Although this map of the 14.1km version of Spa-Francorchamps might look needlessly complicated, I’m particularly drawn to the data table on the left side. Set your ear on your shoulder and you’ll see an obvious, but clever, bit of quantitative display. Not only does this show the elevation changes of the track, but does it one better by showing the elevation of the track at each point in the track. Despite the complication, I’m surprised that something like this wasn’t more popular in track maps.
More than anything else I’ve seen, this shows not only that there was a dramatic elevation change at Spa, but that the changes were almost constant and not simply a hill along one straight and a dip along another. Excellent.
0 replies on “Track Map of the Past: Spa-Francorchamps”
Ah, the Masta Kink, back when F1 drivers were real men. This version of the track was captured beautifully in “Grand Prix”, including a horrific wreck at Masta.
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Glorious. I’d like to get these track maps tattooed on me one at a time as I visit them.
The best part about Spa is that the “abandoned” parts of the track were always public roads and they’re still there. Even better, those roads still connect to the shortened Spa course. IOW, Spa could be run as it was supposed to be if someone had the money to turn one whole corner of Belgium into gravel traps and Armco.
Just Google Earth Spa-Francorchamps, spin the compass dial until North is at about 4 o’clock, and you can easily match the above map to what’s still there.
Impressive track, early sixty´s and some dangerous houses in almost every turn…did you see it in Grand Prix at Masta (one of the most difficult left-right in the world) when the car crashed in one of them.
sorry for my bad english, and thank you for this amazing blog.
b.r.
Hello! I was wondering where you found these maps? I was wondering if replica prints could be purchased of these track maps?
Thank you