Did you know? Fun facts about Spa-Francorchamps
This year’s TOTAL 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will take place in just under two weeks (Saturday 4 May) and to help mark the special occasion, below are six fun facts about the legendary Belgian race circuit.
1. Endurance racing at Spa-Francorchamps can be traced back to the mid 1920s when the Spa 24 Hours race was first run. In 1966, Spa formed a round of the World Sportscar Championship as a 1000km race but was discontinued in 1975. The circuit was shortened to alleviate safety concerns and the 1000km race returned in 1982. Since 2012, Spa has been a regular stop on the WEC calendar.
2. At 7,004km in length, Spa is the second longest circuit on the WEC calendar after Le Mans. It is comprised of 19 corners and has the highest elevation of any race track of the season, with over 100 metres between the lowest and highest sections.
3. Fernando Alonso never took a win at Spa in Formula 1 but clinched victory last year on his WEC debut alongside team-mates Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajimi. Can the trio do it again next month?
4. Canada’s Paul Dalla Lana and Portugal’s Pedro Lamy have an incredible success record at Spa. Since 2014 the duo has never finished off the podium and, from 2015 onwards in the company of Mathias Lauda, they have taken their Aston Martin Vantage to LMGTE Am victory four times. What are the chances for a fifth consecutive class win?
5. Aston Martin Racing’s Maxime Martin and SMP Racing's Stoffel Vandoorne are the only two home drivers entered for this year’s event, but André Lotterer is also considered as one of Belgium's own – competing under a Belgian licence having spent much of his childhood in the country.
6. WEC offers fans the chance to see their favourite teams and drivers up close by operating an open paddock system. There is also free entertainment for all the family, designated pit walks throughout the weekend plus driver autograph signings. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to mingle with some of the world’s greatest racing drivers by booking tickets for this year’s race HERE.
