Address: Belgium, between the towns of Spa and Francorchamps
First Grand Prix: 1950 year
Creator: Jules de Triet
Coordinates: 50 ° 26'39.8 "N 5 ° 57'59.3" E
Content:
Short description
For car races that took place at the beginning of the last century, suitable roads between settlements were usually used. The first idea to hold the competition in 1921 on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, connecting three Belgian settlements, was proposed by the manager of one of the popular newspapers Jules de Thiers.
Bend view of Eau Rouge - "Red Water"
He was supported by the sports functionary of the Royal Belgian Automobile Club, Henry van Opem. The track was named after one of the villages - Francorchamps. The spa mud resort was located very close to it. It was always popular among travelers, so race organizers could safely count on a large number of spectators.
This was also facilitated by the picturesque area in the adjacent territory. In turn, the track in the form of a closed triangle contained three high-speed lines and was interesting for the athletes themselves. To the disappointment of the organizers of the competition in 1921, only one professional applied for participation, so the race had to be canceled.
Start straight
A year after their debut at Le Mans (in 1924), the racers competed at the 24 Hours of Francorchamps. In 1925, on this Belgian track, the pilots fought for the European Grand Prix in single cars. After this competition, the stage in Belgium always gathered the fastest riders, so the organizers of Formula 1 included one of the best tracks of that time in their calendar. The legendary Fangio in 1950 was the first after 35 laps at the Belgian Grand Prix. Accidents often happened on the 14-kilometer route, and the lack of communication did not allow quickly providing assistance to the pilots. Safety concerns led Spa-Francorchamps to be dropped from the Royal Races calendar in 1972... For its reconstruction they took seriously, and at this time the pilots performed at the Nevel-Bowlers and Zolder circuit.
Track infrastructure
Features of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit
After a series of works, the route became shorter, the length of the ring was about 7 kilometers. Despite this, the presence of high-speed turns and elevation changes made it possible to preserve its character: there are no boring competitions on the Spa-Francorchamps track. In addition, the unstable climate means that a race that started on dry pavement can continue unexpectedly in the rain.
However, the stage in Belgium, first of all, is interesting for a bunch of turns called "Eau Rouge", which appeared after the reconstruction of the track. To be precise, only the left turn is officially called this way, but fans and experts mean all three by this name. By the way, Eau Rouge means “Red River” in Russian.
View of the Eau Rouge from the spectator stand
The entrance to the first turn takes place on the descent, where the car accelerates strongly. This is followed by a sharp change in direction of rotation and rise at the same time. The enormous speed of the car leads to the fact that the centrifugal force first pushes the pilot into the seat, and then at the top of the hill he practically loses control of the car, which is trying to get off the track. Sometimes it actually happens, accidents on the track "Formula 1" Spa-Francorchamps have long become commonplace. The pilot enters the last turn blindly: he sees nothing behind the ridge of the hill. This is repeated many times over the entire race. It is very important to pass "O Rouge" accurately.
Turn Eighth Rivage
This is quite possible without reducing the speed, which is what many pilots are trying to do. Immediately after three corners, a high-speed line begins, where you can overtake an opponent on the move, who slowed down on the "O Rouge". The desperate Jacques Villeneuve and other pilots of that time were one of the first to pass the Eau Rouge at maximum speed.
Circuit Spa-Francorchamps: a pleasure for pilots and an enchanting sight
It's no secret that many famous racers love to compete in the Spa-Francorchamps. They remember for a long time the sensations they experience with the Red Water link... They get even more pleasure when they manage to pass the turns without mistakes. Every athlete needs to show willpower, it is not so easy to overcome the instinct that makes you slow down. Now many people succeed in this, especially after a small reconstruction of the track in 2002.
Pit lane view, straight start-finish line, first turn La Source, turn "Red Water" from a bird's eye view
Then the "Radillon" turn was corrected and it became a little easier to pass the bunch. The pilot, however, is required to maximize concentration and accuracy. Severe accidents with Formula 1 cars and cars taking part in other races took place on this site several times. Despite this, the Eau Rouge is so popular among pilots and spectators that it was practically copied one-on-one during the construction of a new route in Turkey.
Special settings are required for the cars in which the pilots are fighting for the legendary Belgian Grand Prix. During this race, in the first place, you cannot be mistaken with the choice of tires, it can be worth the wasted seconds on the circle. The outcome of the struggle is greatly influenced by the weather, which, as mentioned above, can change at any time: the strategy of pit stops strongly depends on it. In 2005, the Toyota team, for example, switched from rain tires to dry tires too early. Because of this, she missed the victory at the main stage. The result of any race at Spa-Francorchamps is unpredictable, for which many people love it.
Ayrton Senna Memorial
Local residents were always annoyed by the loud noise from the speeding fireballs, because of this, the administration constantly received complaints. In 2009, the owners of the track even decided to revoke the license for 17 years! However, this, fortunately, did not happen. The authorities were convinced: there are no more complaints, and all the problems associated with high noise levels have been resolved.
