The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps has been internet hosting motorsport competitors for over 100 years, after a newspaper proprietor laid out a racing circuit on a triangle of public roads linking three villages in 1921.
“It’s one of many very, best circuits,” mentioned Sébastien Buemi of Toyota Gazoo Racing, a five-time winner of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, which is on Saturday.
The 6 Hours was first held in 1953 and has all the time been held on the observe on and off since, together with different sports-car competitions. It’s also the positioning of Formulation 1’s Belgian Grand Prix.
The size of the observe has additionally modified through the years and has been at its present measurement of slightly greater than 4 miles since 1982.
In 1985 the driving force Stefan Bellof was killed in an accident on the Eau Rouge curve, and after 1990 the occasion was discontinued. It was revived in 1999, grew to become a timed race in 2010, and since 2012 has been a part of the F.I.A. World Endurance Championship.
“Clearly, Spa and the observe has modified a good bit, by way of runoff areas, and Eau Rouge in historic footage appears completely different,” mentioned Will Stevens of Cadillac Hertz Staff Jota, which gained the race in 2024. “But it surely’s a observe I’ve been driving for a very long time, in a lot of completely different automobiles, and whichever automotive you go to that observe in it all the time feels particular to be driving round there.”
The aggressive nature of the W.E.C., and the resurfaced observe now offering extra grip, means the 6 Hours of Spa — regardless of its endurance standing — has developed right into a frenetic contest.
“Regardless that it’s an extended race, it’s one of many shorter races of the yr, and we now have three drivers for the automotive, so we do two hours every,” Stevens mentioned. “It’s principally a flat out race from begin to finish, so despite the fact that it’s an endurance race it’s like a dash race — the automobiles these days are superb on reliability, so we are able to push the automobiles very onerous.
“It is advisable to qualify properly, keep out of bother for the primary 4 to 5 hours of the race, and be sure you’re in a single piece for the ultimate hour of the race.”
Spa-Francorchamps is within the Ardennes, the place the climate can swap instantly. The 1975 race was shortened due to a storm, which occurred once more in 2002, whereas snow greeted drivers on race day in 2019, with some even falling in the course of the race.
“We examined there not too long ago, and we had lovely climate for 2 days,” Buemi mentioned in an interview final month. “It feels prefer it’s one of the best place ever when you will have good climate, the observe is clearly superb, it appears so inexperienced. However everyone knows generally it rains there, and some years in the past we had that snow and it was unbelievable pondering it was Might. You by no means know what to anticipate there.”
The circuit’s giant space may also introduce issues.
“It’s all the time a troublesome race by way of technique,” Buemi mentioned, “as a result of the climate modifications a lot and the observe is so lengthy that generally the observe is moist on one aspect and dry on the opposite, so it requires flexibility.”
Drivers even have one other competitors in thoughts when contesting the 6 Hours of Spa. There are eight occasions on the W.E.C. calendar, however Spa’s six-hour contest is the ultimate gathering earlier than the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, the centerpiece of the yr.
“I believe clearly the most important race of our calendar is Le Mans, and all of the races are a buildup to the most important race of the yr,” Stevens mentioned. “Spa being the race one instantly earlier than it, and as circuit traits go it’s much like Le Mans, it’s all the time an excellent warm-up.
“So some individuals have their eye on Le Mans, attempt sure issues to maximise the package deal. However as a lot as we’re right here to win Le Mans, we additionally need to end properly on this race particularly because it counts in the direction of the principle championship, and we need to do properly in all races and the championship. But it surely’s all the time good to construct confidence in the direction of Le Mans.”
