Spa-Francorchamps is a very unique venue. It was one of the original circuits on the first Formula 1 season calendar back in 1950, and holds a special place in our hearts as motorsport lovers. Drivers will experience amazing speed, tough but exciting corners and of course the wild elevation changes which is more than 100 metres.
It’s also the longest circuit we go to, reaching 7.004km and means we only see 44 laps over a race distance. It’s been the sight of so many memorable moments across the 56 Grands Prix its hosted, and is often ranked as the fans' favourite place that we race – and we can see why!
As a circuit, it’s very tough on both lateral forces and braking. The speeds, corner designs and inclines will be a big hit to both Lewis and George’s bodies, but also the W15. It’s also demanding on the tyres - experiencing high lateral loads at several points across a lap, especially going through the Eau Rouge-Raidillon complex. This famous run of corners will see the cars not only deal with the downforce, but also the forces that come with completing those corners.
In addition to the challenges a circuit of this size and greatness can bring, there are also other variables like the weather. Intense sun or heavy rain can come and go in an instant, and it’s not uncommon to have two completely different conditions on either side of this 7km rollercoaster ride of a circuit. Of course, rain also resulted in the shortest-ever Formula 1 race here in 2021, but was the event in which our very own George got his first podium finish with the Mercedes-powered Williams.
The summer shutdown, introduced several years ago, is a mandated two-week break that all teams must observe. No F1 activities may take place and is incredibly important in enabling team members time to recharge ahead of the second half of the season.
It’s time for one final race before the summer shutdown, and what a better place to do that than Spa-Francorchamps! It’s one of the most recognisable race tracks in the world, and one that proves to be a fan favourite year after year.
We’ve had some brilliant results in Spa and hope to continue our recent run of form at the iconic circuit. We hold the lap record here, a 1m 46.286s, thanks to Valtteri Bottas in 2018 and have stood on the top step of the podium on five occasions. Lewis has won here four times - three victories with the Silver Arrows - and Nico Rosberg’s name was added to that amazing winners’ list in 2016. Before our F1 comeback, we also experienced our sixth ever first-place finish thanks to the legend that is Juan Manuel Fangio – winning here in 1955.
Lewis holds the record for most podiums here, and has had several dominant weekends at this track he loves so much. It was also the place George got his first podium, and holds many special moments for us as a team.
Our first win at Spa-Francorchamp came in 1955. The duo of Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss delivered a fantastic result for the team, finishing first and second, respectively. The cars in their amazing silver colour, which is where we gained our nickname ‘the Silver Arrows’, were looking rapid all weekend. On race day, Fangio took the lead early on with Moss joining him in second by the end of the first kilometre. From there, Juan Manuel was on a roll and was leading by three seconds at the end of the first lap, although this was on the old 14km layout.
It would take another 60 years for Mercedes to win again in Spa, this time it was thanks to Lewis. He had looked strong all weekend, with pole position and then the win on Sunday, in a dominating drive. Team-mate Nico Rosberg was also quick, with the fastest lap of the race and finished in second, giving the team another one-two result.
We won again the year after, but it was Nico who stood on the top step this time. It was a race filled with drama, but we kept our heads down and sprayed out of trouble to win consecutive races in Belgium.
Lewis was back winning again in 2017, doing a brilliant job to hold his competition back and crossed the chequered flag just 2.3 seconds behind second place. It was a special occasion for him, as it was his 200th Grand Prix, but he did what he does best and held his nerve to come out ahead and lock in his 58th career victory.
Our most recent piece of first place silverware at Spa was in 2020. Lewis was dialled in that weekend, and delivered a record-breaking lap for pole position which he dedicated to actor Chadwick Boseman, who had sadly passed away the day before. From that first-place grid slot, the seven-time champ led every lap to win, with Valtteri doing an excellent job to finish in second.
During our time at Spa, we’ve also welcomed seven pole positions, and 15 podiums as a team. Lewis has the record for most podium finishes here with 10, and we’ve finished in the top three on 31 occasions as an engine supplier over the years.
