An introduction to the belgian Grand Prix
Belgium’s first national racing event took place in 1925 at the course located in the mountainous Wallonian (French speaking) Spa region. From the first years before the turn of the 20th century, this part of Belgium has always been associated with motor racing sports.
To provide a perfect facility for GP motor racing, the racing course known as the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was constructed in 1921. Originally this course was constructed for motor races only. But after the huge success in 1923 of the new 24 hours of the French Le Mans, Francorchamps hosted the Spa 24 Hours, which was similar to the race in France.
In 1925 Antonio Ascari won Belgium’s first Grand Prix. Later his son Alberto would win both the 1952 and 1953 races. Tragically Antonio Ascari didn’t survive a crash in his next race at the French Grand Prix. British driver Richard "Dick" Seaman was killed in 1939 while he was leading the race. Alan Stacey and Chris Bristow had fatal accidents during the 1960 races - Stacey in a bizarre occurrence when a bird flew into his face.
In 1972 the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was considered unsafe for hosting F1 races and Zolder, together with the rather unspectacular Nivelles-Baulers circuit near Brussels, provided the new Belgian Grand Prix courses. At Nivelles-Baulers Emerson Fittipaldi won the first race. Although the circuit was safe, the event was less exciting compared to the enthralling old Spa-Francorchamps course.
In 1974, the Belgian Grand Prix returned to Nivelles and again Emerson Fittipaldi won the race. After the 1974 race the organisation wasn’t able to keep on hosting the Grand Prix at Nivelles and the circuit faded from the F1 Grand Prix sports scene. The Belgian Grand Prix took place in Zolder again and the circuit hosted the race a further nine times. Zolder will probably be remembered by most Grand Prix fans as the track where Gilles Villeneuve lost his life in 1982. The Belgian Grand Prix returned to Spa-Francorchamps in 1985, where it has taken place ever since. Michael Schumacher holds the record for the most wins at the Belgian Grand Prix with six wins.
The FIA announced in 2006 that the Belgian Grand Prix wouldn’t be part of the F1 2006 Season. This was due to renovation activities at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit that year. Having returned in 2007, the event was won by Kimi Räikkönen, who drove for Ferrari winning his third Belgian Grand Prix in a row. In 2011, Sebastian Vettel won the Belgian Grand Prix.