Spa Francorchamps, Belgium’s oldest and most famous circuit, hosted the first Belgian Grand Prix in 1950 and went on to do so through to 1970. The long high speed track was the brainchild of Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem, using the three main roads that linked the Ardennes towns of Malmedy, Stavelot and Francorchamps.
At almost fourteen kilometres in length, the triangular track was one of the longest on the calendar, as well as being one of the most demanding, with its interminable straights. In the second half of the 60s, the layout was modified as much as was possible, given it used public roads, to meet new safety standards, however, it was still deemed too dangerous given the ever increasing speed of the cars through the corners, thanks to the advent of wings, so the event was switched, first to Nivelles, which staged the race twice and then to Zolder for ten years.
Not until 1983 did the Grand Prix return to Spa, after it had been modernised to make it safer, albeit slower and shorter. The new semi-permanent track measured around seven kilometres, still using sections of public road, from Blanchimont corner to the Kemmel straight, along with the old La Source hairpin and a new permanent section which linked the two remaining extremities of the old layout. The double chicane was added, going by the name of Bus Stop and new pits were built just after this final corner, to conform with regulations requiring a level area for the garages. Over the years, other changes have been introduced, at the chicane, to the run-off areas and, thanks to a new road built around the circuit, it is no longer used by normal traffic, so it is effectively a permanent track. Despite all these changes, Spa is still one of the most spectacular venues on the calendar, with corners such as Eau Rouge, a theoretically flat-out left-right kink on the way up a hill and named after the stream that runs nearby and of course the unpredictable weather always has to have it say.