Spa F1 GP - best viewing area?
Discussion
Sorry this will be a very unhelpful comment.....
Go for something other than F1, preferably the GT 24 hour and walk all the way around the circuit, sit in the trees and watch from every viewing point you can. That's the only way to see cars at Spa! It's such an incredible circuit that it's wasted if you sit in one spot only.
If you really want to see F1 from a grandstand seat, check out where the new grandstands will be following the rebuilding/reprofiling of the F1 pitstraight, La Source and the Endurance pit straight - I imagine there will be more grandstand options than in previous years.
Go for something other than F1, preferably the GT 24 hour and walk all the way around the circuit, sit in the trees and watch from every viewing point you can. That's the only way to see cars at Spa! It's such an incredible circuit that it's wasted if you sit in one spot only.
If you really want to see F1 from a grandstand seat, check out where the new grandstands will be following the rebuilding/reprofiling of the F1 pitstraight, La Source and the Endurance pit straight - I imagine there will be more grandstand options than in previous years.
AlexRWD said:
Hi folks - just about to book tickets for Spa, and would really appreciate any tips / recommendations anyone has for best area to buy tickets for
cheers
cheers
We bought general admission and got in early enough to pick a good spot at the Bus Stop. Would have liked to have been somewhere in view of the first corner or Eau Rouge, but those get very crowded very quickly come race day.
While we got a good view of the race from pretty close, we missed one of the best overtakes in modern F1 when Hakinnen took Schu around Zonta. And we didn't manage to invade the track quick enough to see the podium.
You don't need a grandstand for Spa, the trickiest corner now is probably Pouhon and that's viewable from general admission. Plus a lot of the areas are hih above the circuit so fences aren't an issue for photos.
You can see all you need to know about Eau Rouge from the merchandising area, the circuit towers above everthing and it's an awe-inspiring sight.
The Rivage hairpin is also good for seeing into the cockpit. In fact the best thing about Spa is that you can wander round and see loads without buying a grandstand seat.
You can see all you need to know about Eau Rouge from the merchandising area, the circuit towers above everthing and it's an awe-inspiring sight.
The Rivage hairpin is also good for seeing into the cockpit. In fact the best thing about Spa is that you can wander round and see loads without buying a grandstand seat.
kevin ritson said:
You can see all you need to know about Eau Rouge from the merchandising area, the circuit towers above everthing and it's an awe-inspiring sight.
You are very right about that. For years I'd listened to Murray and then Martin saying how incredibly steep it is, and that the TV cameras destroy the gradient, so I expected it to be steep. That still didn't prepare me for standing at the bottom thinking "
hell that is steep" 
kevin ritson said:
You can see all you need to know about Eau Rouge from the merchandising area, the circuit towers above everthing and it's an awe-inspiring sight.
You're not wrong. Spa was my first foreign GP - we went in 2005.
"Things to do before you're 30, number 4 - See an F1 car take Eau Rouge at full pelt"
It was only when we got into the circuit and stood in said merchandising area that we saw just how steep it was - TV really doesn't do it justice.
Spa was weird after Silverstone. Silverstone's an airfield so by nature it's flat. Spa most definitely isn't. It's like someone's just taken a forest with valleys and hills and laid a grand prix circuit over it (which in essence they have!) Fascinating place but take good walking shoes and be prepared for a long walk. Everywhere.
We watched qualifying on the straight just after Eau Rouge then the race from Bus Stop. Both were excellent.
One last thing - take clothes for all weather. Pouring rain, blazing sun and everything in between. On the day of qualifying I went from shorts, t-shirt and suncream to trousers, coat and brolly in the space of about 2 hours!
Spent a shedload getting to Spa and into Eau Rouge grandstand to watch a Schumacher procession the year Allan McNish had an F1 seat (2002?). If it hadn't been for the Porsche Super-Cup (Ortelli brilliant) it would have been a complete waste of money.
Best view of 'Spa..............on the telly............or behind the wheel, thanks to Andy and TVR Monster!
Best view of 'Spa..............on the telly............or behind the wheel, thanks to Andy and TVR Monster!
Piglet said:
Sorry this will be a very unhelpful comment.....
Go for something other than F1, preferably the GT 24 hour and walk all the way around the circuit, sit in the trees and watch from every viewing point you can. That's the only way to see cars at Spa! It's such an incredible circuit that it's wasted if you sit in one spot only.
If you really want to see F1 from a grandstand seat, check out where the new grandstands will be following the rebuilding/reprofiling of the F1 pitstraight, La Source and the Endurance pit straight - I imagine there will be more grandstand options than in previous years.
Go for something other than F1, preferably the GT 24 hour and walk all the way around the circuit, sit in the trees and watch from every viewing point you can. That's the only way to see cars at Spa! It's such an incredible circuit that it's wasted if you sit in one spot only.
If you really want to see F1 from a grandstand seat, check out where the new grandstands will be following the rebuilding/reprofiling of the F1 pitstraight, La Source and the Endurance pit straight - I imagine there will be more grandstand options than in previous years.
Great advice.
It's a lovely places, and some excellent viewing spots. Trouble is it's a long lap, not many of them, and no parade lap. You don't get to see the cars that often in a GP.
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