Forgotten F1 Circuit: The Hidden History of Nivelles 

Forgotten F1 Circuit: The Hidden History of Nivelles
In this video, I take you on a trip down memory lane as we explore the lost Formula 1 circuit of Nivelles in Belgium, a track with a brief but significant history in motorsport. My name is Herman Liesemeijer, the founder of the Circuits of the past website and RU-vid channel, and today, I’ll show you what remains of this once-iconic circuit and share the story of my first visit to this abandoned track back in 1998.
For those who aren’t familiar, Nivelles was one of the few circuits to host the Belgian Grand Prix in the 1970s, with races held here in 1972 and 1974. Both races were won by the legendary Emerson Fittipaldi. Unfortunately, Nivelles was never quite able to shake off its reputation as a "boring" track, largely due to being compared to the beloved Spa-Francorchamps. But as you’ll see in this video, there was much more to Nivelles than meets the eye, and it deserves to be remembered as a key part of Formula 1 history.
I first visited Nivelles in 1998, long after it had closed in 1981. Back then, it was a crumbling, abandoned circuit-a true ruin of motorsport history. What you see today is drastically different from what I saw during my first illegal exploration of the track. Yes, I entered the circuit illegally! I drove through a tunnel, which has now been converted into a garage, and onto the pit lane, which at the time was still intact. It was a surreal experience, driving on this deserted track, knowing it had once hosted some of the best drivers in the world.
As we walk and drive through the remains of the Nivelles circuit, I’ll show you the spots that were once crucial parts of the racing layout. Starting with the old pit lane, I’ll take you through the start/finish straight, where I first drove onto the track in my VW Scirocco back in 1998. It was an exhilarating feeling-partly because I knew I wasn’t supposed to be there-but also because I was driving on a piece of forgotten racing history.
The track layout was unique, featuring the Big Loop, or "La Crosse" as the locals called it, a series of two fast, right-hand corners that had some elevation changes. These corners made Nivelles a real challenge for drivers, but unfortunately, they weren’t enough to save the track from its unfortunate reputation.
During my first visit to Nivelles in 1998, I had a hair-raising moment on the Big Loop. After driving a slow lap to get familiar with the layout, I decided to speed up. As I came through the second right-hander, I hit a massive bump where a concrete slab had subsided in the road. It was a close call and a stark reminder that this abandoned track was no longer fit for racing. That bump almost threw me off the circuit, and after that, I decided to take it easy for the rest of the day.
As we move through the circuit in this video, I’ll point out where other key parts of the track used to be. We’ll walk the path of the back straight, which now serves as a modern road, and I’ll show you the site of the old chicane that once slowed down drivers before they hit the last part of the circuit. In 1998, there was a dangerous bump here too, and even back then, you could tell the track had seen better days.
Throughout the video, you’ll also see some relics from my previous visits. I placed a sticker on a lamppost back in 2022, and it’s still there today-a little piece of Circuits of the past memorabilia left behind at this historic site. If you’d like to get your hands on one of those stickers, or some of the merchandise I wear in these videos, be sure to check out the shop on my website. We’ve got plenty of cool gear for fans of classic circuits!
The story of Nivelles is one of missed potential. It was designed with safety in mind, making it a modern circuit for its time, but it just never captured the hearts of drivers or fans. It suffered from comparisons to Spa-Francorchamps, and after only a few years, Formula 1 moved on to other venues. Despite this, Nivelles holds a special place in the history of motorsport, and for me personally, it was the track that inspired the Circuits of the past project.
I hope you enjoy this in-depth look at the lost F1 circuit of Nivelles. If you love exploring the forgotten circuits of motorsport history, be sure to subscribe to the channel and hit the notification bell, so you don’t miss any of our future videos. We’ve got plenty more to come, including visits to other abandoned circuits and historic race tracks from around the world. And if you want to help support the channel and keep these memories alive, feel free to use the Super Chat feature during our live streams or check out the links in the description for ways to donate.
Thank you for watching this journey back in time to the lost Nivelles circuit. Don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think of the video. I’ll see you in the next one!
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