Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps lies in the Ardennes forest of the Wallonia region of Belgium, roughly eight kilometres southeast of the town of Spa and within the municipality of Stavelot. The current circuit measures 7.004 kilometres, making it the longest active circuit on the FIA WEC calendar, and it carries a character defined by dramatic elevation change, fast sweeping bends, and the unpredictable weather that rolls off the forested hills. The lap begins with La Source hairpin, drops sharply through the compression at Eau Rouge, then climbs steeply through Raidillon before a long sequence of high-speed corners culminates at the Pouhon double-left. The Bus Stop chicane brings cars back to the start-finish straight in front of a permanent grandstand capacity of 70,000, with total race weekend attendance across all areas reaching much higher figures.

The original Spa layout was conceived in 1921 by Jules de Thier and Henri Langlois van Ophem, who used public roads between the villages of Francorchamps, Malmedy, and Stavelot to create a approximately 15-kilometre circuit through the Ardennes countryside. The first car race ran in 1922 and the 24 Hours of Francorchamps followed in 1924. Formula One arrived for the 1950 Belgian Grand Prix, one of the races in the inaugural world championship season, and the circuit has been a cornerstone of international racing ever since. A major redesign in 1979 shortened the track from the original public-roads layout to the permanent 6.947-kilometre configuration, which was subsequently extended to 7.004 kilometres following further modifications. The circuit also hosts the 24 Hours of Spa, one of the most prestigious GT endurance races in Europe.

The 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is a long-standing fixture on the WEC calendar and in 2026 took place on May 9, the second round of the season. The long circuit length and varied character, mixing slow technical sections with sustained high-speed passages, creates meaningful separation between machinery and tends to expose any weaknesses in aerodynamic balance or fuel efficiency. The Belgian round carries additional weight in the championship because its proximity to Le Mans in the calendar allows teams a final competitive dress rehearsal before the season's centrepiece race in June.