Experience the Formula 1 motor racing weekend at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot from 17 to 19 July 2026. Watch practice, qualifying and high-speed runs through Eau Rouge, Raidillon and Kemmel Straight, then plan your ticket purchase for the days that fit your visit
Formula 1 at Spa-Francorchamps: a guide to Friday and Saturday
The weekend of 17 to 19 July 2026 brings Formula 1 back to Spa-Francorchamps. A two-day ticket valid from Friday covers two free practice sessions on the first day, the final practice session and qualifying on the second day, together with Formula 2, Formula 3 and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup races. Friday reveals how the teams search for a compromise between straight-line speed and stability through fast corners, while Saturday brings the battle for starting positions at a circuit where pole position does not guarantee a calm first lap.
For a ticket valid for two days, it is important to check whether it covers Friday and Saturday. According to the published schedule, such a combination does not include Sunday's Grand Prix race, but it covers all three Formula 1 practice sessions and qualifying. Tickets for this event are in high demand. It is worth securing tickets in good time.
A schedule that gradually raises the pace
Friday is the day for comparing car configurations, longer runs on different tyres and the first answers to the question of who has the speed on the Kemmel Straight. Saturday is considerably more intense: after the final practice session, there is no longer room for major changes, and qualifying determines who will head towards La Source from the front rows on Sunday.
- Friday: Formula 1 first practice from 13:30 to 14:30, and second practice from 17:00 to 18:00.
- Saturday: Formula 1 third practice from 12:30 to 13:30, and qualifying from 16:00 to 17:00.
- Support programme: Formula 2, Formula 3, Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and demonstration runs by historic Formula 1 cars.
- Sunday for visitors with the appropriate ticket: the Grand Prix starts at 15:00 and is contested over 44 laps.
The circuit opens to the public at 6:00 from Friday to Sunday. The final admission is possible until 19:30 on Friday and until 17:35 on Saturday, while closing is scheduled for 22:00 on Friday and 21:00 on Saturday. Arriving early has practical value: Spa-Francorchamps is a large complex, the access roads pass through hilly and wooded terrain, and walking between entrances, grandstands and open areas can take time.
Why Spa requires a different car from most circuits
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is 7.004 kilometres long and is the longest lap on the current Formula 1 calendar. Sunday's race distance is 308.052 kilometres. The length of the lap means that mistakes are costly: after a poor exit from a corner, a driver must wait a long time for another opportunity, while a change in the weather on one part of the circuit does not necessarily affect another sector at the same time.
The first corner, La Source, is a slow hairpin immediately after the start. The field compresses heavily there, and a good exit is more important than the entry itself because the descent towards Eau Rouge and the steep climb through Raidillon follow. The elevation change through that complex is approximately 40 metres. The cars then emerge onto the Kemmel Straight, where the slipstream and power-unit efficiency create one of the key opportunities to attack under braking into Les Combes.
The middle sector changes character. Bruxelles demands patience and control of the front tyres, while Pouhon is a long, fast double left-hand corner that reveals how much the driver trusts the rear of the car. Fagnes and Campus punish a poor rhythm, while Blanchimont raises the speed again before heavy braking for the Bus Stop chicane. The final chicane can decide a qualifying lap: braking too late causes wheel locking, while entering too slowly ruins the exit onto the main straight.
Spa therefore creates a classic technical compromise. Less aerodynamic drag helps in the first and third sectors, but makes driving through Pouhon and the sequence of rapid direction changes more difficult. More downforce can produce lap time in the middle sector, but the car then becomes vulnerable on the Kemmel Straight. For spectators, this conflict is already visible during practice, especially when teams change rear wings and compare maximum speeds.
Qualifying is not only a battle for pole position
Starting from the front row at Spa-Francorchamps is highly valuable, but the leading driver on the first lap often has to defend the position before Les Combes. The long period of full acceleration from the exit of La Source, through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, allows the car behind to use the slipstream. For that reason, some drivers seek a very low level of drag in qualifying, even if this means sacrificing some speed in the middle sector.
Saturday's tension builds through the three qualifying segments. On a lap longer than seven kilometres, traffic is more difficult to manage than at shorter circuits, and an interruption to the session can leave a favourite without a final attempt. The tyres must also be within the correct temperature window before a flying lap. For the Belgian weekend, Pirelli selected the middle three compounds from the 2026 range - C2, C3 and C4. According to Pirelli's data, tyre stress at Spa-Francorchamps is higher than at almost every other circuit, behind Silverstone and Suzuka.
Who arrives in the best form
Kimi Antonelli arrives as the leader of the drivers' standings with 179 points. George Russell is second with 154, Lewis Hamilton third with 147, and Charles Leclerc fourth with 108 points. Mercedes leads the constructors with 333 points, ahead of Ferrari with 255 and McLaren with 179. Those figures make Mercedes the natural reference point before the first practice session, but the previous race showed that the balance of power is not settled.
Leclerc won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Russell finished second, and Hamilton third. After problems with the car and a penalty, Antonelli was classified in 16th place, reducing his championship lead to 25 points. Spa will therefore be an important test of the leading driver's response and Mercedes' reliability at a circuit with long periods of full acceleration.
Ferrari arrives with clear momentum. Leclerc's victory and Hamilton's podium demonstrate that the team can threaten Mercedes, while the Spa-Francorchamps configuration places additional importance on the car's efficiency and confidence at high speeds. Hamilton also holds the record with six pole positions at the Belgian Grand Prix, so his Saturday pace will attract particular attention.
McLaren is not at the top of the constructors' standings, but it cannot be left out of the analysis. Oscar Piastri won here in 2025 after a race that began in wet conditions and finished on a dry circuit. Lando Norris is fifth in the championship with 97 points, and Piastri is sixth with 82. Max Verstappen is seventh with 76 points, but Spa suits him because of his aggressiveness through fast corners and his experience on this configuration. He won the Belgian Grand Prix three years in a row from 2021 to 2023.
The best places to watch speed and overtaking
The grandstands alongside Eau Rouge and Raidillon provide a view of the sudden elevation change, the compression of the cars at the bottom and the acceleration towards the top of the climb. Elevated positions in that area can also cover part of the section from La Source towards Raidillon. There, the speed is visible through the load on the cars as the floor runs close to the asphalt.
The end of the Kemmel Straight and Les Combes are better choices for spectators who want to watch braking and overtaking attempts. The new Silver 7 grandstand is located at the end of the straight with a view towards Les Combes. Pouhon offers a different picture: the cars remain in view for a long time through the fast double left-hand corner, while the direction change and lateral load are clearer than on the straight.
Bronze tickets provide access to open areas, including Kemmel, Blanchimont and the descent towards Pouhon, with large screens on which the rest of the lap can be followed. Silver and Gold categories include an assigned seat in the selected grandstand as well as access to Bronze areas. Places disappear quickly, especially at positions combining a view of the braking zone with a large screen.
Away from the circuit, the programme includes activities in the Fan Zone, simulators, food and drink outlets and a music programme featuring Lost Frequencies. In the grandstands, the sound of the cars differs from one area to another: at La Source, braking and acceleration dominate; on Kemmel, there is the long passage under full load; and at Pouhon, there is a sudden change in tone when entering the fast corner.
The weather can change the entire weekend
Spa-Francorchamps lies in the Ardennes, in a wooded area with varied elevations. Because of the length of the lap, rain can fall at Les Combes while the final sector remains dry. Such differences make tyre selection and the decision about when to leave the pits more difficult. In qualifying, a single cloud can change the conditions between two attempts, while in the race a wet section covering only part of the lap can delay the decision to switch to intermediate tyres.
Forecasts available several days before the event are not completely consistent. The trend from the Belgian meteorological institute for Stavelot indicates daytime temperatures of around 24 to 25 degrees during the weekend, while some models still mention the possibility of showers or thunderstorms. Visitors should check the forecast again immediately before departure and be prepared to walk across grassy, earthy and sloping parts of the open areas.
The example from 2025 demonstrates how much the weather can change the sporting picture. The race was affected by rain, and Piastri won after the transition from wet to dry conditions. At Spa-Francorchamps, strategy is therefore not only a matter of tyre wear, but also of estimating how quickly a cloud is moving across the seven kilometres of circuit.
Arriving by car, train or shuttle
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is located near Francorchamps, between the areas of Stavelot, Spa and Malmedy in the Belgian Ardennes. It is not an urban circuit with an underground station outside the entrance, so transport arrangements should be coordinated with the colour of the zone and the specific entrance shown on the ticket.
For arrival by car, parking must be reserved in advance. The yellow and green parking zones are connected to different sides of the complex, so the wrong choice can mean a longer walk around the circuit. The car parks open at 6:00 and close at 22:00, and vehicles cannot be left overnight. Traffic guidance for the event is integrated into Waze, but signs on the access roads and instructions for the specific parking zone take priority.
The nearest railway station is Verviers-Central. Shuttle buses run from there towards Francorchamps from 7:30 to 13:00, while return services towards the station are scheduled between 16:30 and 19:30. City Shuttle departures are organised from several cities in Belgium and neighbouring countries, including Brussels, Liège, Aachen, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Maastricht and Luxembourg.
For visitors travelling from farther away, practical bases are Spa, Stavelot, Malmedy and Verviers. There are no cash machines at the circuit itself; the nearest ones are in Spa, Stavelot and Malmedy. Ticket sales for this event are under way, and before travelling, the ticket, parking zone and transport to the appropriate entrance should be coordinated.
What to bring and what to leave outside the complex
Visitors are allowed to bring their own food and non-alcoholic drinks to the venue, but glass containers are not permitted. More than 25 drinking-water points are distributed throughout the complex. Payment at food and drink outlets can be made by bank card and cashless card, while cash is not accepted directly at those outlets.
Items that may block the view or endanger other visitors are prohibited, including large stands, camera poles and similar structures. Bicycles, motorcycles, scooters and skateboards cannot be brought into the spectator area. Smoking is not permitted in the grandstands or VIP areas. Small flags and banners are allowed if they do not obstruct the view.
Friday is useful for becoming familiar with the complex and comparing areas, while Saturday is suited to heading earlier towards the selected grandstand. Spa-Francorchamps rewards movement: La Source shows the battle at low speed, Raidillon the vertical drama of the circuit, Kemmel maximum speed, and Pouhon the aerodynamic precision of a modern Formula 1 car.
Sources:
- Formula 1 - 2026 Belgian Grand Prix schedule, circuit length, number of laps, results and drivers' and constructors' standings
- FIA - championship calendar and event information for Spa-Francorchamps
- Spa Grand Prix - entrance opening hours, transport, parking, grandstands, entry rules and spectator facilities
- Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - circuit history and characteristics of the Eau Rouge and Raidillon corners
- Pirelli - selection of the C2, C3 and C4 compounds and tyre stress at the circuit
- Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium - current weather trend for Stavelot