Seven kilometres through the forest
Spa-Francorchamps runs through the hills of the Ardennes in eastern Belgium, near the towns of Spa and Francorchamps. The first races here used a triangle of public roads about 15 km long. The modern layout, opened in 1979, keeps the best of that old circuit in a lap of about 7 km, still the longest of the season.
Its length brings its own weather. Rain can fall on one part of the lap while another stays dry, and races here have been turned upside down by a single shower.
Corner by corner
- La Source. A tight hairpin just after the start, and a classic place for first-lap trouble.
- Eau Rouge and Raidillon. The famous dip and steep climb: a left, a right and a left again, taken flat out by the bravest, with the car going light over the crest.
- Kemmel Straight. A long uphill run where slipstreaming rivals line up to pass.
- Les Combes. A right-left chicane at the end of the straight, the main overtaking spot.
- Pouhon. A fast, sweeping double left-hander that drops downhill.
- Blanchimont. A very fast left-hander near the end of the lap.
- The final chicane. A slow right-left before the run back to the line.
How to be fast here
Spa is a mix of very fast corners and a few heavy stops. Carry speed through Eau Rouge and Pouhon, brake hard and straight for Les Combes and the final chicane, and remember that one mistake costs more here than anywhere because the lap is so long.
Race it on Late Brake
Late Brake's Spa-Francorchamps follows the real circuit's shape at true scale, run clockwise like the real thing. Set a lap and race your own ghost, take on up to three AI rivals, or race friends online, free in your browser. Beat the medal times above to unlock new car colours.