due to the organizer's refusal to upgrade the circuit with Armco barriers.
For the race , the organizers had complied, only to find that the track was being granted only a temporary reprieve, and further improvements would be needed. The race was run, with a smaller chicane than previously used at Malmedy, but this was the last Grand Prix on the old circuit. After the loss of the Grand Prix, the 1, km endurance race was next to go, so the track was basically left to touring car racing. In , a 'bus-stop' style of chicane was built at the Masta Kink, but the chicane was judged to be even more dangerous than the original curves, and was never used.
Various levels of authorities had started making noises about ending use of the track permanently. The solution was to chop off much of the old circuit, creating a shorter but safer circuit, but attempt to maintain the feel and challenge of the old circuit.
A new circuit of not quite seven km was unveiled in The response was overwhelmingly positive. The new circuit turned right down into the valley at the end of the Kemmel Straight, just before Les Combes. A series of somewhat technical corners, but still following the landform, took the track to rejoin the old circuit on the straight between La Carriere and Blanchimont.
It was fast, but not outrageously so. The track had been saved. With the new configuration getting a warm reception, the talk soon turned to Formula 1. One set of changes was discussed in advance, that of finding a starting location on relatively level ground, along with an upgrade to the pits and paddock. The latter issue was given a not-quite satisfactory solution by the creation of a bus-stop chicane just before the Clubhouse Corner.
This was used for racing, starting in The other revisions would take longer to implement. With some other minor adjustments to the track here and there, the listed length actually shrank slightly, to 6. It was as level as one could get, and the Formula 1 Circus returned after 13 years. Plans to rebuild the corner at Eau Rouge underwent a review, to ensure sufficient safety modifications, which was a good thing. But the organizers put in a temporary chicane made of tire bundles similar to the one in Spain , for that year's race, which was generally agreed to be a mistake.
The track also added an entrance to the pit lane just before the Bus Stop, which greatly improved access. With the new chicane, and some other detail changes, the track length was now officially 7. Over the next few years, the track also added a number of escape roads, and access points for safety vehicles, but there were no real changes to the track itself.
Removal of the chicane shortened the track length to 6. The entrance to the Bus Stop was moved a few meters to the right, which made the cars slow down substantially in that section. In addition, the pit entrance was moved to inside the Bus Stop, because it was felt that drivers could shortcut the whole section through the pits and gain time. The track grew slightly in length to 6.
The Bus Stop chicane vanished, and in it's place was now a tight right-left chicane, with a short straight between the corners, and the pit entrance on the outside of the left-hander.
Most competitors felt that this was an improvement. The front straight grew almost 50 meters in length, and overall the track was now 7. Aside from adjustments to curbs and runoff areas, this configuration is still in use today. Fun fact: According to F1. Originally the first corner, this difficult complex requires the drivers to set up while still passing the old pits. The cars travel sharply downhill flat out before a left flick across the bridge over the Eau Rouge river.
G forces can be in excess of four through here. This is where Stefan Bellof was killed in Raidillon is at the end of a very short and steeply uphill straight after Eau Rouge. It can appear on TV that the cars are cresting a hill, and it is not unheard of for cars to get very light here.
This is where Anthoine Hubert was killed in L'Ancienne Douanne means 'The old customs'. The old circuit went sharp left before Les Combes unlike the current circuit, which makes a fast left-right over the bridge. This section was removed in , but it was before the change actually saw use. A real jewel that is continuously adapting to the latest FIA safety standards. An historic Belgian monument as well known throughout the world as the Atomium or the Grand Place in Brussels.
Permanent for several years now, Spa-Francorchamps is today a real hub of tourist attractions and sporting events which hosts the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium, the 24 Hours of Spa, the WEC, but also all kinds of activities, national races and foreign championships, trials, track introductions, visits and incentives on a track that operates for 8 months each year.
The fan experience is part of its priorities and facilities are being constantly improved to better host the public and provide increasingly more efficient services. It will soon celebrate its centenary by means of an exhibition to be revealed in 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 by Jules de Thier and Henri Langlois Van Ophem, the original 14, 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 The current track has been modified on several occasions and henceforth is a permanent 7,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.
La Source, also called the hairpin Source corner, is the first difficulty to be broached following the start. Designed in a U shape, it is the slowest corner on the circuit. It draws its name from the various water sources in the region, particularly in the Spa area.
Anglophones allude to Eau Rouge and include the Raidillon without always naming it. Built in , the Raidillon literally the small steep road has a drop of approximately 40 metres, from the start of the curve to the exit from the bend.
It features a very impressive ramp which follows the descent of the cars after the hairpin of La Source. The sequence of movement, considered by numerous drivers as the most beautiful triple difficulty in the world, requires great mastery, not just to stay on the road, but also to approach the straight line leading to Combes at the highest possible speed. Anglophones allude to Eau Rouge and include the Raidillon without always naming it.
The Raidillon. Built in , the Raidillon literally the small steep road has a drop of approximately 40 metres, from the start of the curve to the exit from the bend.
The sequence of movement, considered by numerous drivers as the very best triple challenge in the world, requires great mastery, not just to stay on the road but also to approach the straight line leading to Combes at the highest possible speed. The Raidillon replaced the former tight bend of the old customs post with a shorter and faster design.
It has been altered several times. The centrifugal force exerted by it requires great adroitness and superb knowledge of the area. The Kemmel ascent leads from the Raidillon to the Combes corner via a long ribbon of tarmac characterised by a slope and a curve which is taken on easily to the max.
The highest instantaneous speed of the circuit is located at the end of the Kemmel climb. It works as a judge for numerous cycling races.
The chicane of Combes definition: small incised valley or gorge is a very technical part of the circuit. A quick right-left punch opens up the bend to the right which determines the speed at the moment of approaching the descent toward Bruxelles. Bruxelles is a bend curving to the right which seems to be never ending.
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