Last of the Classics... (Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Belgium)

Member Name: MichaelR

Product:	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Belgium
Date:	11/02/01 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Every type of corner. Changeable weather makes for great racing.

Disadvantages: Isolated and difficult to get to. Long distance to walk on foot.

Spa-Francorchamps... the very name sends tingles down the spine of fans and drivers alike.

4.329 miles (or 6.967 Kilometres if you prefer) of pure racing heaven... it truly is the last of the great drivers circuits, sure, some of the classic Grands Prix still exist, such as those at Monte-Carlo and Monza, but apart from Monte-Carlo, this is the only track that's left that hasn't been carved up and destroyed in the name of safety.

There was a time when Spa-Francorchamps was an 8.76 mile section of country roads... but it has been shortened since then to it's current layout - still one of the longest in Formula One - and now includes some dedicated racetrack as well as the sections of public roads. It hasn't lost any of its character or drivability though, and all the great corners are still there.

Spa contains some of the most challenging and most breathtaking corners anywhere in the world... Eau Rouge possibly being the most famous and most daunting... a downhill plunge followed by an uphill left-right flick that is taken close to flat-out. (If your name's Jacques Villeneuve then it IS taken flat-out!) The change in elevation through this corner is tremendous. It looks steep on TV, but believe me, until you have actually been there, and sat at the top of the hill looking down, you can't really appreciate how steep it is.

The severity of the corner is also much greater than it appears on TV, it really does sweep back on itself - more so than may appear to be the case on TV.

The other famous corner is Blanchimont... a very, very scary long radius corner that is taken flat, leading up to the short braking zone into the equally famous Bus Stop chicane.

I could sit here and describe every corner on this circuit... the tight first corner - La Source hairpin, where you have to brake so hard the car almost comes to a stop... the Bus Stop, Radillion, Stavelot, there just isn't a corner on this
circuit that you can criticise.

This track really does have everything, long corners, short corners, fast corners, slow corners, sweeping changes in elevation...

The best thing is that it all seems so smooth and natural, and a fair part of the track still consists of public roads, which means that when the Grand Prix's not on, you can go and drive on part of it!

The way that this track just winds around the beautiful Ardennes countryside, hugging the contours of the landscape is just amazing... it just fits so well into its surroundings. Nothing about it seems artificial.

The fact that it is in the Ardennes also means that it has some really changeable weather - which always makes for exciting racing. You can be almost certain that when you go to Spa, there will be some rain at some point during the race, and what's more, it can be soaking on one part of the circuit, and bone-dry on another.

This place really does bring the best out of the drivers, and they love it!

I just cannot praise this circuit highly enough. It is my favourite, ahead of Suzuka, which is another great circuit, and I have visited it twice so far.

It's very cheap to visit too. There are plenty of cheap ferry crossings available to Belgium, and a number of cheap coach fares can get you fairly close to the circuit, and in some case right up to the gates. (Although expect this to be more expensive - like any GP you visit, there will be people looking to exploit fans)

There is also plenty of cheap camping on-site and close by, which I recommend, as the circuit is isolated to say the least, and the nearest hotels are some distance from the circuit, and almost impossible to get into, such is demand.

Besides - if you're staying at the track, then you can get the best viewing spots on Saturday and Sunday before everyone else arrives! (I recommend either the entry to Bus Stop or the top of Eau Rouge - but th
ese are both popular spots, so you do have to get up early!)

This is the best circuit on the calendar - no doubt about it, and I hope that politics will prevent it from being removed, as it really is the last of the great drivers circuits... and I would recommend that everyone goes to see it for themselves first hand... it's even better than it looks on TV!

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