Home to the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Belgium from its inception in 1925, the SPA Francorchamps motor-racing circuit is one of the most popular sites on the F1 calendar. The unpredictability of its weather, spectacular scenery, and being at the heart of European motor-racing tradition are just a few of the reasons for the international fame of this circuit. Its original layout went through the public road system interconnecting Francorchamps, Malmedy, and Stavelot. It was the fastest (and most dangerous) racing circuit in Europe for decades, to the point it was boycotted by F1 drivers in 1969, demanding extensive safety enhancements. Nowadays, the course is more secure, but it still keeps its high difficulty level, requiring top skills from the drivers to get the most out of it.
Some remarkable features of this 7-km track (the longest in Formula 1) are the La Source-Eau Rouge-Raidillon combination, the Blanchimont turn, and several segments optimized for overtaking. La Source is a hairpin turn coming right after the start line, only to take the drivers to Eau Rouge, a left-hander with an abrupt altitude change, and then Raidillon, a right-hander where the visibility gets compromised until reaching the top of the hill. After another left turn at the summit comes the longest straight run of the circuit, the Kemmel straight. Here the drivers can reach high speeds, just like in Blanchimont, a long left-hand turn that takes drivers to the final chicane.