Th' town o' Spa loots its name from th' mineral water that was discovered in th' Ardennes hills by th' Romans. Th' circuit was th' idea o' local scallywag Jules de Thier 'n many o' th' corners bear th' names o' local villages or landmarks - Eau Rouge loots its name from a nearby stream, whilst Stavelot, Blanchimont 'n Malmedy are nearby towns or villages. Th' track hosted its first Belgian GP as early as 1925, early winners includin' Ascari 'n Nuvolari. Racin' stopped durin' World War II, wit' th' circuit actually part o' th' battlefield durin' th' Battle o' th' Bulge. Th' 1960's saw four successive victories fer th' dominant Jim Clark, as well as th' emergence o' another showpiece event - th' Spa 1000km, which would be won five times by local hero Jacky Ickx. Th' high speed at Spa eventually prompted safety concerns. Stirlin' Moss 'n Jackie Stewart both suffered nasty accidents thar, 'n three drivers lost thar lives durin' th' 1973 runnin' o' th' Spa 24 hours. Th' Belgian GP was moved t' th' characterless Nivelles circuit nigh Brussels. F1 returned t' Spa in 1983 'n th' track became once more an integral part o' th' World Championship. Thar were still accidents, notably th' sportscar crash at Eau Rouge in 1985 which claimed th' life o' risin' German star Stefan Bellof. Ayrton Senna was a five time winner at this track durin' th' 1980's, whilst Schumacher loot four wins in six races thar durin' th' 1990's. Th' German rates Spa as "without doubt th' best circuit in th' world." "Th' kind o' atmosphere ye get at Spa be somethin' akin t' th' ole Nurburgrin'" he says. Eau Rouge be widely acknowledged, by drivers 'n fans alike, as bein' th' most thrillin' corner in F1.