Circuito de Albacete

Circuito de Albacete at a glance

Location

Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha

Type

road course

Length

3.55 km (2.206 mi)

Turns

14

Direction

clockwise

Surface

asphalt

Opened

1990

Owner

Diputación de Albacete (provincial government)

Capacity

7,200

Address

Ctra. de Ayora, s/n

Website

circuitoalbacete.es

Track map and layout

Circuito de Albacete opened on the flat plains of Castilla-La Mancha in 1990 and was built with motorcycle racing specifically in mind: the 3.550 km, 14-turn lap (eight right-handers, six lefts) is relatively flat with constant-radius corners and generous run-off, a layout that favours bikes over the tighter, more technical demands of many modern car circuits. The current configuration dates from a 2015 revision of the original 1990-2014 layout. Two shorter configurations are also available for club racing, testing and smaller track-day groups.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Albacete built its reputation hosting Superbike World Championship rounds through the 1990s and FIM Endurance World Championship races into the 2010s, and it was a fixture of the FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship (the main feeder series to MotoGP) from 2012 to 2019. It is no longer on the current world-championship calendar, but the circuit has recently reopened after renovation and now runs a busy programme of national and regional bike championships, club racing and organised track days.

Getting there and parking

The circuit sits just outside the city of Albacete in south-eastern Castilla-La Mancha. Albacete has its own small regional airport with limited scheduled service, so most visitors fly into Madrid and drive roughly two to two and a half hours south-east, or take the high-speed AVE train from Madrid to Albacete-Los Llanos and continue by taxi or hire car.

• Albacete Airport (ABC) · about 15 min drive
• Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) · about 140 min drive

Parking

Free general parking is available at the circuit for spectators and track-day participants; arrive early for larger events as capacity is limited outside race weekends.

The AVE high-speed train from Madrid to Albacete-Los Llanos station takes around 1.5 hours and is a practical car-free option, with a short taxi ride on to the circuit.

Hotels and camping near Circuito de Albacete

Albacete city, a short drive from the circuit, has the area's main concentration of hotels and is the natural base for a visit; it is a regional capital with a reasonable range of mid-range chain and independent hotels rather than a resort destination.

Where to look

Albacete city centre, a few minutes' drive from the circuit, has the widest choice of hotels; book ahead for larger national race weekends.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Since reopening after a renovation, Albacete has become an active bike track-day venue, with organisers such as Alba Racing and Motor Extremo running regular rodadas (track-day sessions) for road and race bikes, alongside car track-day bookings arranged through general European trackday brokers. The circuit's flat, constant-radius layout is popular with riders building confidence at speed.

Who runs days here

• Motor Extremo (rodadas / track days)motorcycle
• Trackdays.co.uk (Albacete bike track days)motorcycle

Lap records

Spectator guide

Albacete has permanent grandstand seating for around 7,200 spectators along the main straight and start-finish area, with general admission banking elsewhere around the flat circuit giving clear views across several corners at once given the lack of significant elevation change.

Seating

Main grandstand along the front straight and start-finish line; general admission areas around the rest of the lap.

Best places to watch

The flat layout means general admission spots around the outfield give sight-lines across multiple corners; the main straight grandstand is best for starts and top-speed passes.

Weather

• June-August: hot and dry inland Castilla-La Mancha summer, highs often 32-36°C
• December-February: cold for Spain, occasional frost, highs around 10°C

History of Circuito de Albacete

Built for motorcycles on the plains of La Mancha

Circuito de Albacete opened on 14 July 1990 on flat farmland outside the city of Albacete in Castilla-La Mancha, funded and owned by the provincial government (Diputación de Albacete). From the start it was designed with motorcycle racing as the priority, using constant-radius corners and generous run-off rather than the tighter, more technical car-circuit layouts common elsewhere in Spain, and it quickly became a mainstay of Spanish and European motorcycle racing.

A World Superbike and endurance venue

Through the 1990s Albacete hosted rounds of the Superbike World Championship, and later the FIM Endurance World Championship, FIA European Truck Racing Championship, and the Spanish GT Championship. From 2012 to 2019 it was a regular stop on the FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship, the main feeder series for MotoGP's smallest class, giving many future grand prix riders their first experience of the track's flowing, high-speed corners.

Renovation and present day

The circuit underwent a significant layout revision around 2015, tightening and modernising sections of the original 1990 design, and more recently went through a further period of reduced activity before reopening after renovation work. It has since returned as an active national and regional racing and track-day venue, hosting club championships and organised motorcycle track days that draw riders from across Spain to test themselves on one of the country's most established bike-focused circuits.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Circuit Ricardo Tormo · 114 km · road course
• Valencia Street Circuit · 136 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• Circuito Mike G Guadix · 211 km · road course
• Circuito de Almería · 220 km · road course
• Circuito Internacional Comunidad de Madrid · 232 km · motocross
• Circuito de Madrid Jarama – RACE · 235 km · road course