Spa, in November / Wet

[ecain63]

Just booked to hit Spa with Circuit Days in November. I'm expecting it to be cold and wet, with anything else being a bonus...... is it a good wet track or one to be feared like the Ring?

[brillomaster]

found it pretty decent in the wet actually, for starters the track surface is very grippy, and drains well. almost as soon as it stops raining it gets better.

plus, its a modernised formula 1 track, which means there are acres of tarmac run off at nearly every corner, or decent gravel traps. and its nice and wide as well.

though that said, eau rouge in the wet is scary (but its quite scary in the dry too!)

[ecain63]

brillomaster said:

found it pretty decent in the wet actually, for starters the track surface is very grippy, and drains well. almost as soon as it stops raining it gets better.

plus, its a modernised formula 1 track, which means there are acres of tarmac run off at nearly every corner, or decent gravel traps. and its nice and wide as well.

though that said, eau rouge in the wet is scary (but its quite scary in the dry too!)

Excellent, many thanks. I was at DN21 in May and we went from a very sticky dry track for 4 laps in the morning to a totally sodden and incredibly slippery track for another 17 laps in the afternoon. I don't mind the wet at all and in a RWD car it's great fun, but it's good to have a little knowledge of the way the track performs before you get there.

[braddo]

I've been once, in November, and a damp foggy start turned into a beautiful warm day so you never know how it might turn out! From memory it was like any other track in the damp/wet - stay off the dry racing line and there is a surprising amount of grip.

If it is wet it will be an interesting opportunity to feel the Exige's magic stability control.

[4packet]

We'll be there on the following Monday after Bilster Berg. Last year (October) it mostly rained, but was still a really good day. Probably 4 places you need to take care (do not touch the Eau Rouge exit kerb on the left) due to wall/barrier proximity, but otherwise just spot the run off tarmac and let the car run wide when it goes wrong.

Ignore the stupid chat, but this should give you a good idea of what it's like when very wet on Federal RSR's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBBNjpK5_ME

[HustleRussell]

Spa has a good consistent surface which drains relatively well. If its wet there may well be standing water mostly because when it rains at Spa it tends to bucket it down.

It feels pretty wide and there is good runoff for the most part.

There are places where you can come a cropper. Rivage 2 for example has no runoff. Eau Rouge, Raidillon, Pouhon, Blanchimont are so fast that if you get it wrong in a big way you can make it to the barriers.

[ecain63]

Excellent, many thanks. Sounds like a reasonably forgiving circuit so long as you're not a tool. I'm no Lewis Hamilton and I'm there for the experience, not the laptimes.

[Joshsl]

I've booked on that as well,, if you look at videos on youtube a lot of them are dry at that time of year with the odd wet one, ill be there with my mate in an e46 330i

[ecain63]

Joshsl said:

I've booked on that as well,, if you look at videos on youtube a lot of them are dry at that time of year with the odd wet one, ill be there with my mate in an e46 330i

Excellent, see you there.

[E-bmw]

Have been there in the wet, but that was in May, & the comments above are all applicable, NOTHING like as bad as the 'Ring in the wet.

[ecain63]

E-bmw said:

Have been there in the wet, but that was in May, & the comments above are all applicable, NOTHING like as bad as the 'Ring in the wet.

Excellent. As fun as it was, the Ring is an ice rink as soon as it rains.

[f0xy]

Plenty of grip in the wet if you are on a good enough tyre. Just avoid the kerbs. A few years back I didn't, and unfortunately the concrete wall at the top of Eau Rouge/Raidillon was the end of that chassis.

[ecain63]

f0xy said:

Plenty of grip in the wet if you are on a good enough tyre. Just avoid the kerbs. A few years back I didn't, and unfortunately the concrete wall at the top of Eau Rouge/Raidillon was the end of that chassis.

Sheesh!! Hope it was only the metal damaged.

I'm running Cup 2s at the moment but have Thruxton and Castle Combe to do before Spa. We'll see what they look like and the seek advice on what to fit if needed.

[doogalman]

Spa in the wet is still a demanding circuit. Understanding the wet lines and understanding why you can still destroy your car at every corner are what hopefully keeps the experience fun. New skills also come to play to get it right. As for drainage it can be bad, but depends on the severity of the rain.
Still good fun rain or shine which is what it can be. I have been known to be on sun loungers at spa in late October.
See you guys there hopefully.

[Kev_Mk3]

4packet said:

We'll be there on the following Monday after Bilster Berg. Last year (October) it mostly rained, but was still a really good day. Probably 4 places you need to take care (do not touch the Eau Rouge exit kerb on the left) due to wall/barrier proximity, but otherwise just spot the run off tarmac and let the car run wide when it goes wrong.

Ignore the stupid chat, but this should give you a good idea of what it's like when very wet on Federal RSR's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBBNjpK5_ME

Look for the metal grids hidden under the paint -



I am there doing it in November with Opentrack first time on the track at Spa should be good

[ukkid35]

I was there with some Cerb owners a few years ago

It was fine before the briefing, but when we came out 30 mins later it looked like this





The track was then salted, and was opened around lunchtime, far too difficult for me to drive though