In 1971 the Compexe Européen de Nivelles-Baulers
near the Belgium capital Brussels opened his gates. This brand new
circuit would host two Formula 1 races both won by Emerson
Fittipaldi.
The Compexe Européen de Nivelles-Baulers, or short
Circuit de Nivelles ( Circuit of Nivelles), was designed by the
Dutchman Hans Hugenholtz and was also called the revolver circuit
because of his typical shape. At the time it was an ultra modern and
safe track with big run of areas. As a consequence of that it was
not much popular by the drivers in a time they raced at circuits
like the old Nürburgring! Nivelles had also the bad luck that is was
the replacement of the old Francorchamps circuit. In spite of the
fact that Nivelles was a glowing circuit and it had a very
challenging double right hander, the Big Loop, it is many times
described as a flat and boring circuit.
Click on the air picture above for a lap at Nivelles.
After the first corner you accelerated on a short
300 metres downhill straight reaching the Big Loop. The first of
this very quick double right hander was climbing a little bid while
the second was downhill (Click at the picture above for a complete
impression of a lap at Nivelles). Compare to the circuits of today
Nivelles-Baulers was absolutely not a boring circuit. At least it
had some good fast corners! Unfortunately Nivelles is going into
history as a boring circuit.
Downhill where the Big Loop is waiting!
At the circuit complex was also a cart track. In
1973 and 1980 the World Karting Championship was held here. One of
the spectators in 1980 was a young boy from Germany, called Michael
Schumacher. He was impressed by a Brazilian driver who drove there
for the first time with a yellow helmet which became very famous
later. His name was Ayrton Senna.
The cart track in 2003 short before it was demolished.
After the old Francorchamps was found too
dangerous to host a F1 race the Belgium Grand Prix was moved to
Zolder in 1971. The Flemish and the Walloon governments agreed that
the race would be alternated between the Flemish Zolder and the
Walloon Nivelles. But in 1974 the first operator of the Nivelles
circuit was bankrupt. With much effort new sponsors where found to
host the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix. But in 1975 everything went wrong
when there was no more money to pay the bills. A temporary operator
rented the complex from the curator. In 1976 the track was found no
longer suitable to host a Formula 1 race because of the condition of
the surface. No investors could be found so Formula 1 was history
for Nivelles. The circuit degenerated slowly but certain.
In 1980 the circuit was found unsuitable for every
type of car racing but was used for motorcycles till the end of
1981. In this period the Royal Dutch Motorcycle Association (KNMV)
was using the circuit because races on street circuits where banned
in the Netherlands at that time. When on the 30th of June 1981 the
circuit license was expired the circuit was definitely closed.
After it was closed the circuit of Nivelles was
sleeping for about twenty years and was fall into ruin. In this
years I was one of the visitors of the circuit and drove there some
illegal laps. Today the site is an industrial estate, and only the last three corner are still there. They are
waiting for the bulldozers who will change the last piece of the
former racetrack into an industrial estate soon. Than nobody will see
that at this site once Formula 1 cars came down with 200 mp/h!
