Driving Spa-Francorchamps

It is a firm favourite of Formula drivers. The track set in the mountains of Belgium is a test like few others, from its high-speed sweeps and dauntingly elevated Turn 2 to the painfully slow hairpin; it is a real test of man and machine. Our managing editor found out just how exciting and difficult it to drive Spa-Francorchamps from behind the wheel of a Nissan GT-R:

Formula One fans are well aware of the circuit that lies between the towns of Spa and Francorchamps, in Belgium. Fans and drivers alike rate it among the highlights of the season. The hilly setting, a series of fast, high-commitment sweepers, long straights followed by tight corners and variable weather patterns in the Ardennes countryside have always made for interesting races.

Hallowed Ground

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher made his debut at the Belgian GP in 1991, and claimed his maiden victory there a year later. The German also holds the record for the most number of F1 wins at Spa; six in total. Schumacher rated this as one of his favourite circuits, and as I stood outside the La Source hairpin looking down the main straight towards the Bus-Stop chicane and the famous Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex, I was reminded of the former great. I could ‘hear’ a high-revving V10 and imagined the recognisable helmet poking out of the cockpit of a Ferrari F1 on yet another blistering lap. To have watched Schumi race here must have been a special sight.

Follow Double Apex on Instagram and Facebook where we share more car content.

Famous Names

From a young age I could name just about every corner at this track – from the Eau Rouge/Radillon sequence to Stavelot, Blanchimont to the Bus Stop. I’d watched just about every F1 race held there on TV since I was about six, so I could scarcely believe that I was standing alongside the circuit. I have been fortunate enough to drive many test and racetracks over the years. But I did not imagine that I’d one day add Spa to that list. Thanks to a ride and drive event of the, then, latest Nissan GT-R I was about to drive out onto the world-famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

Limited Time

As we were primarily there to learn about the GT-R’s prodigious grip levels our track exploration was limited. We had just a half-dozen laps to learn the intricacies of a circuit that can catch out even the best drivers in the world. We made our way onto the circuit without so much as a warm-up or sighting lap in another car. Fortunately for me, my co-pilot was Ron Simons. The owner of Ron Simons Racing (RSR) is a former instructor for Porsche and Ferrari and has completed thousands of laps of Spa.

Five facts about Spa-Francorchamps you may not know.

In the Deep End

Entering the circuit from the private boma just outside the La Source hairpin means that we have a straight run down to the renowned Eau Rouge (“red river” in English). I have to tell you, the very first time you approach it you have NO idea what to expect. A GT-R is capable of dialing up big numbers in a short space and, heading down towards the left-hand kink, this isn’t a fact I am entirely happy about. I’d have prefer my first experience to be at a slightly more leisurely pace.

Not Flat Out

There is a misconception, probably created by pukka racecars, that this complex is flat out. This is patently untrue. Unless the car you are driving has an extreme level of downforce, your approach will have to be cautious. That the great Stefan Bellof, 40-year Nurburgring record-holder and the man considered by many as the fastest to ever drive a racecar, was killed here means that someone with as little driving skill as myself has to show this stretch of tar a high level of respect.

I took a cautious approach, braking in a straight line before negotiating the left kink, then getting back on the gas to climb the hill smoothly, turning right then left again to the crest at Raidillion. The first time around it happened so quick that I was foot-flat up the Kemmel Straight before I took my next breath. More experienced pilots turn into the left-hander flat-out then brake hard in the dip before banging open the throttle to climb the hill. Mr Simons demonstrated that approach later in the day.

Trickier and Trickier

On the run up to Les Combes, the GT-R was again dialing up speeds that required plenty of braking before entering the chicane, the very same spot where Hamilton and Rosberg had their infamous coming together in 2014. From that point, the circuit starts to fall away and the corners don’t get any easier. The double-left-hander at Pouhon is another corner that requires big ba… err, high levels of commitment. You have to use all the road, and then some. Again, F1 cars make this section look a LOT easier than it really is tackling both flat in top gear… YIKES!

Fast as F***

As if there isn’t enough to scare a newcomer to Spa, the final part of the lap is, arguably, the most eye-widening. From Stavelot through Blanchimont and all the way up to the final chicane are all tackled at extremely high speed. The painfully slow chicane gives your brain a chance to catch up as you flick right then left, onto the start-finish straight.

Across the Line, Breathe In, Repeat

Once over the line, a wide entry is required to tackle the hairpin at La Source, the least intimidating corner on the track, which then allows you to carry loads of pace down the hill to Eau Rouge to do it all over again. My mind was blown in the half-dozen laps I had to experience Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The fast corners, high levels of commitment required and technical nature make it the best circuit that I have ever driven.

I was driving on a relatively empty track, with those sharing track time considerately moving over if slower than me. I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to actually race here in a seriously quick car for dozens of laps. Perhaps one day… for now, please enjoy a brief taste of what it’s like from behind the wheel in the video below.