Grand Prix Circuits

Las Vegas

Two Caesars Palace Grands Prix were run on this circuit, contrived its critics emphasized, on a car park. Between the 3-metre high barriers of interlocking portable concrete sections and sinuous track was built, with a series of tight turns, most to the left on this anti-clockwise circuit, and a 550-metre straight. It was not as slow as pundits had predicted.

Le Castellet

Built and named by drink magnate Paul Ricard. This circuit became for long time one of the more permanent venues of the French Grand Prix in its history. It is nearly flat and has excelent facilities. Its principal characteristic was the very long Mistral striaght, ending in the Signes corner and a sequence of bends. In 1986 was reduced because shortcomings shown up by fatal accident of Elio de Angelis there during tests.

Le Mans

The 1967 French Grand Prix was run on an unadequete track which used the pits straight and a bend from the circuit so well-known for the 24-hour race, plus a linking stretch with undemanding constant radius bends. That race on this Bugatti circuit won Jack Brabham in one of his own cars.

Long Beach

The concept of this track was enterprising and significant for racing as it showed how a circuit could be created in an urban area. Requirements for spectacle and safety was contrived with concrete barriers, fences, sand filled oil drums to reatian barriers, old tyres to absorb the energy of errant cars, and some modifications to existing roads. The first United States West Grand Prix was in 1976, was folloved eight world championship races but eventually the finacial demands became too great.

Magny Course

The most notable characteristic of this circuit is its incredible smooth bump-free surface. Many of the corners are long and flowing. The track is situated in steel region between green farmland and traditional French country. The first French Grand Prix was here in 1991.

Mexico City

The circuit within the Magdalena Mixhuca park was the venue of Mexican Grand Prix. The first time in 1963. The altitude of 2286 metres above sea level and high temperatures have always posed problems for race engineers.

Monte Carlo

The first championship race was ran in 1950. The circuit is probably the ultimate test of driving skills in Formula 1. The course is narrow and overtaking is not easy. In 1955 Alberto Ascari made history by becoming the first driver to crash into water in harbor during a Grand Prix.

Montjuich Park

The circuit used roads in a public park in the centre of Barcelona. A hairpin and several other slow corners led downhill from the start-finish line to the only straight, which followed by four fast curves on the climb back to the pits. Heavy accident of Rolf Stommelen in 1975 bounced the car over the guard rails. Five spectators were killed. That was the end of racing on one of the most attractive city circuit.

Montreal

Gilles Villeneuve circuit situated on the Island Notre Dame between St.Lawrence river and the Seaway hosted the Canadian Grand Prix since 1978, after the old Mosport circuit was deemed too dangerous. The circuit has been changed little over the years, and it invariably produces an exciting race. The combination of high speeds on the long straights, followed by tight second-gear bends, means that it is the most punishing circuit of all for brakes. Brake wear is extreme, and lack of brakes is a frequent cause of retirement.

Mont Tremblant

Also known as St.Jovite. The circuit is in attractive wooded and hilly country, and was narrow and bumpy, to aggravate its twisting and turning layout. The Canadian Grand Prix was run there in 1968 and 1970.

Monza

The high speed circuit in the royal park north-east of Milan. Monza has staged great racing, and has also claimed the lives of great drivers in the world championship era - Alberto Ascari, Wolfgang von Trips, Jochen Rindt, Ronnie Peterson. The chicanes was build to slow cars into the Curva Grande, before the two Lesmo curves, and the last one was added into the corner Vialone, where the great italian driver Alberto Ascari died in 1955.

Mosport

Set in rolling country near lake Ontario some 95 km east of Toronto. The circuit staged eight of the first ten world chapionship Canadian Grands Prix. The lap included one long and slightly curving straight, two really slow corners and several fast bends, including a sweeping right leading back to the short start-finish straight.

Nivelles

This little respected venue for two Belgian Grands Prix in 1972 and 1974 was some 30 km south of Brussels. It was typical autodrome, well equipped and with good run-off areas and safety provisions. A variety of corners was a challenge when setting up cars, but not to drivers in racing conditions.

Nürburgring

Traditional and the most demanding circuit in the Eifel forest, the longest track regularly used for world championship races - only the once used Pescara circuit was longer. The proper straight with significant humps as it ran between hedges and the rest was succession of varied corners, climbs and descents, and there were points where cars jumped, wheels clear of the track. The circuit was reconstruct in the interest of safety, so a new autodrome was built. This has superb facilities, several short straights and a selection of undemandings bends.

Oporto

This was a street circuit in the old tradition, with varying road surfaces including cobbles, with the tram tracks, kerbs, walls and street furniture protected by straw bales. Main streets and side streets were used to make up its relatively long and fairly fast lap. The venue for the world championship Portuguese Grand Prix in 1958 and 1960.

Österreichring

The challenging circuit on a grand scale. It was very fast, through fast corners. From start-finish line the circuit climb to the first high speed corner which has been preceded by a chicane after fatal crash by Mark Donohue in 1975. The straight was the scene of two multiple start accidents in 1987. Because could not be guaranteed completed track reconstruction the Austrian Grand Prix was dropped from the calendar. The return on the shortened circuit followed in 1997.

Pedralbes

This circuit, used for the 1951 and 1954 Spanish Grands Prix, was devised in post war year, using a long wide straight on the Madrid road in the suburbs with a return log through residential streets in the Pedralbes hills district.

Pescara

The longest Grand Prix circuit ever. In 1957 it had race on this circuit world championship status and was run over 18 laps of the 25.579 km circuit of public roads ouside the southern Italian city.

Reims

This was one of the classic circuits of Europe. It was used for 11 world championship French Grands Prix between 1950 and 1966. In the first event in 1950 it still followed the line through the village Gueux, but in 1953 this was by-passed, the new road following a very fast right curve, and the climbing gently through another sweep to the near hairpin of Muizon. Here it joined the road, running straight down through the corn fields to another hairpin. The Grand Prix to be run on the circuit in 1951 was the longest ever world championship race.

Rouen

The Grand Prix circuit of public roads in the forest of Les Essarts staged its first world championship event in 1952. The valley setting was attractive for spectators and challenging for drivers, particularly a sequence of bends running down to a hairpin. These had to be driven hard and bravely for a good lap time, and this led to many accidents. Fatal crash of Jo Schlesser in Honda in 1968 Grand Prix marked the end of Formula 1 racing at Rouen.

Silverstone

The first ever venue of the world championship Grand Prix. Very fast and exciting track with some overtaking opportunities. The circuit was several times modifed in order to reduce speed and increase driver safety. As a consequence of this its entry is less dangerous and less challenging.

Spa Francorchamps

One of the great circuits of Europe. The track was completely restructured yet retains many of the features, and importantly the character of the old circuit. The venue of the Belgian Grand Prix remains one of the most severe challenges for a racing drivers. The original length was 14.1 km. The new shortener circuit was first time used in 1983.

Suzuka

Hosting the Japanese Grand Prix since 1987, is renowned as one of the greatest challenges on driver can face. Its sequence of super fast bends rank as the ultimate test of nerve and skill.

Watkins Glen

The circuit was demanding with fast corners, a chicane before the main straight, a drop folowed by a left that led onto extension and a climbing before an infield section and the start-finish line. The general area was delightful but the circuit amenities pleased nobody. The Glen was last used for a Grand Prix in 1980.

Zandvoort

The circuit in Dutch seaside resort in the sand dunes. A mixture of bends, swerving climbs, very fast corners and long start-finish line which ended with 180-degree Tarzan right-hander. On the circuit was killed Piers Courage in 1970. Three years later Roger Williamson crashed fatally at the same corner.

Zolder

This circuit in the hills halfway between Brussels and Antwerp was setting for the Belgian Grand Prix between 1973 and 1984. It was fast remaining so in spite of chicanes. Perhaps sombre became more appropriate after Gilles Villeneuve was killed in practice in 1982.

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