Story and photos by Clyde Berryman
Part four of the Clyde Berryman diorama series focuses on the Belgian Grand Prix. Links to all previous Grand Prix Dioramas can be found at the end of this article. Above, the 1963 Belgian GP: Jim Clark (Lotus) has just powered past Carel Godin de Beaufort (Porsche) under the driving rain, putting the Dutch driver a lap down.
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit has garnered near mythical status as one of the most challenging driver’s circuits over its illustrious history – both in its long 14 km. road course configuration and in its modern, more compact form. Rain is almost always mentioned in connection with Spa, so that too was going to factor into any diorama I would create.
1963 Belgian GP (Scale: 1-43)
Jim Clark has been my ‘greatest F.1 driver ever’ for as long as I can remember. Jim did not care for Spa due to the dangers of the circuit but that did not stop him from winning there during four consecutive early-mid 1960s editions of the Belgian GP. His 1963 victory was a classic. Under torrential rains, Clark (Lotus-Climax) lapped the entire field except for second-place finisher Bruce McLaren (Cooper-Climax) who still crossed the finish line five minutes behind Clark! There is a great painting of Clark lapping Dutchman Carel Godin de Beaufort (Porsche) by the noted motorsport artist Michael Turner, and it so happened that I had just the right Lotus and Porsche 1-43 scale diecast models for both of these cars. Spa conjures up country roads lined with stone farmhouses, trees and dangerous telegraph poles right on the side of the road. And of course – cows, those black and white Holstein cows grazing in the fields. To create the basic ‘rain’ effect on the surface of the road, I used a specific transparent modeler’s solution for this purpose but I also had to ‘wet’ the countryside (where it is absorbed by the grass and shrubbery) and the walls and roofs of buildings so that it looked wet everywhere, not just on the road surface. Further, to re-create the cars charging fast through accumulated rain on the road, I used bunched-up cut strips of transparent cellophane on the road behind the wheels mixed with clear-coat, and held down with transparent glue and then painted with white gesso to make the wake-like effects. You just keep experimenting until it begins to look realistic. I used black thread (also ‘wetted’) to make the lines between the telephone poles.
1963 Belgian GP: Overhead view of the same scene with the ‘wakes’ giving an idea of the amount of standing water on the track surface.
1963 Belgian GP: Those ubiquitous inhabitants of the Spa Francorchamps circuit, the Holstein cows!
1963 Belgian GP: A close-up of Jim Clark (Lotus) maintaining control while driving under torrential rains.
1963 Belgian GP: A lack of protection and very wet weather have not dampened the enthusiasm of these spectators.
1985 Belgian GP (Scale: 1-160 or N-Scale)
This was on the modern post-1983 Spa circuit, also dominated by another acknowledged ‘rain master’, the Brazilian Ayrton Senna who was driving for Lotus at this time. I again used the modeler’s transparent water solution but in thinner layers because you have to be mindful of the smaller scale, and also no great wakes behind the cars, especially as they are on a much slower part of the circuit braking for the La Source hairpin. I assembled and then modified an N-Scale building kit to create a replica of the famous ‘Auberge de la Source’ inn which is located along the road just preceding the hairpin corner and planted some blue-green pine trees on the hill just behind which gives this part of the Ardennes its beautiful colors and fresh air.
1985 Belgian GP: The field of F.1 turbos gingerly reduce speed as they approach the sharp La Source hairpin.
1985 Belgian GP: An overhead view of the same procession led by Nelson Piquet (Brabham) just before he lost control and spun.
1985 Belgian GP: Here, Prost (McLaren) is ahead of Mansell (Wiliams), the two Ferraris of Alboreto and Johansson, and Boutsen (Arrows).
1985 Begian GP: A close-up view of the famous ‘Auberge de la Source’, a long-time landmark overlooking the hairpin corner.
