An introduction to the belgian Grand Prix
Belgium’s firtst national racing event took place in 1925 at the course located in the Wallonian (French speaking) mountainous Spa region. From the first years before the turn of the century, this part of Belgium had always been associated with the racing sport.
To provide a perfect facility for GP motorracing, in 1921 the racing course known as the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was constructed. Originally this course was constructed for motor races only but after the huge success in 1923 of the French new 24 hours of 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 both win the 1952 and 1953 race. Tragically Antonio Ascari didn’t surive a crash in his next race at the French GP. 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 not safe anymore for hosting Formula 1 races and Zolder together with the rather unspectacular Nivelles-Baulers circuit near Brussels provides the new Belgian GP courses. At Nivelles-Baulers Emerson Fittipaldi won the first race but although the circuit was safe, the event was less exciting compared to the enthralling old Spa-Francorchamps course.
The next edition took place in Zolder and Jackie Stewart won the race. In 1974 the Belgian GP 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 GP sports scene. The Belgian Grand Prix took place in Zolder again and the place would be hosting the race a further nine times. Zolder will probably always be remembered by most of the GP fans as the track where Gilles Villeneuve lost his life in 1982. The Belgian GP returned to Spa-Francorchamps in 1985, where it has taken place ever since.
The FIA announced in 2006 that the Belgian GP wouldn’t be part of the Formula 1 2006 season. This due to main 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.