Belgian Grand Prix 2024

Going down memory lane, the first professional Belgian race dates as far back as 1925. The winner of the 9-mile Spa-Francorchamps race in 1925 would later experience a shocking death at the French Grand Prix. With the entire Grand Prix suspended, the world witnessed better circuits when it came back in 1930.

Asides from various postponements and cancellations, the Belgian Grand Prix has also had its fair share of name changes. The first official name in the 1950s was Grand Prix Automobile de Belgique. At the turn of the 21st century, the competition began to take names after brand sponsors.

Currently, the official name is the Rolex Belgian Grand Prix.

The Dynamic Venues of the Belgian Grand Prix

A history of the Belgian Grand Prix will be incomplete if there’s no mention of the dynamic venues. The beauty of Formula One races is the diversity – the different cars, the different faces, and not least of all, the ever-changing racetracks.

The Spa-Francorchamps was the first venue to host the Grand Prix. The racetrack was marred with several dreadful conditions, and many drivers risked injuries. After the 2nd World War, the Prix moved temporarily to the Bois de la Cambre in Brussels.

At the return to the Spa-Francorchamps, the racetrack became expanded and even faster. The slow corners were also taken off. Yet, that didn’t stop the several accidents that plagued the earlier races. The Spa-Francorchamps did not meet Formula 1 safety regulations in the 1970s.

So, as we knew it before the 70s, the Spa Francorchamps became “old,” and the race moved temporarily to the Zolder and Nivelles circuits.

Circuit de Spa Francorchamps

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the home of the Belgian Grand Prix. The 7.004km circuit lies at the municipality of Stavelot, in one of Belgium’s top provinces. For different periods since 1939, the circuit has hosted the Belgian Grand Prix, despite several sizes and structure modifications.

In its current state, the Circuit de Spa Francorchamps has a whopping capacity of up to 70,000 people. The circuit’s significant features include 19 turns, a new pit lane, and the Bus Stop Chicane, all introduced in 2007.

The first layout of the Belgian F1 circuit was 15km long and was designed by Henri Langlois Van Ophem and Jules de Thier. This magnificent race track structure ran through public roads in Stavelot, Francorchamps, and Malmedy.

According to Formula One officials, this state-of-the-art circuit has 44 laps and covers a total race distance of 308.052km. Do you wonder how long it takes the average rider to cover the Circuit de Spa Francorchamps?

There’s little knowledge about the average race times. However, the record holder remains Valterri Bottas. Bottas covered the circuit in 1:46.286 during the 2018 race.

The question on the minds of most newcomers to the Formula One race is, how exactly do these races work?

Well, all Formula One Grand Prix is first usually divided into three qualifying rounds. These rounds are officially called Q1, Q2, and Q3, respectively. In the qualification rounds, all drivers join the race at the same time.

The slowest six cars in Q1 get eliminated from the competition after 18 minutes of intense racing. The rest of the drivers proceed to Q2. In Q2, the drivers show off their speed in a session totalling 15 minutes. Another set of 6 cars also gets eliminated after the Q2 races are decided.

At the final qualification race, the drivers slug out under 12 minutes. Drivers are then ranked from 1-22 by their finishing speed as they proceed to the main race.

How then is the Belgian Grand Prix going to run in 2024?

Formula 1 announced that the Rolex Belgian Grand Prix 2024 would take place in the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

Here’s a sneak peek of what the Calendar schedule for the race weekend looks like:

• Practice 1: This session allows for the first introduction of the drivers and teams to the circuit. They get to test their race cars and tweak drive settings in the first practice session. This race starts at 9:30-10:30, UK time, on the 26th of July 2024.
• Practice 2: The second practice session begins in the afternoon of the same day as Practice 1. It runs from 13:00 to 14:00 UK time.
• Practice 3: The final practice session takes place on the 27th of July and begins at 10 am. The race is expected to wrap up one hour after at 11:00, United Kingdom time.
• Qualifying: Drivers lock horns to qualify for the main race across three qualifying sessions. The entire qualifying stage is to take place after Practice 3 from 13:00 to 14:00, United Kingdom time.
• Main Race: The Belgian Grand Prix Start Time UK is pegged at 13:00 on the 28th of July. The Race typically takes a two-hour time slot and ends at 15:00.

Belgian GP: Drivers & Teams

What is a better way to start a discussion about drivers and teams than to talk of the man who won the Belgian Grand Prix at its inception?

The first F1 Belgian Grand Prix winner was Antonio Ascari, scooping the top prize in 1925. His son, Alberto Ascari, would later win the 1952 and 1953 races.

Belgian F1 drivers are a talented bunch of fast racers. Prominent names in the Belgian F1 include Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Jim Clark, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, and Kimi Räikkönen.

Notably, Grand Prix drivers compete in teams, usually based on car types. Here’s a comprehensive list of the Belgian GP Teams and drivers representing them.

Professional race betting is unlike any other attempt at betting. It’s more sophisticated and exciting than most betting options.

If you’re interested in betting, you can wager on the following possibilities:

1. Head-to-head bets: In this bet, you can determine which driver and team will fare better in the Grand Prix.
2. Qualifying round bets: These bets cover which drivers will make it into the main race.
3. Pro bettors can also bet on the driver that will rack up the most places in a race’s first lap.

You can place bets with several agencies, including BetNow, Bwin, MyBookie, Unibet, and William Hill. Note that different betting platforms have specific rules for placing bets on the Belgian Grand Prix results.

Final Thoughts

The Belgian Grand Prix is interesting from the TV screens. Yet, nothing beats the excitement of being able to participate actively in the races. You can do that by placing lucky bets. Thankfully, this post has every piece of information you need to get the best out of the F1 Belgian Grand Prix.

Place a bet today and bring your interests to life by winning cool cash.