Formula One / Thomas Cowie / 01 September 2008 /

The Spa Franchorchamps circuit is no stranger to tragedy but its history makes it a big favourite with fans and drivers alike. Victory would be a milestone for Lewis Hamilton, says Tom Cowie.

After the novelty of the brand new Valencia circuit last week, we now travel to a venue steeped in motor racing history. Located in the heart of the Ardennes region of Belgium, the Spa Franchorchamps circuit is regarded as one of the truly great stages in world motorsport. Its contribution to the history of Formula One racing is up there with Monaco, Silverstone and Monza.

Despite various modifications since it's first GP in 1925, it retains all the features which have challenged the greats from each generation - from Moss and Clark, to Stewart and Senna.

A frenetic four mile dash through undulating European countryside was fairly common 30 years ago, but since then, the great circuits that were Hockenheim, the Osterreichring, and the notorious Nurburgring have had their wings clipped - the circuit lengths have been halved, and most of what made them great removed. Not so at Spa.

The current crop of F1 drivers are the latest in a long line to experience the flat out 190 mph left hander at Blanchimont, the fiendishly tricky Stavelot corner, and the most famous corner of them all - Eau Rouge. Even at this pinnacle of motorsport, historically any driver who took this section without touching the brakes was considered by his peers to be gutsy in the extreme. Some succeeded, others failed, often with catastrophic results.

The circuit is no stranger to tragedy, and many F1 and sportscar drivers have met their deaths trying to take liberties with this grand old track. Car and circuit safety is much better in the modern era, but like an angry cobra, Spa has the ability to bite the moment you give it less than 100% of your attention.

The first thing the teams will do when they arrive at the circuit will be to check the weather forecast. Due to the length of the track, microclimates often form, where one end of the circuit will be dry, the other end wet, as the moisture in the air is unable to disperse due to the dense forest that shrouds parts of the circuit.

More often than not, this results in pandemonium in the pit lane, and animated discussion on the pit to driver radio in order to determine which tyre best suits the conditions. This was what happened in 1992, when a perfectly timed pit stop by the Benetton team led to Michael Schumacher recording his maiden Grand Prix victory.

The circuit is a big favourite with fans and drivers alike. The last three races here have been won by Kimi Raikkonen, and if ever he needed a victory, it's now.

Lying third in the standings, he now finds himself fielding questions regarding his apparent lack of motivation, rumours that his Ferrari drive is in jeopardy, and even that this may be his last season in F1. You have to remind yourself that he is the reigning World Champion, but the fact is that Raikkonen has not performed like a Champion for months.

Raikkonen's poor performances have inspired Massa to step up to the plate and prove to himself and the world that he is capable of becoming World Champion. He was robbed in Hungary, but flawless in Valencia, with pole position followed by a lights to flag victory.

The vultures aren't circling over Marranello just yet, but you get the feeling that something has to change - either Raikkonen's performances, or Ferrari's 2009 driver line up. Raikkonen is paid a World Champion's salary - he must start justifying it if he wishes to continue occupying one of the most coveted seats in F1.

Meanwhile at Mclaren, Lewis Hamilton is quietly going about his business. In Valencia he was not on Massa's pace for the second successive race, but his solid drive to second further consolidated his Championship lead. He has already won at Monaco and Silverstone, and victory at Spa will add yet another racing milestone to his increasingly impressive CV.

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