Formula 1 in Spa-Francorchamps: everything about the Belgian Grand Prix

Spa-Francorchamps has for decades been one of the most beloved circuits on the Formula 1 calendar, and for the Belgian audience the Belgian Grand Prix is also the home race. This page takes a closer look at the circuit, looks back at the 2026 edition and explains why Spa holds such a unique place in the sport.

It is an overview, not advice.

The circuit: Spa-Francorchamps

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is located in the Belgian Ardennes, spread across the municipalities of Spa, Stavelot and Francorchamps. At 7.004 kilometres, it is one of the longest circuits on the current F1 calendar, considerably longer than most street circuits and permanent tracks elsewhere in the championship. The circuit sits in rolling, wooded hill country, with significant elevation changes between the different sectors of the track.

The most famous part of the circuit is Eau Rouge-Raidillon: a fast, uphill corner combination that the cars take at high speed and under significant g-forces. Further along the track comes Pouhon, a long double left-hander known for its high speed and precision, and Blanchimont, a fast corner that the cars take at almost full throttle. Because of the combination of long straights, fast corner combinations and unpredictable Ardennes weather, Spa is regarded by drivers and teams as one of the most demanding yet most valued circuits of the season.

Weather plays a bigger role at Spa than at most other circuits: local showers in the hilly landscape can mean one part of the track is dry while another part is wet, which can significantly complicate tyre choice and strategy during a race weekend.

Besides Eau Rouge-Raidillon, Pouhon and Blanchimont, the circuit has other recognisable sections, such as the corner combination at Les Combes, where the cars have to brake hard again after the long climb through Eau Rouge, and the hairpin at La Source, right after the start-finish line, one of the slowest corners on the entire calendar. That combination of one of the longest circuits with, at the same time, one of the slowest corners makes the car setup for Spa particularly tricky: teams have to find a compromise between enough downforce for the slow sections and enough top speed for the long straights.

The 2026 Belgian Grand Prix

The Belgian Grand Prix was held this season from 17 to 19 July 2026. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) won the race, after a duel in which he first had to cede the lead on the opening lap to Max Verstappen and later to Charles Leclerc, who benefited from a pit stop under virtual safety car. Antonelli passed Leclerc again on lap 34 and held that position to the finish, with just under two seconds to spare. It was his seventh win of the season.

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) finished second, and Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) completed the podium in third place. George Russell, Antonelli's teammate at Mercedes, retired during the race.

For Verstappen, third place at his home race, given his Belgian birthplace, was one of the better results in a season that had so far gone without a win for him. For Antonelli the win meant just the opposite: his seventh win of the season confirmed the form with which he leads the drivers' championship this year. More about the current championship standings and how it developed further after Spa can be found on our standings wiki.

Betting angle: what makes Spa interesting to follow?

With its length, the combination of fast corners and long straights, and the unpredictable Ardennes weather, Spa is a circuit where convincing car setup and adaptability during the race are often at least as important as pure speed. Rain during (part of) the weekend can shuffle the order considerably, which makes Spa one of the less predictable races of the season. Check out the current markets and betting offer for Formula 1 on napoleonsports.be for the full overview.

Why Spa is so valued by drivers and teams

Among drivers, Spa-Francorchamps traditionally counts as one of the circuits where driving skill makes the clearest difference. The combination of high speed, limited visibility due to elevation changes and an asphalt surface that can vary from sector to sector demands trust and precision that are difficult to simulate ahead of the race weekend. That's precisely why a strong lap at Spa is widely regarded within the sport as one of the clearest proofs of driving quality on the entire calendar.

For teams the circuit brings a different challenge: the long straights create relatively high top speeds, which makes the cars more vulnerable to drag, while the corner combinations elsewhere on the track require plenty of grip. That tension between top speed and grip explains why the setup for Spa is rarely identical to that of other circuits on the calendar, and why the weekend demands at least as much thinking from the engineers behind the scenes as from the drivers themselves.

Why Spa holds a unique place for the Belgian audience

For the Belgian audience, the Belgian Grand Prix is more than just another race on the calendar: it is the home race, on a circuit with a history going back to the early days of Formula 1. Spa-Francorchamps already hosted Grands Prix before the current world championship began in 1950, and has kept returning to the calendar at varying intervals ever since. That combination of history, a challenging circuit and its proximity for the Belgian audience makes Spa a firm favourite, both among fans and among the drivers themselves.

The Napoleon Sports app

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