Image credit Thomas van Asperen on YouTube.
The Gold 9 Spa Francorchamps grandstand is actually made up of two different sections. They’re both located just after the start line and give spectators some of the best views possible of the action at the start of the Belgian F1 Grand Prix.
This article provides a full guide to sitting in either of the Gold 9 grandstands and includes example views, details on each grandstand, whether they’re covered or not and some hints and tips for selecting your seat tickets.
Contents
What is the Gold 9 Spa Francorchamps grandstand?
The Gold 9 grandstand at Spa Francorchamps is actually made up of two different sections:
- Gold 9 ‘Pole Position’
- Gold 9 BIS ‘Pole Position’
The second section, Gold 9 BIS, is a new addition to this seating area and is classed as an extension of the main Gold 9 ‘Pole Position’ grandstand.
Being part of the gold group of grandstands these are some of the most premium seats at the circuit, giving supposedly the best views and putting fans closer to the action.
It also means they’re the most expensive grandstands. For the 2023 race the Gold 9 BIS grandstand, the cheaper of the two, cost 490 Euros for a ticket for the 3-day weekend. The main Gold 9 grandstand was over 600 Euros.
Spa Gold 9 grandstands location
Both of the Gold 9 grandstands are located on the outside (left-hand side) of the start / finish straight on the Spa Francorchamps circuit. They’re just after the start line and are set a small way back from the edge of the track, with a bit of a gap between the barriers / safety fence and the front of the stands.
The Gold 9 BIS grandstand is the closest to the start line and furthest away from Turn 1, the incredibly tight La Source hairpin.
The main Gold 9 grandstand is closer to Turn 1 and a little further from the start line. The finish line is actually a little further back down the straight, closer to the final corner Chicane.
Tickets
Tickets for this stand sell out quickly on the Spa GP official site. If that’s the case but you still want some tickets for this stand, I would recommend purchasing them through P1 Travel. They’re an official F1 reseller, have a great reputation, get really good reviews and their tickets are great prices.
A weekend ticket for a seat in the Gold 9 grandstand at the Belgian Grand Prix also gets you full access to all of the Bronze General Admission areas around the circuit. That means you can go exploring and try out some other viewpoints knowing you will always have a reserved seat to come back to in the stand.
Gold 9 grandstand details
Is it covered?
- Gold 9 Pole Position: Covered
- Gold 9 BIS Pole Position: Uncovered
Gold 9 Pole Position is covered with a roof over the top but it’s quite high at the front so the front few rows are still likely to get wet. There’s no sides on the grandstand so the seats at either end are also exposed to the elements.
What kind of seats?
Both Gold 9 grandstands have individual chairs with fixed seat backs and seat bases.
TV screen
There’s usually one giant TV screen on the pit lane buildings on the other side of the track, and two smaller ones right at the front of the stands.
Spa Gold 9 grandstand view
From the Gold 9 Spa Francorchamps grandstand you have a view that spans from the exit of the final corner, Chicane, all the way through the apex and a bit of the exit of the first corner La Source. Plus you have a great view of the pit lane.
Unfortunately the pit lane buildings block your view of Eau Rouge and Raidillon.
The map below shows the areas of the track that are visible from these grandstands highlighted in pink.
The Gold 9 grandstands are a short way to the left (as you look at the circuit) of the start line. That means that you’re in prime position for any action at the start of the race, either on the start line or at the first corner. Plus the straight is one of the Spa F1 DRS zones so there’s normally lots of overtaking here throughout the race.
The grandstand is on a small bank next to the side of the track so has a nice elevated view of the circuit. You’ll have to look through the catch fence as the cars come close when they pass right in front of you, but that’s not too much of an issue.
If you sit far enough back / high enough in the stand, you can also just about see the cars as they exit the first corner and start their decent down the hill towards Eau Rouge.
The video below filmed from around half way up the main Gold 9 Pole Position stand shows the tops of the car are visible for a short period after they’ve exited La Source.
The view from the Gold 9 BIS stand will be slightly worse. Being wedged between the main Gold 9 stand and the large Gold 1 pit grandstand, if you sit on the extreme ends of the BIS stand it’s likely that the stand either side will block your view in that direction.
As an example, the video below was filmed from the far right-hand end of the main Gold 9 stand in the back row (before the BIS stand was built). It shows that being on the end and all the way up the stand means the Gold 1 pit grandstand slightly blocks the view of the exit of the Chicane.
Is the Gold 9 Spa grandstand a good place to sit?
For views of the start line, pit lane and action down in to Turn 1, the Gold 9 grandstands at Spa Francorchamps are a good option. I haven’t seen the Gold 9 BIS grandstand so it’s a bit of an unknown at the moment, so I would definitely choose the main covered stand and would request seats high up at the back and somewhere in the centre to make sure I was covered by the roof.
If you were desperate to sit on the start / finish straight, also consider the larger Gold 1 Pit grandstand which is just to the right of the Gold 9 BIS stand. It’s higher up so offers more panoramic views, still has great vantage points of the straight, run to Turn 1 and the pit lane plus it’s directly opposite the podium.
If you’re looking for somewhere to get a great view of any potential action at the first corner then the Gold 8 grandstand is probably a better choice. It has views of the whole start / finish straight, is closer to Turn 1 plus offers more visibility of the run down to Eau Rouge.
Nearest parking area
Blue parking area 14 is the closest to the grandstand, but it’s usually reserved for VIPs and people with accessibility requirements. The Yellow Spa parking areas are second closest and will be around a 20 minute walk from this grandstand if you use the La Source entrance gates. Check out our full guide to Spa Francorchamps parking for more info.
Tickets for the parking can be purchased directly through the Spa Grand Prix website.
Nearest campsite
The Yellow Spa Francorchamps campsite is closest to the Gold 9 stand. You can walk from the campsite to the La Source circuit entrance in around 15 minutes, then it’s only another couple of minutes to this stand.
Other Spa grandstands
Check out our spectator guides to the other grandstands at Spa Francorchamps:
- Max Verstappen stand
- Speed Corner grandstand
- Combes grandstand
- 17 – 27 area grandstand
- Gold 1 pit grandstand
- Gold 2 GP2 grandstand
- Gold 3 grandstand
- Gold 4 grandstand
- Gold 6 grandstand
- Gold 7 grandstands
- Gold 8 grandstand
- Silver 1 grandstand
- Silver 2 grandstand
- Silver 3 grandstand
- Silver 4 grandstand
- Silver 6 grandstand
Really useful! Thanks Alex 🙂
Good stuff Shane, thanks for the comment!