Spa circuit: How safety and speed shaped an F1 classic

Few racing circuits in the world command the respect and reverence of Spa-Francorchamps.

Nestled in the forests of the Ardennes, the Belgian Grand Prix venue is a living monument to motor sport’s raw past. From its terrifying pre-war origins to its status today as one of the last old-school tracks on the Formula 1 calendar, Spa’s story is shaped by danger and drama.

Its origins trace back to 1920 when two men designed a nearly 9.5 mile triangular-shaped track by linking public roads between Francorchamps, Malmedy, and Stavelot.

The first planned car race in 1921 did not happen because only a single car entered; instead, motorcycles inaugurated the venue the following year.

By 1924, the circuit hosted its first 24 Hours of Francorchamps, quickly establishing itself on the global motor sport map.

Origins and early layout

Spa was conceived in 1920 by journalist Jules de Thier and racing driver Henri Langlois Van Ophem.

Their plan was to create a fast and challenging course using public roads that linked the three towns mentioned above. The original triangle-shaped circuit was a massive 14.981km (9.3 miles) long and made entirely of public roads, combining high-speed straights with blind corners through forests and countryside.

The inaugural car race was scheduled for August 1921, but despite full preparations, enthusiasm among competitors was low: only one driver registered, so the race never happened. To save the meeting, they replaced it with a motorcycle race, which was held successfully instead.

The following year, Spa finally hosted its first car race, an event organised by the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium that took place over a demanding 600km distance under the name Grand Prix of the RACB.

Baron Raymond de Tornaco and Barthélémy won the race driving an Impéria-Abadal.

In 1925, the first Belgian Grand Prix was held at Spa. The race was contested on the original 9.3 mile road circuit in the Ardennes, covering a distance of 54 laps (about 500 miles/800km).

Over the following decades, Spa quickly earned a reputation for being both beautiful and brutal.

It demanded courage and skill, particularly through corners like Malmedy, Stavelot, and the original Masta Kink, a flat-out bend between trees and stone houses later labelled “by far the most difficult corner in the world” by Jackie Stewart.

The first major change to the layout came in 1939, with the construction of the iconic Raidillon corner.

Seeking to increase the circuit’s speed and create a bigger challenge, the section was reprofiled, introducing a sweeping left-right combination that climbed steeply out of Eau Rouge and up the hill, now known as Eau Rouge-Raidillon.

The sequence quickly became one of the most daunting and celebrated stretches in motor sport, and continues to be the case to this day.

Mounting risks

After World War II, Spa became a mainstay of F1 from its inception in 1950. The layout remained largely unchanged but became even faster with improvements to road surfaces. Cars reached incredible speeds, and drivers raced with little to no protection from barriers or run-off areas.

By the 1960s, average lap speeds topped 150mph (240km/h), with most corners taken at extremely high speed and almost no run-off areas.

Any mistake was likely to result in contact with trees, telephone poles, farmhouses, ditches, or barbed wire that stood dangerously close to the edge of the tarmac.

Several drivers lost their lives in this era, with Spa earning a reputation as one of the most perilous circuits in the world.

The most notorious year was 1960, when, during the Belgian Grand Prix, Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey were both killed in separate incidents within minutes; Stirling Moss and Mike Taylor were also seriously injured in practice accidents that weekend.

The only substantial change to the layout before 1970 was the reintroduction of the Malmedy Chicane for specific events in the late 1960s in an attempt to slow the cars down, but the overall risk remained unchanged.

In 1969, the drivers boycotted the race entirely. The following year, Jackie Stewart called for Spa to be removed from the calendar unless major safety improvements were made.

For the 1970 race, some barriers and a temporary chicane were added, but the circuit remained extraordinarily fast and dangerous, and F1 would not return to Spa in its original form after that year until a much-shortened, safer layout was created in 1979.

A new Spa

After Spa disappeared from the F1 calendar for over a decade, a safer, shorter version of the circuit was built, retaining some of its character but significantly reducing the risks. The track was shortened from 8.76 miles (14.1km) to 4.32 miles (6.947km).

A new, permanent section of track was constructed to link Les Combes to just before Blanchimont, bypassing the Masta straight, Burnenville, and the run through Stavelot village, which made the circuit so dangerous.

Other corners were reprofiled, and the new circuit integrated a modern pitlane, Armco barriers, and run-off areas.

Key features such as Eau Rouge/Raidillon and Blanchimont were preserved, ensuring the circuit maintained its unique character.

The reduction in length allowed for improved safety, with marshals and medical staff able to cover the entire circuit.

The Spa 24 Hours became the first major event hosted on the revised layout.

In 1981, the start/finish line was moved to its current location before La Source.

Formula 1 returned to Spa in 1983, after the Belgian GP had been hosted by Zolder and Circuit Nivelles-Baulers since losing its spot on the calendar.

In 1994, following the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at Imola, Spa added a chicane at the Bus Stop and revised barriers at Raidillon.

Recent developments

By the mid-2000s, Spa faced increasing demands for modernisation and higher safety standards.

After a brief absence from the F1 calendar in 2006 due to financial and infrastructural issues, the circuit underwent a substantial redevelopment for the 2007 season, aimed at updating its paddock, improving driver and spectator safety, and securing the venue’s future.

A new pit complex and paddock were built, while the start/finish straight was extended almost twofold by moving the La Source hairpin further uphill and shifting the Bus Stop chicane back towards Blanchimont.

This created space for the new pitlane and allowed the installation of larger grandstands.

The changes allowed for far better emergency access, enhanced run-off areas, and reduced the dangers associated with cramped pitlanes and crowded start procedures.

Parts of the old track were finally closed to public traffic, making Spa a fully permanent racing circuit for the first time in its history.

Between 2022 and 2023, Spa underwent the most significant safety and infrastructure overhaul since its 21st-century redevelopments.

The updates were driven by the need for enhanced safety after several high-profile accidents.

Raidillon and Eau Rouge were extensively reprofiled. Gravel traps were reintroduced and expanded at multiple corners – La Source, Les Combes, Pouhon, Stavelot, and Blanchimont – to slow down out-of-control vehicles more effectively than tarmac run-offs.

Spa’s current layout measures 7.004 km, making it the longest circuit on the F1 calendar, and it remains one of the drivers’ and fans’ favourite tracks.

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