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Race Name: Belgian Grand Prix
Circuit Name: Spa Francochamps
Circuit Length: 4.329 miles
Race Length: 189.543miles/305.049km 44 laps
Lap Record: 1m53.803 (Rubens Barrichello Ferrari F2002)

Michael Schumacher's View

"I'm particularly looking forward to Spa, and not only because it has always been my favorite circuit. First of all we will try to get Rubens second place on the world championship leaderboard. That would make Ferrari's season more than perfect. Although I'm fond of my brother, we drive for different teams with different interests. We'll be able to prepare for the coming season more intensively. That will be necessary, because the other teams won't be taking it easy either. And except for the first two races of the season, we weren't really dominant, we had to work very hard for our wins. However, I don't believe that we have reached our peak yet. I believe that Ferrari can still get better and that there is still room for improvement mechanically."

Jenson Button's View

"I will approach the first corner at just over 250 kph in fifth gear, having to drop down to first and 65 kph for this very tight hairpin. As the corner opens up very wide on the exit, my main aim is to get on the power early and use all of the track as I head down to Turn 2 at Eau Rouge. I will approach at 300 kph in 6th and will still be accelerating through the first part, as it is flat at around 305 kph. The right-hand part is the one everybody wants to take flat, but even in qualifying last year, this was not quite possible and I will probably lift to around 60% throttle and therefore lose a couple of kph. Nevertheless, I will be pulling about 4.7g through this corner. The final left-hand section of the complex is easily flat, but my speed will have dropped by another 5 kph owing to tire scrub and the uphill nature of this part of the circuit. This leads onto the long top straight, where I will reach around 315 kph before braking hard for the chicane at the end, which is taken in 3rd gear and effectively consists of three corners in succession which are successively quicker at 120, 140 and 175 kph. Before reaching Turn 8, I will reach 265 kph in 5th gear. The corner itself is extremely difficult and very long, progressively dropping away from me. I will take it in 2nd at 105 kph but because of the nature of the circuit, I will continually be fighting understeer through here. Before Turn 9, I will just get into 3rd gear and perhaps 210 kph, and then hold 3rd through this turn, which is taken at around 150 kph. The short straight that follows will see me in top gear at over 290 kph before dropping down just one gear for the double left-hander of Turns 10 and 11. Turn 10 is taken at around 230 kph and Turn 11 is flat at roughly 275 kph. Leading down to the next chicane, I will reach 305 kph before braking and taking 3rd gear, which I will hold through Turns 12 and 13 at 150 kph and 170 kph respectively. I will get in 4th briefly before braking for Turn 14, a relatively slow 2nd gear corner taken at 135 kph. Turn 15 always presents a challenge as I leave the artificial part of the circuit and come back onto the public roads. It is taken in 4th gear at 235 kph, but is not quite flat. I will probably have to come off the throttle by around 20% to get through here safely. As I head back down to the pit area, I have two very fast corners to negotiate, Turns 16 and 17. They are taken flat, both at around 310 kph, but the cornering forces through Turn 17 are such that I will lose some speed, and hence arrive at the so-called Bus Stop chicane at a very similar speed. This final chicane is totally out of character with the rest of the circuit and spoils an otherwise extremely enjoyable lap. I will need to brake very hard to get my speed down to 85 kph in 2nd gear, using the curbs extremely hard but ensuring I retain control of the car, as the wall on the exit is extremely close - as I found out to my cost last year. The final section of the track has been modified since last year and whereas it was almost flat previously, I now expect it to be easily flat as it leads back to the start and finish line."

The Track

One of the oldest tracks on the calendar, Belgium has held its grand prix here since the late 50s. The only exception to this was in the early 80s when Spa was being shortened and the grand prix moved to Zolder, where Gilles Villeneuve was killed in practice for the grand prix in 1983. Spa is most famous for the Eau Rouge complex of corners. The dip into a valley (which used to mark the border between Germany and Belgium) and up again is the biggest adrenaline rush the drivers experience in the season and is spectacular in the dry and amazing in the wet. The track's central location in Europe results in a good turn out of fans for all the drivers and it is one of the last "real" circuits in that you have to be both skilled and brave to do a really quick lap around there. Spa is in the Ardennes and it almost always rains there at some point in the weekend resulting in both mechanical carnage and numerous driver crashes. Despite the best efforts of the FIA and the organizers there are also a few places around the circuit which have nowhere near enough protection in the event of a big accident (you don't really get small accidents at Spa!) and it seems almost an anachronism to find a circuit which is so obviously dangerous and where overtaking is more important than pitstop strategy.

After a gap of a year while Belgium sorted out it tobacco legislation the Belgium Grand Prix is back. Spa is widely regarded as the finest motor racing circuit in the world. It has an illustrious history which starts back in 1924. The original circuit back in the pre-war days was a fearsome nine mile test of man and machine with the course featuring a daunting mixture of unprotected public roads, trees, lampposts, road signs and houses. But the most famous thing about Spa is its weather. Even with the modern circuit shortened to 4.5 miles, conditions can still vary at any one time from one side of the track to the other.

The challenge of Eau Rouge is still one of the most thrilling sights in Formula 1 for driver and spectator alike. It is a 160 mph rollercoaster of a corner that really sorts the men from the boys. Over the years the track has seen some of the world's best drivers dominate. Ayrton Senna won the race for four consecutive years in the late-Eighties and early-Nineties, while a young German named Michael Schumacher made his debut in 1991 at the track.

Schumacher went on to take his maiden victory a year later and has gone on to win the race four times since. However, the German lost out in 2000 after one of the most thrilling races in recent years. Schumacher was trying to hold off Mika Hakkinen in the closing stages when the Finn pulled off one of the most audacious passing moves in F1 history.

The Track's F1 History

In recent years Spa has been best known for being Schumacher's specialist circuit. He made headlines hear by qualifying seventh for his first race in 1991 for Jordan (though the fact that Andrea De Cesaris' sister car nearly won is often overlooked!).

In 1992 Schumacher scored his first win here by using a brilliant combination of tactics and aggressive driving to beat Nigel Mansell's Williams.

In 1993 Damon Hill won after a gritty drive against an in form Senna, Schumacher and Prost.

In 1994 Rubens Barrichello managed to score his first pole position here for Jordan on a drying track though Schumacher ended up winning the race until a worn plank under the car led to his disqualification and handed the race to Hill.

In 1995 Hill qualified 8th and Schumacher 16th but, after Coulthard retired on lap 12, they were running first and second. Schumacher resorted to some pretty heavy handed tactics (banging wheels repeatedly at Les Combes and even taking a short cut across the grass!) before eventually getting the better of Hill.

In 1996 Jacques Villeneuve won on his first visit to the circuit. He relied upon a computer game to learn the circuit and managed to blow the opposition away!

In 1997 Schumacher scored another dominant win for Ferrari in a wet/dry race that was pretty processional.

In 1998 Coulthard sparked an enormous crash at the first start of the wet race. On the restart Schumacher ended up passing Hill for the lead and was pulling away when he hit the back of Coulthard's car. Damon Hill went on to win Jordan's first grand prix with his team mate (Ralf Schumacher) second and Jean Alesi third for Sauber.

In 1999 Coulthard muscled Hakkinen out at the start and then pulled away for the win in what was a pretty dull race.

In 2000 Hakkinen pulled off his greatest overtaking move as he and Schumacher lapped Riccardo Zonta's BAR at 180mph. Hakkinen had led from the start (the first behind a safety car) and left Schuey stuck behind Trulli and Button who were scrapping for 2nd place. When Trulli and Button crashed into each other at La Source Schuey took second and looked to be set there until Hakkinen had an off on lap 13. Schuey then took the lead but Hakkinen narrowed the gap quickly and then, having been on the receiving end of some aggressive driving tactics by Schuey on the previous lap, produced a blinder to take the lead on lap 41 and then led the German home.

2001's race was blighted by a terrible accident that Burti suffered at Blanchimont. Burti's Prost was overtaking Irvine's Jaguar at around 210mph when Irvine clipped the Prost, knocking its front wing off and leaving Burti powerless as he plowed into the tire barriers at well over 150mph. Burti was lucky to emerge almost unscathed from the accident and his current role as Ferrari test driver shows that his speed is undiminished as a result. The only other point of note was the incredible performance of Giancarlo Fisichella. As Schumacher cruised to an easy win Fisichella somehow got his evil handling Benetton into second place and doggedly defended the position for lap after lap from Coulthard's McLaren. Fisichella eventually had to let Coulthard through but still managed a place on the podium in what was undoubtedly one of the worst car of last season.

In 2002 Schumacher won a strangely dull Belgian Grand Prix, dominating the field easily and showing why he is rated as something of a Spa specialist. Montoya passed Raikkonen for third place on the second lap before the Finn succumbed to an engine failure. Barrichello finished in second place underlining the dominance of the F2002. The remaining points positions were taken by Coulthard who drove a tidy race ahead of Ralf Schumacher while Eddie Irvine picked up a much needed point both for himself and for Jaguar in 6th.

2002 Belgium Grand Prix Results*

Circuit Name / Location:  Spa Francochamps
*There was no race in 2003.

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