The Formula One summer break is finally over and racing will resume this coming weekend. The first race after the hiatus takes place at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. This track is a firm favourite among fans and drivers alike. The wide array of corners, steep elevation changes and long straights make for great racing. As you prepare for the coming race here are five facts about Spa-Francorchamps you may not already know.

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Five Facts About Spa-Francorchamps

  1. At 7,004 km, Spa-Francorchamps has the longest lap of any track on the current F1 calendar. As a result it also has the fewest laps of any race. The layout was shortened from its original distance of 14,1 km in 1979.
  2. There’s a difference of about 100 metres between the highest (Les Combes, Turn 7) and the lowest point (Stavelot, Turn 15). This is the highest elevation change of the season.
  3. Drivers nail the throttle wide open at the exit of the La Source hairpin (T1) and don’t lift until the braking zone for Les Combes. In total, the loud pedal stays nailed to the floor for around 23 seconds or 1 875 metres.
  4. Incidentally, 80 per cent of the total lap is taken at full throttle, one of the highest of any circuits.
  5. A young German driver by the name of Michael Schumacher made his debut there in 1991. He’d never raced a Formula 1 car prior to that weekend, and still planted the underperforming Jordan onto seventh place on the grid.  ‘Schumi’ went on to become the most successful driver at Spa, taking no new fewer than six wins.

Spa-Francorchamps Quick Facts

Official name: Belgian Grand Prix
Location: Stavelot, Belgium
Lap distance: 7,004 km
Lap record: 1 min 46,286 sec (Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes)

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