Spa-Francorchamps remains the most challenging venue on the Grand Prix calendar. A race circuit had been suggested at Spa as early as 1895 and the region had hosted the Circuit des Ardennes race at Bastogne. Spa-Francorchamps became a reality when Jules de Their designed a nine-mile course in 1921 using the narrow public roads from La Source, through Malmedy, onto the Masta straight, before passing between the houses at the fearsome Masta Kink. A hairpin at Stavelot led to an equally fast return leg to complete the lap. It became the venue for a 24-hour touring car race in 1924 and Belgian Grand Prix a year later. Jim Clark scored his first GP victory here in 1962 at the start of four Belgian GP victories in succession.
When the circuit was shortened for the 1979 24-hour race, there were worries that Spa-Francorchamps would be a shadow of its former self. But the new section was designed to match the character of the original. The old course, from the start at La Source through Eau Rouge and up the hill to Les Combes remains. A new link road was built across the valley to re-join the old circuit on the blast back to La Source.
Eau Rouge is considered by many to be the most demanding corner in Grand Prix racing, although it is now taken flat. The weather in the area is notoriously fickle, often raining at one corner while dry at another. The safety issues raised by all of these factors led to the closing of the old circuit in the early 1970s. Richard Seaman had been killed while leading the 1939 Belgian GP and separate accidents claimed the lives of Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey during the 1960 race. Although safety has improved immeasurably with run-off and modern facilities, the deaths of Stefan Bellof during the 1985 sports car race, Formula 2 driver Antoine Hubert in 2019 and Dilano van’t Hoff in a Formula Regional race four years later are reminders of the dangers of any fast road course.
