Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The circuit most UK drivers travel for. Long, fast, hugely undulating and set in the Ardennes forest, where weather can differ from one end of the lap to the other.
- Length
- 7.004 km
- 4.35 miles
- Direction
- Clockwise
- 19 corners
- Noise limit
- 100
- check with operator
- Elevation
- 401 m
- above sea level
Live conditions
Live weather is temporarily unavailable. The circuit guide and observed rain radar are still available.
Rain forecast & radar
forecast: next 24h · radar: past 2h (observed)Rain forecast — next 12h
Forecast data is temporarily unavailable. Please try again shortly.
Forecast rain map — play the loop to see where the model expects rain over the next 24 hours around the circuit.
Observed rain radar — which way the rain has actually been moving. A dry paddock doesn't mean a dry apex.
Track map
Grand Prix · Clockwise · 19 corners- 01La Source
- 02Eau Rouge
- 04Raidillon
- 05Les Combes
- 06Malmedy
- 08Bruxelles (Rivage)
- 10Pouhon
- 12Fagnes
- 14Stavelot
- 15Courbe Paul Frère
- 17Blanchimont
- 18Bus Stop chicane
Outline traced from surveyed map data (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Corner markers are indicative — not a substitute for the circuit's own briefing map.
Spa runs a single full-time configuration — the 7 km GP lap that has barely changed in decades.
What's on
Track days
- Mar–Nov
Open pitlane and sessioned car track days
Various European operators
- Selected dates
UK-organised trips including ferry/tunnel packages
Various operators
Race meetings
- Summer
Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix
FIA / Spa
- Summer
CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa
SRO
- Spring & autumn
Endurance and historic meetings
FIA WEC / Spa Classic
Curated by hand and shown as typical timing rather than confirmed dates. Always check the operator's or organising club's own calendar before booking travel.
Key info
- Noise limit
- 100 dB(A) drive-by on most open pitlane days — strictly enforced
- Elevation notes
- Over 100 metres of elevation change. Eau Rouge/Raidillon climbs steeply and compresses hard at the bottom; the run down through Pouhon and Fagnes is a descending, loading-up section where the car feels light over the crests.
Known tricky sections
- Eau Rouge / Raidillon
Compression at the bottom then a blind, uphill left-right. Nothing visible over the crest until you're committed — build up gradually.
- Pouhon
Fast double-apex left taken downhill. Entry speed is easy to overcook and the exit runs out quickly.
- Blanchimont
Flat-out kink for quick cars; a genuine corner in slower ones. Off here is high consequence.
- Micro-climate
The circuit is long enough to be wet at Stavelot and dry at La Source at the same time. Never trust the paddock sky.
Nearby amenities
- Fuel
Circuit fuel station (paddock)
98/102 RON available inside the circuit on event days — card only.
- Fuel
Q8 Francorchamps
2 minutes from the main gate on the N62.
- Food
Paddock brasseries
Several outlets around the pit complex; the Eau Rouge terrace has the best view.
- Food
Malmedy town centre
10 minutes away, plenty of restaurants open late for evening arrivals.
- Accommodation
Hotel de la Source, Francorchamps
Walking distance from the circuit, popular with UK trackday groups.
- Accommodation
Malmedy / Stavelot guesthouses
Best value base, 10–15 minutes out. Book early for big event weekends.
Travelling from the UK
Nearest airports
Liège (LGG) ~45 min; Brussels (BRU) ~1h30; Cologne/Bonn (CGN) ~1h30. Maastricht (MST) is a useful smaller alternative.
Typical routes
- Eurotunnel Folkestone–Calais, then E40 via Brussels and Liège — roughly 3h15 from Calais.
- DFDS/P&O Dover–Calais ferry, same road route, cheaper but slower door to door.
- Overnight Hull–Rotterdam (P&O) if you're towing and want to arrive fresh — around 2h30 from the port.
Documentation & border notes
- UK-registered cars need a UK sticker (GB stickers are no longer valid) unless the plate carries the UK identifier.
- Check that your insurance covers EU driving — a green card is not currently required for Belgium, but carry proof of cover.
- Trackday driving is excluded from almost all road policies: arrange separate on-track cover before you travel.
- Carry V5C (or a VE103 hire/lease certificate), driving licence and passport. Trailers over 750kg towed from the UK should be registered where required.
- Belgium requires a warning triangle and hi-vis vest in the car. Low-emission zones apply in Brussels and Antwerp if you route through them.