News
20th August 2014, 17:30
Did you know that Lewis Hamilton is the only current driver to have taken pole position more than once at Spa, but that he still trails Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in the victory count? Or that all four of Jim Clark's Belgian triumphs - and five of Michael Schumacher's six - came without the benefit of starting from pole? Ahead of this weekend's 2014 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix, we present all the need-to-know facts, stats and trivia...
Circuit: Spa-Francorchamps
Circuit length: 7.004 km
Number of corners: 19 (10 left, 9 right)
DRS zones: 2
Race laps: 44
Race distance: 308.052 km
2014 tyre compounds: Medium, soft
Circuit lap record: 1m 47.263s - Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 2009
First world championship Grand Prix in Belgium: 1950, Spa-Francorchamps (won by Juan Manuel Fangio, Alfa Romeo)
Number of races: 58 (46 - Spa-Francorchamps; 10 - Zolder; 2 - Nivelles)
Number of races at Spa-Francorchamps with at least one safety-car appearance: Eight of the last 12
Longest race: 1952 (3h 03m 46.3s)
Shortest race: 2004 (1h 08m 05.0s)
Last year's pole position: 2m 01.012, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Last year's podium: 1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 2 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), 3 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Most appearances (current field): 12 - Jenson Button; 10 - Fernando Alonso; 9 - Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa; 7 - Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton; 6 - Adrian Sutil; 3 - Daniel Ricciardo, Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado, Kamui Kobayashi, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg; 2 - Jean-Eric Vergne; 1 - Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Gutierrez
Most Belgian Grand Prix wins (driver): 6 - Michael Schumacher; 5 - Ayrton Senna; 4 - Jim Clark, Kimi Raikkonen; 3 - Juan Manuel Fangio, Damon Hill; 2 - Alberto Ascari, Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel; 1 - Nino Farina, Peter Collins, Tony Brooks, Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren, Pedro Rodriguez, Jackie Stewart, Gunnar Nilsson, Mario Andretti, Jody Scheckter, Didier Pironi, Carlos Reutemann, John Watson, Michele Alboreto, Nigel Mansell, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button
Most Belgian Grand Prix wins (constructor): 16 - Ferrari; 14 - McLaren; 8 - Lotus; 4 - Williams; 2 - Alfa Romeo, Benetton, Red Bull; 1 - Maserati, Mercedes, Vanwall, Cooper, Eagle, BRM, Tyrrell, Ligier, Renault, Jordan
Most Belgian Grand Prix wins (engine manufacturer): 16 - Ferrari; 10 - Ford; 7 - Mercedes, Renault; 5 - Climax, Honda; 2 - Alfa Romeo; 1 - Maserati, Vanwall, Weslake, BRM, TAG, Mugen-Honda
Most Belgian Grand Prix pole positions (driver): 4 - Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost; 3 - Graham Hill, Mika Hakkinen; 2 - Niki Lauda, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya, Lewis Hamilton; 1 - Nino Farina, Alberto Ascari, Eugenio Castellotti, Mike Hawthorn, Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, John Surtees, Jim Clark, Chris Amon, Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson, Clay Regazzoni, Jacques Laffite, Alan Jones, Carlos Reutemann, Michele Alboreto, Nelson Piquet, Rubens Barrichello, Gerhard Berger, Michael Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, Kimi Raikkonen, Giancarlo Fisichella, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button
Most Belgian Grand Prix pole positions (constructor): 13 - Ferrari; 11 - McLaren; 9 - Williams; 5 - Lotus; 3 - BRM, Renault; 2 - Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Red Bull; 1 - Lancia, Cooper, Brabham, March, Ligier, Jordan, Force India, Mercedes
Most Belgian Grand Prix pole positions (engine manufacturer): 13 - Ferrari; 9 - Ford, Renault; 8 - Mercedes; 6 - Honda; 3 - BRM; 2 - Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Climax; 1 - Lancia, TAG, Hart, BMW
Number of wins from pole: 21 from 58 races (36 percent); Four of the last ten races (40 percent)
Lowest winning grid position: 16th (Michael Schumacher, Benetton, 1995)
Laps led (current field): 153 - Kimi Raikkonen; 82 - Sebastian Vettel; 50 - Lewis Hamilton; 45 - Jenson Button; 7 - Fernando Alonso; 6 - Felipe Massa; 4 - Nico Rosberg
Most podium places (current field): 5 - Kimi Raikkonen; 4 - Sebastian Vettel; 3 - Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton; 2 - Felipe Massa
Number of Belgians to have started at least one Grand Prix: 23
Strange but true: None of Jim Clark's four victories in Belgium came from pole, with the three-time world champion making up a total of 24 places during his quartet of triumphs. When he did start from pole, in 1967, he went on to finish sixth. Michael Schumacher came close to repeating the dynamic: his first five victories came from the second row or lower, but in 2002 he converted pole into what would be his final victory on Belgian soil.
Percentage of 2014 season complete: 57 percent
Maximum number of world championship points still available to a single driver: 225
Significant running sequences going into this weekend: Ferrari - 78 consecutive races in the points - the longest run in F1 history; Fernando Alonso - 14 consecutive points finishes; Lewis Hamilton - 4 consecutive podium finishes; Nico Rosberg - 3 consecutive poles
Milestone: A Mercedes triumph at Spa would be the team's 23rd Formula One victory, which would move them level with Tyrrell and into a share of ninth in the all-time list.
Turbo history: If a Ferrari-powered car wins the race it'll be the first Ferrari turbo win since the 1988 Italian Grand Prix.
For tickets to 2014 FORMULA 1 races, click here (http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc9 24805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Ftickets.formula1.com%2F).
For FORMULA 1 merchandise,
Circuit: Spa-Francorchamps
Circuit length: 7.004 km
Number of corners: 19 (10 left, 9 right)
DRS zones: 2
Race laps: 44
Race distance: 308.052 km
2014 tyre compounds: Medium, soft
Circuit lap record: 1m 47.263s - Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 2009
First world championship Grand Prix in Belgium: 1950, Spa-Francorchamps (won by Juan Manuel Fangio, Alfa Romeo)
Number of races: 58 (46 - Spa-Francorchamps; 10 - Zolder; 2 - Nivelles)
Number of races at Spa-Francorchamps with at least one safety-car appearance: Eight of the last 12
Longest race: 1952 (3h 03m 46.3s)
Shortest race: 2004 (1h 08m 05.0s)
Last year's pole position: 2m 01.012, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
Last year's podium: 1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 2 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), 3 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Most appearances (current field): 12 - Jenson Button; 10 - Fernando Alonso; 9 - Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa; 7 - Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton; 6 - Adrian Sutil; 3 - Daniel Ricciardo, Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado, Kamui Kobayashi, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg; 2 - Jean-Eric Vergne; 1 - Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Gutierrez
Most Belgian Grand Prix wins (driver): 6 - Michael Schumacher; 5 - Ayrton Senna; 4 - Jim Clark, Kimi Raikkonen; 3 - Juan Manuel Fangio, Damon Hill; 2 - Alberto Ascari, Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel; 1 - Nino Farina, Peter Collins, Tony Brooks, Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren, Pedro Rodriguez, Jackie Stewart, Gunnar Nilsson, Mario Andretti, Jody Scheckter, Didier Pironi, Carlos Reutemann, John Watson, Michele Alboreto, Nigel Mansell, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button
Most Belgian Grand Prix wins (constructor): 16 - Ferrari; 14 - McLaren; 8 - Lotus; 4 - Williams; 2 - Alfa Romeo, Benetton, Red Bull; 1 - Maserati, Mercedes, Vanwall, Cooper, Eagle, BRM, Tyrrell, Ligier, Renault, Jordan
Most Belgian Grand Prix wins (engine manufacturer): 16 - Ferrari; 10 - Ford; 7 - Mercedes, Renault; 5 - Climax, Honda; 2 - Alfa Romeo; 1 - Maserati, Vanwall, Weslake, BRM, TAG, Mugen-Honda
Most Belgian Grand Prix pole positions (driver): 4 - Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost; 3 - Graham Hill, Mika Hakkinen; 2 - Niki Lauda, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve, Juan Pablo Montoya, Lewis Hamilton; 1 - Nino Farina, Alberto Ascari, Eugenio Castellotti, Mike Hawthorn, Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, John Surtees, Jim Clark, Chris Amon, Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ronnie Peterson, Clay Regazzoni, Jacques Laffite, Alan Jones, Carlos Reutemann, Michele Alboreto, Nelson Piquet, Rubens Barrichello, Gerhard Berger, Michael Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, Kimi Raikkonen, Giancarlo Fisichella, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button
Most Belgian Grand Prix pole positions (constructor): 13 - Ferrari; 11 - McLaren; 9 - Williams; 5 - Lotus; 3 - BRM, Renault; 2 - Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Red Bull; 1 - Lancia, Cooper, Brabham, March, Ligier, Jordan, Force India, Mercedes
Most Belgian Grand Prix pole positions (engine manufacturer): 13 - Ferrari; 9 - Ford, Renault; 8 - Mercedes; 6 - Honda; 3 - BRM; 2 - Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Climax; 1 - Lancia, TAG, Hart, BMW
Number of wins from pole: 21 from 58 races (36 percent); Four of the last ten races (40 percent)
Lowest winning grid position: 16th (Michael Schumacher, Benetton, 1995)
Laps led (current field): 153 - Kimi Raikkonen; 82 - Sebastian Vettel; 50 - Lewis Hamilton; 45 - Jenson Button; 7 - Fernando Alonso; 6 - Felipe Massa; 4 - Nico Rosberg
Most podium places (current field): 5 - Kimi Raikkonen; 4 - Sebastian Vettel; 3 - Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton; 2 - Felipe Massa
Number of Belgians to have started at least one Grand Prix: 23
Strange but true: None of Jim Clark's four victories in Belgium came from pole, with the three-time world champion making up a total of 24 places during his quartet of triumphs. When he did start from pole, in 1967, he went on to finish sixth. Michael Schumacher came close to repeating the dynamic: his first five victories came from the second row or lower, but in 2002 he converted pole into what would be his final victory on Belgian soil.
Percentage of 2014 season complete: 57 percent
Maximum number of world championship points still available to a single driver: 225
Significant running sequences going into this weekend: Ferrari - 78 consecutive races in the points - the longest run in F1 history; Fernando Alonso - 14 consecutive points finishes; Lewis Hamilton - 4 consecutive podium finishes; Nico Rosberg - 3 consecutive poles
Milestone: A Mercedes triumph at Spa would be the team's 23rd Formula One victory, which would move them level with Tyrrell and into a share of ninth in the all-time list.
Turbo history: If a Ferrari-powered car wins the race it'll be the first Ferrari turbo win since the 1988 Italian Grand Prix.
For tickets to 2014 FORMULA 1 races, click here (http://redirect.viglink.com?key=11fe087258b6fc0532a5ccfc9 24805c0&u=http%3A%2F%2Ftickets.formula1.com%2F).
For FORMULA 1 merchandise,