Which Belgian Grand Prix venue first hosted its Formula One race in 1972?

Nivelles-Baulers first hosted the Belgian Grand Prix as a Formula One World Championship venue in 1972.

The circuit was built near Nivelles, south of Brussels, as Belgium searched for a safer alternative to the extremely fast original Spa-Francorchamps layout. Spa’s safety shortcomings led to the cancellation of the 1971 Belgian Grand Prix, and organisers then planned to alternate the event between a Walloon venue at Nivelles and the Flemish circuit at Zolder.

The first Nivelles race took place on 4 June 1972 and was won by Emerson Fittipaldi. The circuit hosted the Belgian Grand Prix again in 1974, also won by Fittipaldi, but it struggled to win lasting support from teams and spectators. Zolder subsequently became the more regular Belgian venue before Spa returned on its shortened modern layout.

Spa-Francorchamps is the familiar modern answer when people think of the Belgian Grand Prix, but it was not the venue for the 1972 race. Zandvoort is in the Netherlands, while Circuit Zolder’s first Belgian Grand Prix came after Nivelles, in 1973.