NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix

For the final race weekend before the summmer break, Formula 1 heads to Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix. Going into the event, Need to Know is your all-in-one guide with stats, trivia, insight and much more. You can also see how fans have voted using our F1 Play predictor game.

First and second practice will take place on Friday, July 26, followed by final practice and qualifying on Saturday, July 27, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, July 28.

IT'S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix

• First Grand Prix – 1950
• Track Length – 7.004 km
• Lap record – 1m 46.286s, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 2018
• Most pole positions – Lewis Hamilton (6)
• Most wins – Michael Schumacher (6)
• Trivia – Spa is the longest circuit on the current F1 calendar
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 165 metres
• Overtakes completed in 2023 – 99
• Safety Car probability – 75%*
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 13%*
• Pit stop time loss – 18.9 seconds

*From the last eight races in Belgium

FAN VIEW: Max Verstappen might have won the last three Belgian Grands Prix, but – having not claimed a victory during the past few rounds of the 2024 season – he is not favourite to win a fourth in a row, according to F1 Play gamers. Only around 14% believe the Red Bull driver will take top spot on Sunday, with the favoured choice being McLaren's Lando Norris, with just shy of a quarter of early entrants backing the Brit. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is second favourite (21%), then Charles Leclerc (20%) and Oscar Piastri (19%).

The driver’s verdict

Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: Spa is a really nice, flowing circuit. It’s always a trade-off between downforce levels. Do you go low downforce for the first and third sector? Or do you put on some downforce for the middle part of the lap?

You’ve also got to think about how raceable you want your car to be on Sunday, because if you prioritise the middle part of the lap, it can help you in qualifying on Saturday, but you might be a sitting duck on the straights.

WATCH: 5 great Belgian Grand Prix battles from the F1 archive

The start of the Grand Prix is always crucial. Being on pole is not necessarily the magic bullet here given that you can get out-dragged along the lengthy Kemmel Straight towards Les Combes on Lap 1.

It’s the longest lap on the calendar in terms of distance and it feels it as well. You’re going a long way away up the hill to Les Combes, and then that’s where your flow starts for the lap, through the right-left-right down the hill.

Probably the biggest challenge, or the most exhilarating part, is Pouhon, which is flat or right on the edge of it in the current-spec cars. But again, in race conditions, it can be a little bit trickier.

Then you need to get your braking right for the Bus Stop, which is the easiest place to mess up the lap. You think you’re a hero and then you just overcook it on the brakes for the final corner and the whole thing goes to pot. You can’t be cautious either. It’s the one that can make or break your lap.

Last five Belgian GP pole-sitters

• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
• 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2020 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 2019 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

HIGHLIGHTS: Enjoy the action from a controversial Hungarian GP as Piastri claims maiden F1 victory

Last five Belgian GP winners

• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2020 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 2019 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

FAN VIEW: F1 Play gamers continue the recent theme of being split amongst several names when it comes to who they think will take pole at Spa-Francorchamps. Norris leads from Hamilton, with Leclerc close behind. Hungary winner Piastri is fourth favourite, with Verstappen surprisingly only the fifth choice amongst the voters.

Tyre and strategy insight

“In terms of stress on the tyres, [Spa] is one of the tracks with the highest average levels, even if it does not reach the peaks seen at Silverstone and Suzuka,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview, also pointing to most of the track being resurfaced since the 2023 event.

“The track features all corner types, linked by very fast sections, which makes it difficult for the teams to identify the ideal aerodynamic compromise.

READ MORE: What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix?

“In fact, it is not unusual to see cars that are very strong in the fastest first and third sectors, struggling in the second slower one, or vice versa.

“Some combinations of corners, for example, Eau Rouge-Raidillon are very demanding and have unique characteristics, in this specific case a strong compression which puts a lot of stress on both the driver and the car.

“Usually, degradation at this track is mainly thermal, but the new surface could be a decisive factor in this area, given the extra grip afforded to the tyres.

“Finally, how can one discuss a race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps without taking the weather into consideration? If there is a single venue on the motor racing calendar, not just F1, where variable weather can play a role, it is this one.

READ MORE: What is the weather forecast for the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix?

“Not only can conditions change from one day to the next, but also grip levels can be dramatically different at various points on the track at the same time.”

FAN VIEW: Most F1 Play gamers have chosen a trio consisting of the drivers mentioned above to finish on the podium but, among the other options, Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz are the clear leaders from the chasing pack. A small number have also backed Sergio Perez to turn his form around and get back on the podium.

Current form

The pecking order has seen some intriguing changes play out as the season has progressed, and McLaren's continued ascent looked to be confirmed last time out in Hungary.

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris claimed a one-two for the Woking squad at the Hungaroring and, while much focus may have surrounded which driver would be in the lead by the chequered flag, one thing that was certain was that the team looked reasonably unchallenged for the victory.

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Indeed, McLaren are now ahead of Ferrari in second place of the constructors' championship, with Red Bull's lead potentially looking unstable after a challenging weekend for the Milton Keynes outfit at the Hungaroring.

Max Verstappen will be looking to bounce back at Spa-Francorchamps, a circuit that he has won at for the past three years. Team mate Sergio Perez is also under continued pressure following his Q1 qualifying exit in Hungary.

While Mercedes were not able to extend their winning streak last time out, the Silver Arrows still scored a podium with Lewis Hamilton. The team will be hoping for the cooler conditions that the W15 favours in Belgium.

And what of Ferrari? Charles Leclerc was pleased to have enjoyed better race pace en route to P4 at the Hungaroring, but the Scuderia appear to be lacking in comparison to their rivals and will be keen to assess if they have made a step forward this weekend.

FAN VIEW: Gamers on F1 Play are fairly set when it comes to the top seven drivers at Spa, but Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is seen as a likely candidate to at least secure points. Further possibilities include his team mate Lance Stroll and Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg.

Iconic moment

Another classic venue on the F1 calendar, there are plenty of dramatic moments and epic overtakes to choose from when it comes to the Belgian Grand Prix. This time, we’re taking it back to the 2000 season...

Hunting down title rival Michael Schumacher, and after an earlier run-in, Mika Hakkinen pulled off one of the most iconic moves in F1 history by using backmarker Ricardo Zonta to his advantage at the exit of the Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex.

WATCH: Hakkinen’s incredible comeback – From serious crash survival to back-to-back world championship success

While Schumacher went to the left of the BAR-Honda, Hakkinen darted out of the double slipstream to the right, duly storming past both drivers under braking for Les Combes and taking a lead he would not relinquish.

Watch the magic move from various angles in the video player below...

Elsewhere at Spa-Francorchamps

There’s more activity taking place this weekend as part of the wider Sustainability Strategy that Formula 1 introduced in 2019, which includes the goal of being Net Zero by 2030, leaving a legacy of positive change and creating a more diverse sport that reflects the world in which we race.

• All fans are being encouraged to use greener travel options this weekend, with an increase of over 40% of fans using public transport to reach the circuit since 2022. Ticket holders are offered a 50% discount on train travel, with other options including cycle paths, shuttle buses from 13 Belgian cities, and a carpooling app available. All bus shuttles are hybrid-powered, and EV vehicles are charged on-site using hydrogen generators.

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• On Thursday afternoon, more than 1,000 people from the local community and nearby schools are invited to take part in a special Pit Lane walk for a behind-the-scenes experience. Children from a local charity, which helps those growing up in vulnerable and underprivileged backgrounds, will also get a chance to tour the Paddock and engage with the drivers in some interactive activities.

• All waste from the event is redirected away from landfill, with 80% of it recycled and the rest going to energy recovery. All the water from the event is collected and nothing is discharged into the local area, preserving the local environment and protecting biodiversity.