Damon Hill – 30 Years as a Formula 1 World Champion
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As one of Formula 1’s most iconic road circuits dating back to the foundation of the World Championship, Spa-Francorchamps is one of the most popular driver’s circuits. Over the years it has seen plenty of memorable triumphs and dramas.
These include Damon Hill’s hat trick of victories in 1993 and 1994 for Williams followed by a memorable maiden win for the Jordan Grand Prix on a rain-lashed circuit in 1998, a 1-2 with team mate Ralf Schumacher. That race saw the Ferrari of race leader Michael Schumacher collide with David Coulthard’s McLaren, leading to a pit lane confrontation, although DC returned to win in Spa in 1999.
The following year it was reigning World Champion Mika Hakkinen who claimed victory following a stunning overtaking manoeuvre against arch rival Schumacher along the Kemmel Straight. Mika unsighted Michael by diving to the right of BAR’s Ricardo Zonta whilst on the flat-out run to Les Combes circuit, taking the lead and winning the race.
That move would later be voted by F1 fans as the sport’s greatest ever overtaking manoeuvre.
Michael won at Spa a record six times and of course made his F1 debut there for Jordan in 1991. Lewis Hamilton has won on five occasions, while Sebastian Vettel triumphed three times, twice for Red Bull Racing and once for Ferrari. Jenson Button won the Belgian Grand Prix for McLaren in 2012 while Nico Rosberg claimed pole position and took victory in 2016, his World Championship winning year.
Max Verstappen has won on three occasions and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc once, in 2019, but an outlier is Fernando Alonso, a regular podium finisher in Spa. He has never stood on the top step.
