F1
A unique guide on how to conquer the much-loved Belgian Grand Prix circuit.
The Belgian Grand Prix circuit, Spa-Francorchamps, is one of the most demanding tracks in the world and is loved by both fans and drivers.
But what does it take to win a race there? We discover how to take victory at Spa.
Make it past turn one
It may seem obvious, but Turn 1, La Source, is notoriously difficult at Spa. With such a heavy braking zone, the corner has seen its fair share of incidents over the year.
In 2012, Romain Grosjean received a one race ban, after taking out Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in a huge shunt.
However, the most famous incident occurred in 1998, when David Coulthard dropped his McLaren on the exit and took out almost the entire field with him.
Be a rain master
Spa-Francorchamps is famous for its weather, in fact, it’s almost guaranteed to rain at some point during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.
With the circuit being so long – over seven kilometres – it can often rain on some parts of the track but not others, which means tyre choice can become extremely difficult.
But be careful when lapping
Rain also means severely reduced visibility, something Michael Schumacher suffered from in the 1998 race
Schumacher was well clear of his rivals but when coming up to lap Coulthard, but his Ferrari ploughed into the back of the Scot's McLaren. In addition to losing a wheel, the seven-times World Champion lost almost certain race victory.
The accident then handed the advantage to the Jordan Honda pairing of Ralf Schumacher and Damon Hill. Hill took his first victory since his 1996 championship year, and also the first win for the Jordan team.
However, it wasn't without controversy, as Ralf was ordered to give way to the British driver, despite leading...
Stay on track
Some say Formula 1 isn’t strict enough on track limits these days, but try saying that to Lewis Hamilton, who controversially had his Belgian Grand Prix victory stripped away from him in 2008.
The Brit passed Kimi Räikkönen for the victory in the closing stages of the race, but the stewards deemed he gained an advantage after going off track the previous corner.
Hamilton was given a 25-second penalty, dropping him back to third and, to add insult to injury, it gifted victory to his title rival, Felipe Massa.
Be brave
On such a high-speed track, you’ve got to be seriously brave when making your overtakes. Just ask Mark Webber, who pulled off a breathtaking overtaking move on Fernando Alonso up Eau Rouge in 2011.
Another famous pass was Mika Häkkinen on Michael Schumacher, the title rivals going either side of backmarker Ricardo Zonta at 300kph and the Finn coming out on top in one of Formula One’s greatest overtaking manoeuvres.
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