The old 14km lap of Spa was epic in every sense: lethally fast, totally unprotected pubic roads. Here we can go on-board with Lucien Bianchi’s Aston Martin DB4 in 1962.
Looking back to the enormous grid of ’71, the track looks like a narrow mountain pass compared to the relatively large run-off demanded of Spa by modern F1 regulations. Lined with armco right at the sides of the track, the track snakes through the trees. Capris, Camaros, Alfas, BMWs and Escorts three-wheel their way round the original long version of the circuit, where in some areas just marker post define the edge – hardly likely to save a spinning car…
There are a series of Japanese-language reviews of the 24 covering 1984-1992: here’s the first one. The images are incredible, highlighting the breadth of cars and drivers that have taken part over the years. The big Jaguar XJS, victorious in 1984, gave way to a straight run by BMW, interrupted only by the RS500 win in 1989.
After a final pair of races with touring cars as the main draw, both won by Peugeot 306 GTIs, the race became part of the FIA GT Championship and the fire-breathing GT1 racers took dominion. Here’s a clip from the 2006 race, showing the Saleens, Maseratis, Astons, Corvettes burning through the back-markers.
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