Circuit Mettet Track Insights
A bit of history
The Circuit Jules Tacheny in Mettet is where it all began for us at GP Days. Here, we organised our first ever Track Day in September 2019.
Located close to the city of Charleroi in Belgium, the Circuit Mettet first opened its gate in March 2010. Especially in the beginning, the track was mostly used for motorcycle events but started to attract more and more automotive activity including the C1 Racing Cup and World Rallycross Championship.
However, the history of racing in the area around the Circuit goes back much further than 2010! Motorcycle racing on the B-roads around the city of Mettet started as early as the 1920s, with the first mtorcycle Grand Prix of the Sambre and Meuse being held in 1928.
After the war, the Belgian motorcycle racer Jules Tacheny, namesake to the circuit, was appointed president of the local motorsport union - the Royal Motor Union de l’Entre Sambre et Meuse (RMUESM).
While the post war Belgian motorcycle championship was held at the Spa Francorchamps, the Mettet street circuit was used for different types of sprint and endurance races on two and four wheels. Even Formula 2 visited twice in 1950 and 1951!
Racing on the old street circuit continued right through the 2000s. When safety concerns became bigger and bigger, the RMUESM made the decision to build the permanent Circuit.
The Circuit Mettet today
With 2,280m in length, the Circuit Mettet is the shortest race track on the GP Days Track Day calendar. This is not a bad thing though, as the track boasts some very exciting sections.
First of all, it's not just all tight and twisty corners. The 609m long main straight allows even more powerful and bigger cars to stretch their legs and gain some proper speed. The infield is an exciting mix of tight combinations and long sweeping corners. One thing we must not forget to mention is corner 7.
Officially named after Belgian motorcycle racer Richard Hubin, many of us call it the "Cork Screw". Yes, you read that right, similar to it's bigger relative at the world famous track "Laguna Seca" in the US. The blind left-right chicane with a huge drop right upon entry gives the Circuit Mettet an edge some bigger circuits could wish for.
What we think about it
The Circuit Mettet is an absolute classic in our Track Day calendar, and rightly so! While some of you may think it's a bit short, we can almost guarantee you will be surprised how much fun it is to drive. It's short yet technical layout combines two very important things:
- The Circuit Mettet is very accessible for beginners as they will quickly find their way around
- While being accessible for beginners, Mettet is very challenging even for experienced Track Day drivers. It will take some time to get the infield right! Together with the "Cork Screw" there is lots to be excited about
We've collected some onboard videos of our participants to give you a better impression of the circuit:
MINI R56 JCW
MAZDA MIATA NA (1.8 VVT)
ARIEL ATOM 3
As you can see on the videos above, the track suits all kinds of vehicles! See you on track soon!
