GridpediaZolder
- Location
- Heusden-Zolder, Belgium
- Races held
- 10 (1973 to 1984)
- Most wins, drivers
- Niki Lauda (2), Michele Alboreto (1), John Watson (1), Carlos Reutemann (1), Didier Pironi (1)
- Most wins, teams
- Ferrari (4), Team Lotus (2), McLaren (1), Williams (1), Tyrrell (1)
- Most poles
- Niki Lauda (2), Mario Andretti (2), Michele Alboreto (1), Alain Prost (1), Jacques Laffite (1)
- Fastest race lap
- 1:19.294, René Arnoux, 1984 (race laps since 1982; layouts change over time)
- Map
- OpenStreetMap
What is a lap of Zolder like?
Belgium's first purpose-built circuit, designed by John Hugenholtz and opened in 1963 on wooded land near the canal at Heusden-Zolder; it hosted the Belgian Grand Prix ten times between 1973 and 1984, at first alternating with Nivelles-Baulers, while Spa-Francorchamps was being renovated. A chicane was added on the rise over Sacrament Hill for the first Grand Prix in 1973, and for 1975 the final esses were tightened into the Jacky Ickx chicane, the lap changing from 4.220 km to 4.262 km. Gilles Villeneuve was killed in qualifying for the 1982 race when his Ferrari hit Jochen Mass's March at Butte, the left-hand bend after the first chicane and before the Terlamenbocht. After one last race in 1984 the Belgian Grand Prix moved permanently to Spa; Zolder remains an active circuit, home to the 24 Hours of Zolder, truck racing and NASCAR Euro Series rounds, and also hosts cycling and cyclo-cross world championship events.
- Lap length
- 4.262 km
- Direction
- clockwise
- Layout described
- Grand Prix Circuit with the Jacky Ickx chicane, 4.262 km, used for the Formula 1 races of 1975-1984 (last F1 race: 1984 Belgian Grand Prix)
| Order | Name | Side | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left | ||
| 2 | Sterrenwachtbocht | Right | |
| 3 | Kanaalbocht | Right | |
| 4 | Lucien Bianchibocht | Right | |
| 5 | Kleine Chicane | chicane | |
| 6 | Butte | Left | |
| 7 | Terlamenbocht | Right | |
| 8 | Bolderbergbocht | Right | hairpin |
| 9 | Jochen Rindtbocht | ||
| 10 | Jacky Ickx chicane | chicane |
Sources for the checked facts (10)
- formula1.com/en/results/1984/races/468/belgium/fastest-laps
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_Zolder
- racingcircuits.info/europe/belgium/zolder.html
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_Belgian_Grand_Prix
- commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Circuit_Zolder-1975-1985.svg
- lapmeta.com/en/track/variation/91/track_map
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Belgian_Grand_Prix
- f1.fandom.com/wiki/Circuit_Zolder
- gptoday.net/nl/nieuws/f1/237412/circuit-zolder-vernoemt-chicane-naar-thierry-boutsen
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_Belgian_Grand_Prix
Does pole position win at Zolder?
The pole sitter has won 5 of 10 races here (50%). Across all circuits since 1950 the pole sitter wins 44% of races. The winner started from the front row (P1 or P2) in 6 of 10 races (60%) and from the top three in 7 (70%). Lowest grid position to win: 10th, John Watson in 1982.
| Winner started from | Wins | Share |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5 | 50% |
| P2 | 1 | 10% |
| P3 | 1 | 10% |
| P6 | 1 | 10% |
| P7 | 1 | 10% |
| P10 | 1 | 10% |
Where the winner started, every race at this circuit. Pole sitter means the driver who set the fastest qualifying time (first on the grid where no qualifying data exists); a grid penalty can move the pole sitter back, and that race still counts for them. Compare every circuit.