Global InformationDonington Park information
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| Location | Leicestershire, England |
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| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) BST (April–October, UTC+1) |
| Coordinates | 52°49′47.3″N 1°22′46.4″W / 52.829806°N 1.379556°W |
| Capacity | 120,000 |
| FIA Grade | 2 (both layouts) |
| Owner | MotorSport Vision (2017–2038) |
| Operator | MotorSport Vision |
| Opened | 1931 (re-opened 1977) |
| Closed | 1940 |
| Construction cost | £12,000 |
| Major events | Current: World SBK (1988–2001, 2007–2009, 2011–2019, 2021–present) BTCC (1977–1979, 1981–present) British GT (1993–present) BSB (1996–2009, 2011–present) TCR UK (2018–present) Former: F1 European Grand Prix (1993) Grand Prix motorcycle racing British motorcycle Grand Prix (1987–2009) Sidecar World Championship (1987–2001, 2008, 2014–2016, 2021–2022) FIA WTCC Race of UK (2011) ELMS 6 Hours of Donington (2006, 2012) DTM (2002–2003) FIM EWC (1981–1982, 1987) FIA GT (1997–1999, 2002–2004) World Sportscar Championship (1989–1990, 1992) FIA GT1 World Championship (2012) |
| Website | https://www.donington-park.co.uk/ |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1986–present) | |
| Length | 4.020 km (2.498 miles) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 1:17.707 (Kimiya Sato, Lola B05/52, 2013, Auto GP) |
| National Circuit with realigned Goddards Chicane (2010–present) | |
| Length | 3.149 km (1.957 miles) |
| Turns | 10 |
| Race lap record | 0:57.221 (Marijn van Kalmthout, Benetton B197, 2011, F1) |
| National Circuit (1977–2009) | |
| Length | 3.149 km (1.957 miles) |
| Turns | 10 |
| Race lap record | 0:57.521 (Klaas Zwart, Benetton B197, 2004, F1) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1937–1939) | |
| Length | 5.029 km (3.125 miles) |
| Turns | 15 |
| Race lap record | 2:11.4 (Bernd Rosemeyer/Manfred von Brauchitsch, Auto Union Type C/Mercedes-Benz W125, 1937, GP) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1935–1936) | |
| Length | 4.107 km (2.552 miles) |
| Turns | 13 |
| Race lap record | 2:08.4 (Giuseppe Farina, Maserati V8RI, 1935, GP) |
| Original Circuit (1931–1934) | |
| Length | 3.518 km (2.186 miles) |
| Turns | 13 |
| Race lap record | 2:06.0 (Earl Howe, Bugatti Type 51, 1933, GP) |
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit located near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. The circuit business is now owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, and the surrounding Donington Park Estate, still owned by the Wheatcroft family, is currently under lease by MotorSport Vision until 2038.[1] It has a capacity of 120,000, and is also the venue of the Download Festival.
Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the period between the First and Second World Wars when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship. Used as a military vehicle storage depot during the Second World War, it fell into disrepair until bought by local construction entrepreneur Tom Wheatcroft. Revived under his ownership in the 1970s, it hosted a single Formula One race in 1993, but became the favoured home of the British round of the MotoGP motorcycling championship.
Leased by Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd in 2007 the hope that Formula One racing could return to the track, the incomplete venture failed to raise sufficient financial backing during the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis. DVLL consequently lost the rights to the British rounds of both Formula 1 and MotoGP series, and in its bankruptcy returned the track to the Wheatcroft family in December 2009.
Under Wheatcroft's ownership, the venue underwent significant work, with the track restored to use in autumn 2010, before major upgrades in the following five years. At the end of 2010, it was announced that Donington would become home to an annual historic motorsport event, the Donington Historic Festival, with new events constantly being added. Since 2010, significant investment across the venue has seen major improvements made to its infrastructure,[2] while the circuit has become a regular fixture for top class motorcycling in the form of the Superbike World Championship.
In January 2017, the circuit business and a long-term lease on the estate was purchased by MotorSport Vision,[3] with the purchase cleared by authorities in August of the same year.[4] Significant investment has seen facilities at the venue brought up to modern standards, with a new restaurant, toilet blocks, large new grandstand and new circuit offices, as well as other detail changes.[5] As well as improving the infrastructure, MSV made additions to the race calendar, with additional major events planned for 2019 which included extra rounds of the British Superbike Championship[6] and British GT.[7]
- ^ "Donington -". www.donington-park.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ "Donington". donington-park.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
- ^ Cozens, Jack (12 January 2017). "Donington Park taken over by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision". Autosport.com. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ Benyon, Jack. "MSV takeover of Donington Park gets final approval". Autosport.com. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Multi-million pound improvements underway at Donington Park". news.donington-park.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ Stevens, Laura. "2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship calendar confirmed". British Superbike Championship. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
- ^ "British GT adds second Donington date to 2019 calendar". British GT. Retrieved 18 December 2018.