Belgian Grand Prix weather forecast

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During the BBC’s coverage of the European Grand Prix there were some comments made that this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix will be hit by rain.

The track certainly has a reputation for it, but the forecast for the Ardennes region this weekend is typically uncertain.

Some sites insist rain will fall on Friday, and Saturday and Sunday have a decent chance of seeing rainfall.

The Metrociel precipitation map indicates a greater chance of rain on Saturday than Sunday around the times the F1 cars will be on track for their competitive sessions. (Use the hour indicators to the left of the map to follow the forecast. You can see the location of the circuit on the map below).

However it’s early days and the weather in this region is notoriously unpredictable. And the sheer size of Spa makes it especially vulnerable to the phenomenon where one part of the circuit is wet and the rest dry.

Wet conditions would likely suit the Red Bulls very well, as they were very strong in the rain at Sepang and Shanghai.

Rain has fallen on five of the last ten F1 races at Spa. Are you hoping for more rain at this year’s Belgian Grand Prix?


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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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30 comments on “Belgian Grand Prix weather forecast”

  1. Yes. Rain would be a plus. Anything to keep tightening up the championship.

    1. I would prefer it to stay dry, but only cos I shall be watching it trackside :-) Looking forward to an exciting race.

  2. hell yeah! keith don’t you mean the Red Bulls were good in the rain?

    1. Yes I did – changed that line. Thanks!

  3. Here’s hoping for some wet weather action

  4. Rain would be nice as this is one of the few sports which is improved further by rubish weather.

    Whatever happens weather wise SPA is normally always a highlight of the season dispite the nasty after taste last year left!!!

  5. Rain would be brilliant! Funny how after china we were all dying for a dry race…

  6. If it rains or not, it will be OK.
    Spa is THE CATHEDRAL of racing

    1. I’m not so sure. 2007, 2001, 2002 were all dry and boring. 2008 was boring while it was dry. The last exciting dry race at Spa was 2004, and that was probably partly because the grid was mixed up after a wet qualifying

      1. What I was referring to is that whatever happens on the track, the whole landscape and location is great to look at.
        If Bernie´s organisation had any taste ( they have absolutely zero ), they would show vintage footage of past races and champions in Spa, instead of coming up with that F1 Rocks plan.
        Things could done so differently, to show people the gloriuos past of a racetrack like Spa.

        1. Yeah I agree, it’s great watching the F1 cars zooming through the forests and up and down hills. I hope they have a helicopter filming the action like they did last year

  7. Max should resign now!!!
    25th August 2009, 5:31

    Yes I want some rain too! I just hope the stewards don’t screw it up this time again.

  8. I hope we have a classic Spa race, with a wet half of the circuit, and a dry half – that will really keep the teams and drivers on their toes…

    1. +1
      That’s one of the reasons why we love SPA !

  9. Spa is one of the best circuits on the F1 calendar so hopefully we should have a good race either way. But for me some of the best races in recent F1 history have been in the wet so I am hoping for rain during the race.

    On a related note, I read that Valencia want to move it’s Grand Prix to October, I understand they probably want to do this for economic reasons but is there any chance of rain at Valencia in October as I think rain is the only thing that could make that race interesting.

  10. Paul Sainsbury
    25th August 2009, 9:23

    Rain about half way through the race would be perfect. It was brilliant fun last year, so exciting over the closing laps that I was jumping up and down infront of the TV, yelling encouragement to Hamilton!

    What a shame that race was sunsequently ruined by the stewards.

    1. Indeed, Interlagos aside that was the most exciting finish to a race for a long while for me.

  11. No rain, cold and no points for Brawns this weekend

    1. and maximum points for RedBull. perfect.

  12. i’ll be there & look forward to some wet weather !!

  13. msn weather says 70% chance of rain on friday, 25% on saturday and only 5% on sunday. lets not forget these things can change easily in spa.

  14. Dry Start – Very Wet – then Drying track to almost bone dry in last 5 laps would set up a cracking race on Sunday :) inters…. slicks ? inters….. slicks ? at the end – ooh decisions decisions :)

  15. Rain on the track please, but dry where I’m sitting/where my tent will be pitched/around the areas upon which my car will need to drive

    1. My thoughts exectly,
      I shall be setting off for Spa tomorrow morning (very early)

  16. I was there last year (unfortuntely cant make it this year as they made it a week earlier, and clashes with my daughtes birthday weekend, sacrificies, sacrificies!!) and it turned out to be a classic thanks to the changeable weather, we were in the granstand and as Lewis wa slowly catching Kimi we were praying for rain – much to the Ferrari fans in front of us anger – lol. Great circuit, THE BEST – I’m sure it the weather will play a part in deciding the winner even if it does in Quali

  17. Hopefully a wet track at the start which goes to a drying track by the end of the race – except over the other side of the track, where it remains damp due to constant drizzle.

    For me, when it goes from dry to wet it’s too much of a lottery, but the other way round is much more intriguing. Lets see if Trulli can pull off another epic start…

    1. Choo-Choo!! :-D

  18. StrFerrari4Ever
    26th August 2009, 20:15

    This race will be fantastic it’s got all the right ingredients I’m hoping for a wet race drying and getting wet again. Seeing the drivers ultimate skills the strategists getting headaches and amid the Chaos that would allow Martin Brundle to throw Jonathan Legard out the commentary box :)

  19. Hopefully StrFerrari4Ever if there’s enough action we might be able to focus on race and blocking out Legard’s drone.
    Changeable weather would be fantastic but with it being Spa who knows…

  20. looks like we should have rain on saturday, msn and bbc are saying so.

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