Studio 397 are absolutely delighted to bring to rFactor 2 one of the most revered and loved race circuits in Europe – that’s right, the mighty Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is now available to purchase for the sim!
Spa-Francorchamps | Steam Store: Click HERE.
The Belgian legend, one of the best tracks in Europe, home to the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Total Spa 24 Hours of Spa… at long last a highly accurate and incredibly detailed version of the 7.004km Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is available to purchase in rFactor 2.
The current configuration of Spa-Francorchamps first made its public debut during the 2007 racing season, having featured in previous years with several takes on the traditional lap ending Bus Stop chicane. Finally settling on a suitable configuration for a last corner that is very much at odds with the quick and challenging nature of the circuit, the venue has remained a firm favourite in the minds of both drivers and fans alike.
Consisting of some of the best sections of corners anywhere in the world, including the exceptional Eau Rouge / Radillon complex and the fearsome Pouhon (now called Double Gauche) – almost every one of the 19 turns on this historic venue are noteworthy in their own right – so let’s take a look at some key highlights as we see what we have in store for our rFactor 2 drivers:
La Source
This is one of the tightest corners on the track, and despite its relatively simple nature perhaps one of the most critical to get right for a competitive lap time – miss step on corner exit and you’ll be giving away time all the way down to perhaps the showcase corner of Spa-Francorchamps…
Eau Rouge / Radillon
Instantly recognizable throughout the world, Eau Rouge and Radillon offer up some of the most iconic tarmac in motorsport. Fast, challenging and dangerous – depending on the car and your racing line, a driver may just have to breathe off the throttle to safely navigate their way through the steeply uphill section of track, before rounding the blind crest through Radillon and powering down the Kemmel Straight and into the more technically challenging portion of the lap.
Les Combes
Here drivers have a great opportunity to line up their rivals and make a play for the overtake under braking, either down the inside into the first right-hander, or the long way round the outside and block pass for the switch back to the left-hand part of this section. A keen feeling on the brake pedal, and not too enthusiastic getting back on the gas are key ingredients to making your way through this part of the circuit in good time.
Double Gauche (Pouhon)
From top gear down to fourth, trail brake into the apex at corner entry then balance the car on the throttle for a smooth transition through the turn and early onto the power trusting the downforce and tyres to stick the car firmly into the racing surface – here you need confidence, commitment and a solid vehicle underneath you to fully unearth the speed needed to propel you through the corner and into the very fast final sector.
Les Fagnes
Another overtaking opportunity, on both the outside and inside line, Fagnes is one of those corners so very common to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit – fast, delicate and requiring the driver to dance on the pedals in order to find just that right balance between speed and keeping the car stable. A fantastic place to watch a race car in action.
Blanchimont
Pretty much flat out throughout the final sector (85% of the lap is spent at full throttle in a Grand Prix car) the drivers have to deal with the fearsome Blanchimont corner – probably full throttle, depending on setup, track condition and racing line, but very easy to make a mistake and lose lap time, or worse still, have a potentially race ending accident if you get too greedy with the curbs on corner exit.
Bus Stop
The final part of the lap is the reprofiled Bus Stop chicane. Despite its nature as a somewhat awkward corner in comparison to the rest of the lap, the Bus Stop has gained a bit of a fanbase in its own right, and offers up another really solid opportunity to overtake a slower rival. Much as with the rest of the lap at Spa-Francorchamps, get this wrong and the price of your mistake will be significant, so drivers will have to tread that fine line between caution and commitment.
Check out these awesome videos about the new circuit from our sim racing community:
Chris Haye
Ermin Hamidovic
Dave Cam
Simracing604
As we continue to develop and improve rFactor 2 we are incredibly keen to bring as many of the major racing venues of the world to the simulation as possible, and as big fans of endurance racing, the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps has very much been one of those ‘must-have’ tracks we wanted to see within the title. Back at base we’ve absolutely loved bringing this exceptional venue to life during the development process, and we hope you enjoy racing on it just as much!
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps – Available now in rFactor 2.
