The Iconic Corners, Chicanes, and Stretches of Spa-Francorchamps

Published in

Formula One Forever

10 min readJul 26, 2024

A Deep Dive into the Corners, Chicanes, and Stretches of Spa-Francorchamps

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, nestled in the Ardennes forest of Belgium, is one of the most beautiful and adventurous tracks in Formula 1

It is one of the most awe-inspiring race tracks in the world, that has witnessed some of the greatest moments in the history of the sport.

Seven spectacular kilometres that wend their way on roads that climb and drop through the forests of the Ardennes, making the location even more magical, but ready to catch out the drivers at every turn.

Originally designed to be a 14 km race track connecting three towns — Francorchamos, Melmady, and Stavelot, it formed a triangle-shaped road circuit. The track is famous for its iconic corners, chicanes and long straights — all adding up to a thrilling and dangerous drive for F1 drivers.

Eau Rouge, Raidillon, La Source, Kemmel, Stavelot and Malmedy are just some of the names that have made the venue for the Belgian Grand Prix famous around the world.

Each corner, chicane and long straight has a story behind it.

La Source

Description:

The hairpin gets its name from the multiple water sources in the region.

Being the first corner after the start/finish line, it often sees a lot of action and can be the scene of early race incidents. Due to its tight nature, La Source is a prime location for overtaking maneuvers, especially at the start of the race.

A good exit from La Source is essential for carrying speed through the famous Eau Rouge and Raidillon complex.

Speeds and Gear Ratios:

Entry Speed (La Source): ~150 km/h (3rd gear)
Exit Speed (Eau Rouge): ~80 km/h (2nd gear)
G-Forces: Up to 3g

Eau Rouge and Raidillon

Description:

Eau Rouge (“red water” in French) and Raidillon (“steep path” in French) are perhaps the most famous sections of this track. The Radillon name is fitting given the corner’s steep gradient (17%) and elevation change of 40.8 meters (134 feet).

Formula 1 cars usually take this corner at nearly 300 km/h.

The corner is often mistakenly referred to as Eau Rouge, which is actually the name of the stream that flows under the track at the bottom of the hill. The correct name for the steep uphill right-hander is Raidillon.

L’Eau Rouge is a 15 km long stream that runs through the region and under the track (you can see it in the above map of the circuit) at the foot of the Raidillon and then meanders through the site, between the paddocks and the entrance to Blanchimont.

English speakers refer to Eau Rouge with inference to the Raidillon without always saying it. This stream is a tributary of the Amblève, which served as a border between the Roman and German empires, and later between Belgium and Germany.

This sequence begins with a sharp descent into the left-hand Eau Rouge corner, followed by a steep uphill climb through the right-left-right Raidillon complex.

The Raidillon was introduced in 1939 to make the circuit faster by cutting off the old l’Ancienne Douane hairpin. This change has made it one of the most beloved and feared corners in the world.

Speeds and Gear Ratios:

Entry Speed (Eau Rouge): ~180 km/h (4th gear)
Exit Speed (Raidillon): ~310 km/h (8th gear)
G-Forces: Up to 5g

This section requires immense precision and bravery, as drivers must navigate the compression and rapid elevation change while maintaining as much speed as possible.

The sight of F1 cars heading through this section is something to behold. But it is rare that cars can overtake when changing direction blindly at such speed. Mark Webber made that happen in 2011, launching around the outside of Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari

On the old track, Eau Rouge was only the 2nd most scariest corner at Spa. The 1st one was Masta. See it to believe it

Kemmel Straight

Following Raidillon, drivers blast onto the Kemmel Straight, one of the longest straights in Formula 1. This is a prime overtaking spot, thanks to the high speeds and the DRS (Drag Reduction System) zone.

It is is named after the nearby Kemmelberg, a hill in the region

Speeds and Gear Ratios:

Top Speed: ~340 km/h (8th gear)

Cars reach their maximum velocity here, making it a crucial section for setting up overtaking maneuvers into the next corner.

Les Combes

Les Combes is a chicane at the end of the Kemmel Straight, composed of a right-left-right combination. It’s a key overtaking spot, especially given the high-speed entry from the straight.

Les Combes is also the name of a hamlet close by to the circuit.

Speeds and Gear Ratios:

Entry Speed: ~310 km/h (8th gear)
Mid-corner Speed: ~140 km/h (3rd gear)
Exit Speed: ~200 km/h (4th gear)

Braking from top speed down to the tight chicane requires precision and strong braking performance.

Mika Hakkinen produced one of the most stunning overtakes of the 21st Century in 2000, when he passed Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari for the lead of the Belgian Grand Prix on the run up to Les Combes. Hakkinen used Ricardo Zonta’s BAR — which the pair were coming up to lap — to full effect and passed both backmarker and Schumacher in one move.

Malmedy

The right turn that takes the drivers further into the heart of the Ardennes takes its name from the nearby City of Malmedy.

The city is full of protected heritage sites, dating back centuries, and now is home to just 12,000 people.

The city is also sadly known for the single worst massacre of Allied troops in Europe during World War II. During the Battle of the Bulge, an American unit surrendered only to be gunned down and looted in a field near Malmédy, Belgium.

The exact number killed has never been determined, but the “official” count was at least 86.

Men of Kampfgruppe Peiper pause to consult a map and road signs during the opening hours of the unit’s attack. The officer has often been misidentified as Peiper in this captured war photo. SS Lieutenant Colonel Joachim Peiper was commander of the battle group that massacred U.S. troops near Malmédy, Belgium.

Speeds and Gear Ratios:

Entry Speed: ~290 km/h (8th gear)
Mid-Corner Speed: ~ 220 km/h (5th gear)
Exit Speed: ~240 km/h (5th gear)

Bruxelles/Rivage

Rivage gets its name from a village that sits nearby to the corner itself. To the driver, the long right-hander feels like it goes on forever and can be particularly treacherous to negotiate in the wet.

In recent years, the corner has adopted the name Brussels, after Belgium’s capital.

Speeds and Gear Ratios:

Entry Speed: ~220 km/h (5th gear)
Mid-corner Speed: ~80 km/h (2nd gear)
Exit Speed: ~120 km/h (3rd gear)

Pouhon

Pouhon is a fast, double-apex left-hander that is challenging due to its downhill entry and high-speed nature.

Pouhon takes its name from a naturally sparking ferruginous mineral that appears in the region and gives Spa its name. The word ‘Pouhon’ means ‘the place where water is drawn from’ in French.

Speeds and Gear Ratios:

Entry Speed: ~290 km/h (7th gear)
Mid-corner Speed: ~260 km/h (6th gear)
Exit Speed: ~270 km/h (6th gear)
G-Forces: Up to 4.5g

Pouhon demands smooth steering inputs and precise throttle control to maintain high speeds through the long corner.

Campus (Stavelot)

The Campus section includes a tight right-hander followed by a medium-speed left-hand corner. This leads drivers back towards the high-speed stretches of the circuit.

Campus is named after the Campus Automobile University, located close to the corner. It was previously named after the nearby town of Stavelot.

Speeds and Gear Ratios:

Entry Speed: ~220 km/h (5th gear)
Mid-corner Speed: ~110 km/h (3rd gear)
Exit Speed: ~230 km/h (5th gear)

This section tests the car’s agility and balance, especially under braking and acceleration transitions.

Blanchimont

Blanchimont is a fast left-hand kink that drivers take nearly flat out. It leads into the Bus Stop chicane and requires total commitment. You are practically in 8th gear all through this at speeds of over 300km/h

Blanchimont takes its name from the slightly calmer-sounding surroundings of a farm that sits adjacent to the track.

Speeds and Gear Ratios:

Entry Speed: ~320 km/h (8th gear)
Mid-corner Speed: ~300 km/h (8th gear)
Exit Speed: ~310 km/h (8th gear)

Navigating Blanchimont at such high speeds demands high downforce and stability from the car.

The Bus Stop Chicane

The Bus Stop Chicane is the final complex of corners before the start/finish straight. It is a tight right-left chicane that slows the cars down significantly.

It is named after the “bus stop” that stood on the previous layout of the track. Before being redesigned for the 2007 Grand Prix, the final section of track at Spa was public road on non-race weekends.

Speeds and Gear Ratios:

Entry Speed: ~320 km/h (8th gear)
Mid-corner Speed: ~70 km/h (2nd gear)
Exit Speed: ~150 km/h (4th gear)

This section is crucial for setting up a good lap time, as a clean exit onto the start/finish straight is essential.

Interesting Facts About The Track

Track Specifications

Length: 7.004 kilometers (4.352 miles)
Number of Turns: 19 (9 right, 10 left)
Elevation Change: Approximately 100 meters (328 feet)
Lap Record (Race): 1:46.286 by Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes, 2018)
Lap Record (Qualifying): 1:41.252 by Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes, 2020)

Corner Specifics

Eau Rouge and Raidillon Gradient: 17%
Blanchimont Corner Speed: Up to 310 km/h (193 mph)
Pouhon Corner Speed: Approximately 260–270 km/h (162–168 mph)

History

First Race: 1921 (Motorbike)
First Grand Prix: 1925
First F1 Grand Prix: 1950
Most Wins by a Driver: Michael Schumacher (6 wins)
Most Wins by a Constructor: Ferrari (18 wins)

Speed and G-Force

Top Speed on Kemmel Straight: ~340 km/h (211 mph)
G-Forces at Eau Rouge: Up to 5g
G-Forces at Pouhon: Up to 4.5g

The lap record of the old triangle-shaped track is 3 minutes and 13.4 seconds, held by the French driver Henri Pescarolo, driving a Matra at the 1973 Spa 1000 km World Sportscar Championship race at an average speed of 262 kmph (163 mph),

However, the fastest ever recorded time of the circuit was the pole position time for the very same race — 3 minutes and 12.7 seconds by Jacky Ickx in a Ferrari 312PB.

Be the first one to receive exclusive and fascinating Formula 1 stories as soon as those are published

If you liked reading this story, you might like these too.

⭐ The Faces Behind The Voices Who Deliver The Best F1 Commentary

⭐Data: The Unseen Driver in Formula 1 Cars

⭐The Return of Sebastian Vettel? : A Shake-Up in the F1 Transfer Market

⭐The Nerve Center of an F1 Car — The Complex & Beautiful Steering Wheel

⭐The AI Takeover: Track Limits in F1 Get High-Tech Treatment

⭐The Future of Formula 1 Advertising: Dynamic Branding Technology

⭐Unforgettable Donington Park: Senna’s Lap Of The Gods

⭐The Untold Story of Fascinating Women Drivers in Formula 1

⭐The High-Octane Fitness Regime of Formula 1 Drivers

⭐How Engine Penalties Are Applied in Formula 1?