McLaren runs through the Ardennes at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Hoch Zwei

While not wishing to dwell too heavily on the phenomenally funny scripts of the Monty Python set, in which it was asked, “Just what did the Romans do for us?”, without the Italian invaders discovering a health-giving, iron-rich water source that became known as Spa, some elements of this part of the heavily forested and hilly part of Belgium might not have retained the relevance that they have today. Spa gained notoriety as a ‘good time’ gambling town, before, in 1902, a car racing circuit was developed.