Belgian Grand Prix preview - Spa-Francorchamps facts & statsAfter a four-week break in the Formula 1 calendar, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes returns to action at one of the worlds most historic racetracks. Spa-Francorchamps has been synonymous with F1 for more than 60 years, and its where McLaren has enjoyed much success. The team scored its first world championship victory at the circuit in 1968 and it has won at the venue consistently ever sinceincluding last years pole-to-flag victory for Jenson.The 4.352-mile/7.004km circuit is the longest of the season, and its also one of the fastest, with an average speed of 145mph/234km/h. Its most challenging cornersof which Eau Rouge, Pouhon and Blanchimont are threeare revered by the drivers as their combination of high g-forces and huge speeds makes this race very tough on man and machine.Spa-Francorchamps featured in the inaugural championship calendar in 1950, but its current design bears only a passing resemblance to the original 14km layout that last hosted a grand prix in 1970. That final race on the super-fast old track was won at an incredible average speed of 150mph, making it the sixth fastest race of all time!The modern circuit was opened in 1979 and, despite alterations to Eau Rouge and the Bus Stop chicane, it has retained much of its fast and flowing nature. A committed driver and an aerodynamically efficient car are pre-requisites to success, but racing at Spa-Francorchamps is rarely straightforward due to the fickle microclimate of the surrounding Ardennes hills. Rain invariably features at some point during the race weekend.Should this years 44-lap race remain dry, the teams will use Pirellis Medium and Hard tyre compounds, as they did in Malaysia, Bahrain, Spain and Great Britain earlier in the year.

Race distance       44 laps (308.052km/191.424 miles)Start time               14:00 (local)/12:00 (GMT)Circuit length        7.004km/4.352 miles2012 winner           Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-27) 44 laps in 1hr29m08.530s (207.344km/h)2012 pole               Jenson Button (McLaren MP4-27) 1m47.573s (234.393km/h)Lap record             Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren MP4-19) 1m45.108s (238.931km/h)McLaren at the Belgian Grand PrixWins                       14 (1968, 1974, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012)

Poles                      11 (1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2012)Fastest laps           8 (1974, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1999, 2004, 2010)Car 5: Jenson Button

Age         33 (January 19 1980)GPs         238Wins       15Poles      8FLs         8Spa has always been on my shortlist of favourite circuits in Formula 1. I still remember my first grand prix there, back in 2000, when I out-qualified Michael Schumacher in a Ferrarithat felt pretty special.Then I think back to my victory there last year: I had pretty much the perfect weekendmy car was fantastic, I got pole position and just led the whole race. It was one of the most satisfying wins of my career just because I felt strong and confident for the entire weekend.The thing about Spa is that it just feels awesome to nail a quick lap around thereyou need a car thats perfectly synced to the driver, because its such a long lap, and there are so many big corners, that you need to find that perfect balance. And getting the set-up rightand running flat-out for nearly two minutesfeels incredible.We dont go to Spa with the package to win, but Ill still be making the most of every single lap around this placeitll still feel incredible.Car 6: Sergio PerezAge         23 (January 26 1990)GPs         47Wins       0Poles      0FLs         2We had a positive race in Hungary, which was a nice way to end the first half of the season. Hopefully, it gave everybody within the team the motivation to return to work after the summer break with renewed focus. Im certainly feeling incredibly strong and refreshed and am really looking forward to getting back into the cockpit and back to work.Theres no better place to kick off the seasons second half than with races at Spa and then Monza. Theyre two of Formula 1s most iconic and evocative tracks, and two of the greatest challenges for any driver. I love Spa, but I didnt get too much of an opportunity last year: after qualifying fourth, I was one of the victims of the first-corner accident, so I didnt get to see what our car could do.So Im going to Spa this year with added motivation to do well. Its such a great placeI love fast corners, and the feeling of taking to the car to the limit around such a big and long circuit is incredible. The racing at Spaparticularly with KERS Hybrid and DRSis usually pretty intense, so Ill be looking forward to another exciting weekend.Martin WhitmarshTeam principal, Vodafone McLaren MercedesTheres absolutely no denying that Spa-Francorchamps is one of the greatest racetracks in the world. It occupies that exalted position alongside circuits such as Monaco, Silverstone, Monza and Suzuka; venues with a storied past and a demanding nature that make them some of the standouts on a packed calendar.For everyone in Formula 1, a weekend in Spa can be tough and demanding. The unpredictable weather means that theres rarely a straightforward path for our drivers and engineers to clearly pursue through the weekend. The cold and the rain make life difficult for the spectators, too, but they are rewarded with some of the best views in the world of racing cars at the limit.Spa has been the scene of many victories for McLaren through the yearsnot least, our very first grand prix win, achieved by Bruce McLaren himself back in 1968. While were not contenders for outright victory this time round, the whole team is looking forward to another opportunity to build on our ability to understand and operate MP4-28.A McLaren 50 momentBelgian Grand Prix, August 27 2000McLaren has enjoyed many successes at Spa-Francorchamps and none more significant than Bruce McLarens maiden win for his eponymous team in 1968. But were going to reflect here on a more recent victory for the team in which Mika Hakkinen claimed his only success in Belgium.Mika takes a convincing pole position in his McLaren MP4-15, but hes made to work hard for victory in the 44-lap raceand hes not helped by the weather. At 7am on race day, the gorgeous sunshine of qualifying is replaced by heavy and persistent rainand the race is started behind the Safety Car.Mika converts pole position and opens up a good lead during the early laps. But the rain abates and when a dry line appears Mika is caught out at Stavelot, where he spins. That lets Michael Schumacher into the lead and Mika spends the remainder of the race hunting down the Ferrari driver.With four laps to go Mika is in Schumachers slipstream. He tries to pass the German on the approach to Les Combes, but his efforts are firmly rebuffed. Schumacher is then forced wide by a backmarker at the same place on the following lap and Mika seizes his chance. He sensationally dives down the inside of Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta to take the lead. He crosses the line 1.1s ahead of Schumacher to claim his fourth win of 2000.