All you need to know about the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

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Following a short break away from the track, the 2026 season continues this weekend with Round 10 – the Belgian Grand Prix. But how much do you know about the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps? F1.com has your all-in-one guide… Although the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is a historic track, having hosted races in the early years of the Formula 1 World Championship, it hasn’t always been the venue for the Belgian Grand Prix. Spa featured in the sport’s inaugural 1950 season and became the site of fantastic battles, but also significant tragedies. Safety concerns grew over time and it was deemed too fast and dangerous, so the Belgian organisers opted to alternate the race between Zolder and Nivelles-Baulers. After some major modifications to the circuit, Spa returned as a fixture on the calendar in 1983 and has largely remained there since, with the exception of 1984 (the last to be held at Zolder), 2003 (when tobacco advertising laws meant Belgium couldn’t host a race) and 2006 (further repair work was required for the next season). It’s undergone plenty of changes over the decades, but its legendary climb from Eau Rouge through Raidillon, challenging chicanes, high speeds and unpredictable weather ensure that it’s still a firm favourite amongst drivers and spectators alike. It’s now half the length of the original layout, but Spa is the longest circuit on the current calendar and certainly packs a punch over seven kilometres. The expansive nature means that each part rewards different set-ups, so teams have to try and find a balance between nailing the long straights and optimising the demanding, twisty middle sector. Add in the elevation changes and often high risk of rain, and you’ve got an exhilarating lap. Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver, adds: “Spa is a really nice, flowing circuit. It’s always a trade-off between downforce levels. Do you go low downforce for the first and third sector? Or do you put on some downforce for the middle part of the lap? “You’ve also got to think about how raceable you want your car to be on Sunday, because if you prioritise the middle part of the lap, it can help you in Qualifying on Saturday, but you might be a sitting duck on the straights. “The start of the Grand Prix is always crucial. Being on pole is not necessarily the magic bullet here given that you can get out-dragged along the lengthy Kemmel Straight towards Les Combes on Lap 1. “It’s the longest lap on the calendar in terms of distance and it feels it as well. You’re going a long way away up the hill to Les Combes, and then that’s where your flow starts for the lap, through the right-left-right down the hill. “Probably the biggest challenge, or the most exhilarating part, is Pouhon, which is flat or right on the edge of it in the current-spec cars. But again, in race conditions, it can be a little bit trickier. “Then you need to get your braking right for the Bus Stop, which is the easiest place to mess up the lap. You think you’re a hero and then you just overcook it on the brakes for the final corner and the whole thing goes to pot. You can’t be cautious either. It’s the one that can make or break your lap.” The start of the Grand Prix is always crucial. Being on pole is not necessarily the magic bullet here.Jolyon PalmerWhere are the Straight Mode zones and Overtake Detection? As a reminder, and as explained in our pre-season summary of regulation changes, Straight Mode is a different aerodynamic configuration that allows cars to reduce their drag, making them more efficient when accelerating up towards top speed. The rear wing continues to open up a gap – just like it did when drivers used DRS (the Drag Reduction System) in the past – but now the front wing also moves. The uppermost front wing elements drop down at the same time the rear wing’s top element does. This is a mode that is used on every single lap in dry conditions, in every area that is designated for it. Essentially, the car will adapt between two different configurations depending on where it is on the track, providing maximum downforce in corners but then less drag on straights. In Belgium, there are five designated Straight Mode zones, beginning with the short run down the start/finish straight, then between Turns 2 and 3, between Turns 4 and 5 (known as the Kemmel Straight), between Turns 15 and 16, and finally between Turns 17 and 18. Meanwhile, Overtake Mode replaces DRS and is a new power mode that allows a driver to recharge more electrical energy, and generate an additional electrical power profile, so they can sustain a higher speed for a longer period. There is one detection point per lap for this mode – expected to be out of the final corner on many occasions, leading onto a long straight – and it will be available to drivers on the following lap as long as they stay within a second of the car in front at that detection point. Around the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the Overtake Detection point comes at the final corner, Turn 19, while the Overtake Activation line follows at the exit to lead onto the start/finish straight. 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