🇧🇪Circuit Zolder

Circuit Zolder is a 4.011 km, 10-corner motor racing circuit at Heusden-Zolder in the Limburg province of north-eastern Belgium. The circuit was officially opened in June 1963 by the Belgian Minister of Transport, with circuit design consulting from John Hugenholtz Sr — the Dutch designer already responsible for Zandvoort and at the time working on Suzuka in Japan. Formula One moved to Zolder in 1973 after Spa-Francorchamps was deemed too dangerous, and (with the exception of two races at Nivelles-Baulers in 1972 and 1974) Zolder was the home of the Belgian Grand Prix until 1982. Zolder is forever associated with the death of Gilles Villeneuve, who was killed on 8 May 1982 during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix when his Ferrari 126C2 collided at the crest of the Butte rise with the slower March of Jochen Mass. The corner where Villeneuve died has since been turned into a chicane and named in his memory — the Villeneuvebocht. Other named corners include the heavy-braking decreasing-radius left-hand Eerste (Turn 1, widely regarded as the most interesting corner on the lap and famous for first-lap mayhem), the double-apex right Sterrenwachtbocht, Kanaalbocht (named for the Albert Canal that the circuit passes alongside), the Lucien Bianchi-bocht 90° right onto the back straight, Terlamenbocht and the final corner. Today Zolder hosts the FIM Endurance World Championship 8 Hours of Zolder, the DTM, the FIA WTCR, the Belgian motorcycle championship and is by far the busiest motorcycle and car trackday venue in Belgium.