DONINGTON PARK

Time Zone : (GMT) Western Europe Time, London, Lisbon, Casablanca

Major Events : British Motorcycle Grand Prix

Circuit Length : Grand Prix circuit 2.5 miles
National circuit 1.9573 miles

Turns : 12; 7 right, 5 left

Lap Record : GP circuit: Ayrton Senna, McLaren, 1m 18.029s, 115.31mh (1993)

Donington Park
Castle Donington
Derby DE74 2RP
UK
www.donington-park.co.uk

In 1935 the circuit hosted the first of four car events carrying the title Donington Grand Prix, with the 1937 and 1938 events bringing might Silver Arrows – the Mercedes Benz and Auto Union cars to the country for the first time. Also in that period, the circuit hosted the first of its Motorcycle Grand Prix events.

The circuit was requisitioned for use by the military, as a major vehicle depot, during the Second World War, and after its return to civilian ownership various attempts were made to bring about the return of motor sport but none worked out until Tom Wheatcroft, a Leicester businessman bought the circuit.

He faced a long, and often bitter struggle to obtain planning permission, but, he obtained that and re-built, re-aligning the circuit as far as possible to the layout of the pre-war course, though not including the famous hill-side Melbourne Loop, part of which lies in the neighbouring county of Derbyshire.

Racing returned in 1977 with purpose built pit-garages, race control offices and hospitality suites and five years later, a half mile extension was added, bringing the circuit to the optimum 2.5miles length for Grand Prix action.

The circuit hosted various leading International car race championships, but made its name with the numerous major motorcycle events that brought the world’s leading riders on a regular basis into the heart of the action.

In 1987, Wheatcroft achieved the first part of his ambition with the staging of the FIM World Championship British Motorcycle Grand Prix, turning the event around in terms of spectator appeal from its Silverstone term, and bringing in record numbers through the turnstiles. The circuit has hosted the event annually since.

Six years later, the dream was completed when at short notice the circuit hosted the FIA European F1 Grand Prix which was won on a rain-swept afternoon by the late, legendary Ayrton Senna.

The management and promotion of the circuit was taken over by Two Four Sports Ltd, building on a relationship that began with the Monsters of Rock festivals held at the circuit, and they operated on a lease, subsequently selling to the American SFX company, and in time Clear Channel Entertainments and Live Nation.

During that most recent era, the circuit underwent a £5 million re-fit with the whole of the track re-surfaced, enlarged pit-garages, race control and associated offices and a new media centre built.

In 2007 the long term lease for Donington Park, including the circuit, all of the parkland and the world renowned Grand Prix car collection, was taken over by Donington Park Ventures Leisure Limited, a company headed by Chief Executive Simon Gillett, with the intention of further development of the sporting, commercial and leisure interests, including the return of the FIA British F1 Grand Prix.

Major music festivals, including Download, are an essential part of the mix, together with the British Motorcycle Grand Prix, being held for the 23rd consecutive time in 2009, along with the British round of the World Superbikes. Around these two events and the full sporting calendar, building works, part of a £100 million re-development of the park were on-going.

These herald the staging the of the FIA British F1 Grand Prix in 2010, the first race to be held under a ten year agreement signed in July 2008 to bring the sport’s elite to Donington Park.

Posted in: Circuit,Moto GP,Motor,Olah Raga