| From the
start, the corner at La Source comes very quickly and
is a hairpin that is taken in 2nd gear at around 40
mph after which drivers have two long straights that
are separated by Eau Rouge – which amounts to a
small kink in the circuit. Accelerating to 180 mph
along the first section, Eau Rouge can be taken in 6th
gear with only a slight loss of speed (165 mph) as it
goes downhill and then uphill left, right, and left.
Cars exit at Raidillon and then encounter the fastest
part of the course along the Kemmell straight at 190
mph.
As the track bears
round slowly to the right, there exists good
overtaking possibilities at Les Combes due to the wide
run-off areas. The right-left combination chicane is
taken in 3rd gear and 85 mph and is exited at Malmedy,
which is a right-hander taken at 100 mph.
Rivage is a virtual
hairpin which, due to being off camber and downhill,
causes cars all sorts of steering problems. It is
approached in 4th gear at 155 mph, taken in 2nd at 60
mph and exited in 3rd at 110 mph. Out of Rivage the
cars sweep along a short straight at 155 mph before
the track veers left at 90 mph and on to Pouhon at 100
mph, a double left-hander. Also off camber, it is
entered and exited in 4th gear at an average of 140
mph. On exit, cars power through the gears to 180 mph
before slowing at Fagnes – a right-left chicane
which is taken in 3rd gear at 100 mph.
Stavelot is a double
right-hand loop, turning the cars through 180 degrees
as they go downhill. Entered in 3rd with 4th (135 mph)
being engaged in the middle, but it is bumpy and cars
tend to skip about a bit as cars speed-up to 150 mph
on exit. Blanchimont is a long, sweeping left-hander
taken full-out in 6th gear at 185 mph. With the
Start-Finish line almost in sight, Bus Stop Chicane
appears, a sharp right-left-right chicane that slows
the cars right down to a 2nd gear 45 mph before they
emerge on to the pit straight at 170 mph.
|
