Rustavi International Motorpark
Rustavi International Motorpark at a glance
- Location
- Rustavi, Kvemo Kartli
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 4.14 km (2.572 mi)
- Turns
- 12
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 2012
- Owner
- Shota Apkhazava
- Capacity
- 7,500
- Website
- rustavi1.com
Track map and layout
Rustavi's 'A' Circuit runs 4.14 km around the flat plain southeast of Tbilisi, combining a long 667-metre start-finish straight with a technical, twelve-turn infield of seven lefts and five rights that varies in width from 12.5 to 21.5 metres. The layout was built to FIA Grade 2 standard on the footprint of the original Soviet-era track, giving it a wide, run-off-friendly feel more typical of a modern purpose-built circuit than a historic road course. Two shorter configurations, a 2.14 km 'B' Circuit and a 1.338 km 'C' Circuit, share sections of the main layout and can be run simultaneously with it, while the extended main straight doubles as a drag strip for sprint and drag events.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| A Circuit | 4.14 km | main FIA Grade 2 layout, 12 turns |
| B Circuit | 2.14 km | shorter layout, 6 turns |
| C Circuit | 1.34 km | shortest layout, 6 turns |
Events and race weekends
Rustavi is Georgia's only permanent racing circuit and the home of the Georgian Circuit Racing Championship, running Formula Alfa single-seaters, Legends cars and touring car classes through the season. It briefly appeared on the international stage as a round of the TCR International Series in April 2017, and hosted the Formula Alfa Championship from the circuit's 2012 reopening through 2018. Outside of national championship weekends, the venue is used for club racing, drag events on the main straight, and driver training.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgian Circuit Racing Championship rounds | national touring car / single-seater championship | — | Formula Alfa, Legends and touring car classes |
Getting there and parking
The circuit sits close to Rustavi, about 20 km southeast of the Georgian capital Tbilisi, making it an easy day trip from the city by car. Tbilisi International Airport is the obvious gateway for international visitors, with a drive of well under an hour to the track.
- Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) · about 45 min drive
Parking
Free general parking is available on-site for race weekends; no advance booking is typically required for national championship rounds.
Public transport does not reach the circuit directly; a taxi or rental car from Tbilisi or Rustavi is the practical option.
Hotels and camping near Rustavi International Motorpark
Most visitors base themselves in Tbilisi, which has the widest range of hotels and is only a short drive from the circuit, or in Rustavi itself for a more local, budget option. There is no trackside camping culture at Rustavi comparable to Europe's major circuits, and advance booking is generally only necessary around the biggest national championship weekends.
Where to look
Tbilisi city centre for the widest choice; Rustavi for budget options closer to the track.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Rustavi International Motorpark is used for club-level track days, driver training and testing outside of championship race weekends, but no dedicated public track-day operator or standardised booking platform for international visitors was found from official sources. Riders and drivers interested in circuit access should contact the venue directly for current availability.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright (TCR) | 1:42.657 | Pepe Oriola | SEAT León TCR | 2017 |
Spectator guide
As a relatively young, purpose-rebuilt circuit, Rustavi offers modest fixed spectator infrastructure compared with Europe's major venues, with capacity for around 7,500 across the site. National championship weekends draw a domestic motorsport crowd rather than large international attendances.
Seating
Limited grandstand seating near the start-finish straight, with general viewing along fenced sections of the circuit.
Best places to watch
Areas near the start-finish straight and the infield turns give the clearest views of the twelve-corner layout.
Weather
- May-September: hot, dry summers typical of the Kvemo Kartli plain, often above 30°C
- December-February: cold winters with occasional snow; outdoor race weekends are rare in this period
History of Rustavi International Motorpark
A Soviet-era track, twice built
Rustavi holds the distinction of being the last permanent racing circuit constructed in the Soviet Union, opening in 1978 on the plain southeast of Tbilisi with a 4.039 km layout. Through the late 1970s and 1980s it hosted the Soviet Formula 3 Championship and a string of USSR national championship rounds, serving as one of the country's few dedicated motorsport venues. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic turmoil that followed in Georgia through the 1990s left the track without the investment needed to keep racing, and by 1989 it had stopped hosting events altogether, falling into two decades of disrepair.
Rebuilt for a new era
The site's revival came through private investment from businessman and racing car designer Shota Apkhazava, who rebuilt the circuit on its original footprint to FIA Grade 2 standard. The reconstructed 4.14 km circuit reopened on 29 April 2012 with an official ceremony that included then-president Mikheil Saakashvili taking to the track, marking Rustavi's return as Georgia's only permanent racing circuit. The new layout kept the flavour of the original twelve-turn configuration while widening run-off areas and adding modern safety and timing infrastructure, including HD surveillance and electronically controlled signalling around the lap.
From international ambition to national mainstay
In its early years after reopening, Rustavi pursued an international racing programme, hosting the Formula Alfa Championship from 2012 and welcoming the TCR International Series for a round in April 2017, when Pepe Oriola set the circuit's fastest recorded lap in a SEAT León TCR. Since then the circuit has settled into its role as the base for Georgia's domestic motorsport scene, hosting the Georgian Circuit Racing Championship across Formula Alfa, Legends and touring car classes, alongside club racing, driver training and drag events run on its long main straight.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Rustavi International Motorpark circuit?+
The main 'A' Circuit is 4.14 km (2.572 miles) long with 12 turns; two shorter configurations, the 2.14 km 'B' Circuit and 1.338 km 'C' Circuit, are also available.
Is Rustavi International Motorpark still active?+
Yes. It is Georgia's only permanent racing circuit and hosts the Georgian Circuit Racing Championship along with club racing and training, though it no longer runs international series after its 2017 TCR International Series round.
Where is Rustavi International Motorpark located?+
It is about 20 km southeast of Tbilisi, near the city of Rustavi in Georgia's Kvemo Kartli region.
When was the circuit built?+
The original track opened in 1978 as the last circuit built in the USSR; it closed in 1989 and was rebuilt on the same site, reopening on 29 April 2012.
What is the lap record at Rustavi?+
The fastest recorded lap is 1:42.657, set by Pepe Oriola in a SEAT León TCR during the 2017 TCR International Series round.
Other tracks nearby
- Fort Grozny Autodrom (Автодром Форт Грозный) · 201 km · road course
- Sirius Autodrom (Sochi Autodrom / Автодром Сириус) · 457 km · road course
Facts checked against 4 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.