Today the modern pits and starting grid are located before the La Source hairpin. The old pits and grid however were originally just past the hairpin, on the steep downhill section leading to Eau Rouge.
Below is a satellite image of Spa-Francorchamps with the La Source hairpin at the north end of the image.
The yellow portion is the modern shortened Grand Prix circuit. The red portion shows the original track continuing east to Burnenville and Malmédy, then onto the long long straight, broken only by the Masta Kink. At the bottom of the image is the ultrafast sweeping curve at Stavelot which turns the track back north until it rejoins the modern circuit just before Blanchimont.
I have a short video clip of one of my uglier GPL crashes at Spa. The incident runs between the two green stripes shown on the satellite photo above, from just before Masta until the big wreck at Stavelot.
| Here I'm approaching the infamous Masta Kink, flying along at 190 mph in my favourite 1967 Lotus 49. |
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I miss the turn in point at Masta by a bit and am forced to crank the steering over harder than I intended. The understeering right front wheel screeches in protest and paints a new skid mark on the track. I barely avoid clanging up against the outside guard rail.
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I'm way off line, which totally screws up the exit of the
kink. I'm lucky not to put a wheel in the dirt on the exit because
that usually leads to a spin, which in turn leads to a fatal impact with
one of those damn houses that sit right on the edge of the track. But I
saved it this time and exit the Masta kink still going 140mph.
Check out the huge drift angle of these cars when cornering at speed! |
I am still blissfully unaware of this happening, but up ahead Jackie Stewart and Guy Ligier hook wheels, sending Ligier cartwheeling off the circuit, over the hedge, and deep into the scenery where he ultimately lands somewhere in the village of Stavelot.
Stewart's car spins several times and fetches up stranded square on the racing line.
Approaching at 190 mph, and concentrating too hard on setting up the proper drift angle to nail the entrance to the 160 mph Stavelot corner, I completely fail to notice the flagman waving a yellow flag to warn me of Stewart's car still stranded on the track.
This is what happens...
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