Spa-Francorchamps preview

Next weekend the Formula One circus takes a pitstop at the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. This venue is one of the most loved with the drivers and the crowd.The circuit is famous for its unpredictable weather and frequently confronts drivers with a course that is partly clear and bright while another stretch is rainy and slippery.

Over the years, the track at Spa has been modified several times and today it has been shortened to 6,968 kilometres (4,333 miles) and is a fast and hilly route through the Ardennes where speeds of 330 km/h can be reached.

In the early 1920's nothing seemed to disturb the usual quietness in the peaceful village of Francorchamps. But on a beautiful summer day, settled in at the Hotel des Bruyeres, two people well-known in the car racing world, the one being Jules de Thier, Manager of the newspaper 'La Meuse', and the other, Henri Langlois Van Ophem, Chairman of the Sports Commission at the RACB (Royal Automobile Club Belgium), had the idea of taking advantage of the triangle drawn by the roads connecting Malmedy, Stavelot and Francorchamps to make a racing track of it.

The first Formula One Grand Prix on the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps ,the European Grand Prix, was run in 1925. Seven cars took part in this event which saw the victory of the famous Alfa Romeo driver, Antonio Ascari.

Drivers and fans alike love races at Spa-Francorchamps. A dull race at Spa is very rare, and most drivers today say that the course is one of the two most challenging race tracks in the world (in addition to Japan's Suzuka Circuit).
The most famous part of the circuit is the Eau Rouge / Raidillon combination. Drivers race, having negotiated the La Source hairpin, down a straight before being launched uphill into a sweeping left-right-left collection of corners (the first of which is the actual Eau Rouge bend, the rest of the climb being called Raidillon) with a blind summit. The challenge for drivers has always been to take Eau Rouge-Raidillon flat out. However, some say this is now very easy thanks to modifications made to the circuit, and the technology of modern Formula One cars.

The circuit was left out of the 2003 calendar due to Belgian tobacco legislation. When Formula One's returned to the track at Francorchamps in 2004 drivers and spectators were surprised to find out that the famous Bus Stop chicane at the end of the circuit had been reprofiled. Some wondered whether it was possible to overtake at the new chicane, but Juan Pablo Montoya spectacularly proved doubters wrong during the race.

Last years race was a real car dump. Only 11 of the 20 cars were able to finish. McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen took the victory.
This year we have again lots of candidates for the podium. But espacially Fernando Alonso is looking forward to the upcoming Grand Prix in Belgium. Alonso is hoping to become Formula One's youngest ever world champion next weekend after closing in on the title with a second place finish at Monza.
Fernando Alonso "We just need to keep doing what we're doing. I think all the circuits where we are going are very important to me but Spa is my favourite circuit and I won my first race in Formula 3000 there. Brazil is also a very good track to win the championship at and Japan and China as well. It really doesn't matter where but I will finish the championship at Spa if I can."

It promises to be a very exciting race next weekend. It will be a hard race for drivers, engines and tyres, especially for those who will have to run with the same engine as in Monza.