The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was built in 1921 and used initially for motorcycle racing before hosting its first Belgian Grand Prix in 1925, won by Antonio Ascari in a works Alfa Romeo. The circuit ran through the Ardennes countryside using public roads, forming a layout of over nine miles. Ascari was killed at the French Grand Prix shortly after his Belgian victory. The race was designated the European Grand Prix six times between 1925 and 1973, an honorary annual designation given to one European race each year by the sport's governing bodies. Tazio Nuvolari won in 1933 and Rudolf Caracciola won in a Mercedes in 1935. The 1939 race was marked by the death of Richard Seaman, a British driver for Mercedes-Benz who crashed at Clubhouse corner in rain, struck a tree, and died of his burns. The race was won by Seaman's teammate Hermann Lang.
The circuit was modified to remove slow corners, leaving a configuration of around 8.7 miles (14.1 km) composed almost entirely of ultra-high-speed bends and straights. In this form, Spa-Francorchamps became widely regarded as the most extreme and demanding circuit in motorsport. Weather created additional unpredictability: drivers had no radio communication and could encounter heavy rain on one section of the circuit while another remained dry.
The Belgian Grand Prix joined the Formula One World Championship in 1950. Juan Manuel Fangio won for Alfa Romeo that year, with Nino Farina winning in 1951. Alberto Ascari dominated in 1953 in a Ferrari. The 1960 race became one of the darkest weekends in Formula One's early history: during practice, Stirling Moss suffered a wheel failure that left him with broken legs and vertebrae. In the race itself, Chris Bristow was killed when his Cooper overturned at Malmedy, and Alan Stacey died after being struck in the face by a bird at the Masta straight and losing control at high speed. Australian Jack Brabham won the race. Jim Clark, who finished fifth for his first championship points, developed an intense dislike of the circuit after having to swerve to avoid Bristow's body on the track.
By the late 1960s, average lap speeds at old Spa had passed 150 mph across a circuit with virtually no safety infrastructure. When Jackie Stewart visited on behalf of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association before the 1969 race, he demanded major safety improvements. The circuit owners refused to fund the work, leading the British, French, and Italian teams to withdraw and the race to be cancelled. One final race was held at old Spa in 1970 with minimal safety additions, won by Pedro Rodriguez in a BRM, before the circuit was deemed definitively unsuitable for the championship. The event moved to alternate venues — Nivelles-Baulers near Brussels and Zolder in northern Belgium — through the 1970s and into the early 1980s. Gilles Villeneuve was killed during practice at Zolder in 1982 after colliding with Jochen Mass; John Watson won the race. The final Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder was held in 1984, won by Michele Alboreto.
Spa-Francorchamps was shortened to 4.3 miles (7 km) in 1979, replacing the sections that passed through towns and countryside with a new sequence of purpose-built corners. The rebuilt circuit retained the Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex and the Blanchimont section, preserving much of the high-speed character of the original. The first Formula One race at the rebuilt Spa was won by Alain Prost, and the circuit quickly became a firm favourite with drivers and fans.
Ayrton Senna won five Belgian Grands Prix, including four consecutively from 1988 to 1991. Michael Schumacher won six times at Spa, including his 52nd win in 2001 that surpassed Alain Prost's all-time record of 51 victories, and his seventh World Championship at the circuit in 2004. Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen each won four times. The 1998 race ran in torrential conditions and produced a controversial late-race incident when Schumacher, running behind a safety car, came upon David Coulthard and collided at high speed; Schumacher's McLaren was destroyed, and Damon Hill went on to win the Jordan team's first Formula One victory.
The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix became the most controversial race in modern Formula One history. Persistent heavy rain prevented any racing under green flag conditions. Two laps were completed behind the safety car before the race was red-flagged and never restarted, with Max Verstappen classified first and half championship points awarded. The decision to award points for a race that effectively never started drew widespread criticism and directly led to rule changes for 2022 requiring a minimum race distance before full points could be awarded.
Michael Schumacher holds the record for most wins at Spa with six. Jim Clark won four consecutive Belgian Grands Prix from 1962 to 1965. The circuit's weather, its combination of high-speed and technical sections, and its scenic Ardennes setting have made it a consistently preferred venue among drivers throughout Formula One's history. The race's contract runs through 2031 on a rotational basis, sharing calendar slots with other European Grands Prix from 2027 onwards.