There’s always those corners at certain circuits all over the world that stick out in your mind. Corners that are intimidating, daunting and dangerous. Eau Rouge at the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit is all of the above. Named after the tiny creek that runs under the circuit at the bottom of the hill, the Eau Rouge is actually the first left hander not the complete corner. Raidillon completes the corner sequence at the top of the hill and has always been a difficult corner in racing. But why?.

Using Google Maps in conjunction with the Topocoding API we can accurately measure the total distance of elevation change from the base of the hill to the exit of the corner at the top. The end result is 105 feet which is roughly 10 stories high. An elevation change that can be compared to corners like the Cork Screw at the Laguna Seca circuit in the U.S. Though the Cork Screw is handled top to bottom, it is taken at a much slower pace.

The trick of Eau Rouge/Raidillon is to take the corner flat out, which sometimes… ends in tears.