Belgium: Spa-Francorchamps Track Facts

By BAR F1 (26/08/2004)
August 26 2004

Nestling deep inside the Ardennes forest near Liege, Spa-Francorchamps is probably the most visually inspiring stop on the Grand Prix tour.

Situated 50 km south-east of Liege and first used in 1924, it is one of the most famous and evocative circuits in Formula One history and makes a welcome return to the 2004 calendar after a year's absence.

With a 6.973 km lap, Spa is the longest circuit on the GP calendar and its fantastic corners, wonderful scenery and adrenalin-pumping elevation changes make it a place where driver bravery and skill become even more significant factors than normal.

Honda scored its first-ever Formula One World Championship point at Spa-Francorchamps in the 1965 Belgian Grand Prix. Richie Ginther finished sixth in the Honda RA272.

Honda-powered cars have won the Belgian GP five times; Nigel Mansell took the first in 1986 and Ayrton Senna won four consecutively from 1988 to 1991, while Honda-powered drivers have finished on the podium 10 times in 16 Belgian Grands Prix.