Spa-Francorchamps, built in 1921 in the forests and rolling hills of the Belgian Ardennes, quickly became one of the fastest and most daunting venues in European motor racing. Its character is defined by significant elevation change, sweeping high-speed corners and famously unpredictable weather — conditions that may be dry at one sector of the circuit while another is soaked in rain. The circuit hosted the first Belgian Grand Prix as early as 1925, and by 1950 was already regarded as a cornerstone of the European calendar.
By the time the season reached Belgium, only 14 cars arrived at Spa. The Alfa Romeo works team entered the dominant trio of Nino Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli. Scuderia Ferrari fielded two 125s for Luigi Villoresi and Alberto Ascari, with Ascari having the benefit of a new V12 engine to evaluate. The Talbot-Lago factory team ran three cars for Louis Rosier, Yves Giraud-Cabantous and Philippe Etancelin, who was standing in for the injured Eugene Martin. The remainder of the field consisted of private Talbot-Lagos, a single Alta and a Maserati for Toni Branca.
The race was the final Grand Prix entry for Geoffrey Crossley, forced out as many privateers were by the high costs of the sport after only a handful of starts.
Farina and Fangio set the pace in qualifying as usual, with Fagioli unable to match them. Raymond Sommer, in his older private Talbot-Lago, managed to split the two Ferraris on the grid.
The Alfa Romeos pulled clear as a group while Sommer battled with the pair of Ferraris. When the Alfas made their fuel stops, Sommer found himself briefly in the lead — an unlikely scenario ended when his engine failed. Ascari took over at the front but was also forced to stop for fuel, allowing the Alfas to re-assert themselves with Fangio leading Farina and Fagioli. Farina encountered transmission trouble in the closing stages and dropped to fourth, behind the best-placed surviving Talbot-Lago of Rosier. Ascari recovered to fifth.
The 1950 World Championship of Drivers was the first season in which the Formula One title was formally contested. Only the best four results from the seven championship rounds counted toward the title, and the standings recognised only the top five finishing positions. One additional point was awarded for fastest lap. The Belgian result contributed to Farina's eventual championship victory, the first in the history of the Formula One World Championship, with Fangio finishing runner-up.
The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa became one of the most storied fixtures on the Formula One calendar. Jim Clark dominated in the 1960s, winning four times in five years from 1962 to 1965, mastering the 14-kilometre layout of the old circuit with commanding margins. Ayrton Senna won five times in Belgium. Michael Schumacher claimed his first Formula One victory at Spa in 1992 and ultimately won there six times in total. Kimi Raikkonen earned four victories at the circuit, bringing him the informal title of King of Spa. The 1998 race, won by Damon Hill for Jordan after a multi-car collision in heavy rain at the start, remains one of the most dramatic in the circuit's history. After the original long circuit was deemed too dangerous for modern Formula One following 1970, the Belgian Grand Prix moved between Nivelles and Zolder before a new, shortened Spa-Francorchamps layout returned to the calendar in 1983.