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Grand Prix

Belgian Grand Prix


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Belgian Grand Prix

The Belgian Grand Prix is one of the all-time classic events on the Formula 1 calendar. Known for its high speeds and the Eau-Rouge corner, the Formula 1 World Championship has visited the venue since 1950, though not in every single season. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is a favourite amongst fans and drivers alike. It’s another popular circuit for European fans, including Max Verstappen’s orange army. They travel from the neighbouring country, The Netherlands. Michael Schumacher is the most successful F1 driver at the venue, with six wins.

F1 Belgian Grand Prix 2023

The 2023 Belgian Grand Prix will take place in an unusual calendar position. Usually, it’s the first race after the summer break, but it moves to the other side of the holiday period in 2023. In recent years, it’s been a venue where teams have decided to introduce an extra engine into their allocation. It’s a track where overtaking is generally easier compared to other circuits, so teams don’t mind starting towards the back. This included Max Verstappen in 2022, who won from P14 on the grid. Whether that will happen again in 2023 remains to be seen.

Where is the Belgian F1 Grand Prix held?

The Belgian Grand Prix is held at Spa-Francorchamps, located near Stavelot. It is located in the east of Belgium, near the German border. The circuit has been open for over 100 years and is visited by F1, WEC and many other major racing championships. Its location means fans from The Netherlands, Germany and France all attend regularly.

Belgian GP history

The Belgian Grand Prix has taken place at Spa-Francorchamps 55 times. The event has also been held at Zolder (10 times) and Nivelles (2 times). It has been raced at Spa consistently since 1985. 

Michael Schumacher has won at Spa six times, with Ayrton Senna picking up five victories. Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver at the circuit on the current grid, with four wins. Max Verstappen is looking to close in on Hamilton, as he has already secured two wins. Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo are the only other drivers on the current grid to win an F1 race in Belgium. 

It’s a different story in qualifying. Hamilton is the most successful driver on a Saturday, with six pole positions to his name. Juan Manuel Fangio and Senna have four pole positions. Remarkably, Schumacher only managed to get one pole position at the venue. Leclerc, Verstappen and Carlos Sainz are the only other drivers on the current grid to secure the P1 starting spot in Spa. Ferrari are the most successful team, with 14 wins.

What time does the 2023 Belgian F1 Grand Prix start?

The 2023 Belgian Grand Prix starts on Sunday, 30 July, at 14:00 BST/09:00 EDT (15:00 local time). However, the rest of the weekend is different from normal because F1 are bringing their sprint version to Belgium for the first time. Therefore, there is only one 60-minute practice session on Friday, 28 July, at 12:30 BST. Qualifying will then take place on Friday afternoon at 16:00 BST. This will form the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Sprint Shootout will take place at 11:00 BST on Saturday, with a 100 km Sprint Race on Saturday afternoon at 15:30 BST.