Automotodrom Grobnik
Automotodrom Grobnik at a glance
- Location
- Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 4.169 km (2.59 mi)
- Turns
- 18
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1978
- Owner
- Automotodrom Grobnik d.o.o.
- Address
- Automotodrom 1, 51219 Čavle
- Phone
- +385 51 259 222
- Website
- grobnik.hr
Track map and layout
Automotodrom Grobnik sits on a hillside about 10 km north of Rijeka, its 4.169 km lap climbing and falling with the terrain across 18 corners (eight right-handers, ten lefts) run in a counter-clockwise direction. The circuit mixes a long start-finish straight with a technical, undulating middle sector, and its 10% maximum gradient in places gives it a rougher, more old-school character than Croatia's newer facilities. It is the only FIA- and FIM-graded permanent circuit in the country, which keeps it busy with a wide mix of car and motorcycle disciplines, from touring cars to sidecars.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Full Grand Prix circuit | 4.17 km | standard 4.169 km configuration used for all major events |
Events and race weekends
Grobnik's biggest historical claim is hosting the Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix, a round of the FIM Motorcycle World Championship, every year from 1978 to 1990 after the sport outgrew the dangerous Opatija street circuit. Today the track runs a busy national and regional calendar: TCR Eastern Europe and other touring car series, the FIM Sidecar World Championship, the Alpe Adria International Motorcycle Championship, and domestic Croatian car and bike racing. The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series also used Grobnik as a substitute venue in 2020-2022.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCR Eastern Europe round | TCR Eastern Europe | varies | touring car series regularly visits Grobnik |
| Alpe Adria International Motorcycle Championship round | Alpe Adria | varies | regional road-racing championship |
| Grobnik Open Day | Track day / amateur | varies | public track days for amateur drivers and riders |
Getting there and parking
The circuit is roughly 10 km northeast of Rijeka in the village of Čavle, just off the A6/A7 motorway corridor that links Rijeka to Zagreb. Most visitors fly into Rijeka Airport, a short drive away, or into Zagreb and drive the roughly two-hour motorway route. There is no direct rail link to the circuit itself.
- Rijeka Airport (RJK) · about 30 min drive
- Zagreb Airport (ZAG) · about 120 min drive
Parking
General on-site parking is available for event days; specific pricing is set by the organiser of each event.
Rijeka has the widest hotel choice in the region and is only a short drive from the circuit, making it the easiest base for a visit.
Hotels and camping near Automotodrom Grobnik
Rijeka, Croatia's third-largest city, is the natural base for a visit, with a full range of hotels and apartments a short drive from the circuit and good onward transport links. The nearby coastal resort towns of Opatija and Crikvenica offer a more scenic alternative for visitors combining a race weekend with a seaside stay.
Where to look
Rijeka city centre for the widest choice and shortest drive; Opatija for a resort-town alternative on the Kvarner coast.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Automotodrom Grobnik runs periodic public 'Open Day' sessions where amateur drivers and riders can lap the full circuit, alongside club racing and driving-school activity organised through the circuit itself. Tickets for open days are sold through the circuit's online shop.
Who runs days here
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright (Interserie) | 1:16.388 | Josef Neuhauser | Minardi M190 | 2000 |
Spectator guide
The hillside site gives spectators elevated views over parts of the lap from natural grassy banks as well as the main grandstands near the pit straight, with three on-site restaurants and permanent stands for larger events.
Seating
Permanent grandstands along the start-finish straight; general-admission grass banking elsewhere around the lap.
Best places to watch
The undulating middle sector, where the track climbs and falls with the hillside, gives good sightlines across multiple corners at once.
Weather
- June-September: warm Adriatic summer, typically 24-30°C
History of Automotodrom Grobnik
Built to replace a dangerous street circuit
Automotodrom Grobnik was built in just 15 months, breaking ground in June 1977 and opening on 14 September 1978 on a hillside site near the village of Čavle, north of Rijeka. Its construction was driven directly by the growing danger of the Opatija street circuit on the coast nearby, where the Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix had been run since the late 1960s along narrow roads lined with walls, trees and drops to the sea. A fatal accident-marred 1977 race there prompted motorcycling's governing body to withdraw its licence, and Grobnik was rushed into service as a purpose-built, safer replacement.
The Grand Prix years
From 1978 to 1990, Grobnik hosted the Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix as a round of the FIM Motorcycle World Championship, drawing the biggest names in 500cc, 350cc and smaller-class racing to the Kvarner region for over a decade. The circuit's hillside layout and long straight made it a genuine test for the era's grand prix machinery, and it remained on the world championship calendar until the political and economic upheaval surrounding the breakup of Yugoslavia brought Grand Prix racing there to an end.
Croatia's only graded circuit today
After Croatian independence, Grobnik continued as the country's premier motorsport venue and remains the only FIA- and FIM-graded permanent circuit in Croatia. A significant renovation between December 2017 and April 2018 modernised the surface and safety infrastructure. The circuit today hosts a mix of touring car racing (including TCR Eastern Europe), the FIM Sidecar World Championship, regional motorcycle championships, and national club racing, and it stepped in as a substitute venue for the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2020-2022 when other European rounds were disrupted.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Automotodrom Grobnik circuit?+
The full circuit is 4.169 km (2.590 miles) long with 18 turns, run in a counter-clockwise direction.
Did Automotodrom Grobnik host a motorcycle Grand Prix?+
Yes. It hosted the Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix, a round of the FIM Motorcycle World Championship, every year from 1978 to 1990.
Why was Grobnik built?+
It replaced the dangerous Opatija (Preluk) street circuit on the nearby coast, whose narrow roads and unforgiving obstacles led to a 1977 FIM licence withdrawal after a fatal race.
Is Automotodrom Grobnik the only racing circuit in Croatia?+
It is Croatia's only FIA- and FIM-graded permanent circuit, though other venues such as Zagreb's street circuit have hosted events.
How do you get to Automotodrom Grobnik?+
The circuit is about a 30-minute drive from Rijeka Airport and roughly two hours from Zagreb by motorway; there is no direct rail link to the venue.
Other tracks nearby
- Opatija Circuit (Preluk) · 14 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Motocross Orehova vas · 151 km · motocross
- Adria International Raceway · 189 km · dormant
- Red Bull Ring · 205 km · road course
- Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli · 214 km · road course
- Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari · 249 km · road course
Facts checked against 4 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.