Zürich Street Circuit
Zürich Street Circuit at a glance
- Location
- Zürich, Zürich
- Type
- historic circuit (defunct)
- Length
- 2.465 km (1.532 mi)
- Turns
- 11
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt (public roads)
- Opened
- 2018
Track map and layout
The temporary circuit was laid out through Zürich's lakeside Enge district, starting at the Enge harbour and running along the Mythenquai before turning behind the Arboretum onto General-Guisan-Quai, then threading through Stockerstrasse, Dreikönigstrasse and Genferstrasse before turning onto Gotthardstrasse and Alfred-Escher-Strasse, the latter forming the back straight. The 2.465 km, 11-turn lap combined tight urban corners with a couple of longer straights along the lakefront, a layout reportedly first sketched out on Google Earth by e-Mobil Züri's Roger Tognella and his son at home before being refined into a race-ready circuit. Its significance lay less in the driving challenge than in where it was: the first closed-circuit motor race held on Swiss soil since 1954.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Zürich ePrix layout | 2.46 km | the only configuration used; the event was not repeated |
Events and race weekends
The circuit hosted a single event, the 2018 Zürich ePrix, a round of the 2017-18 ABB FIA Formula E Championship held on 10 June 2018 and won by Lucas di Grassi for Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler after starting fifth. Because Switzerland's national motorsport ban, in force since 1955, only prohibits circuit races involving classic combustion-powered vehicles, organisers were able to run Formula E's all-electric cars on closed public roads, making it the first international circuit race held in the country in 64 years. No further Formula E race has been held in Zürich or elsewhere in Switzerland since.
Getting there and parking
The former circuit sits in Zürich's Enge district on the shore of Lake Zürich, a short walk or tram ride from the city's main railway station, Zürich Hauptbahnhof, which is one of Europe's best-connected rail hubs. Zürich Airport lies a short train ride north of the city centre.
- Zürich Airport (ZRH) · about 20 min drive
The lakeside streets used for the circuit are ordinary public roads today, easily explored on foot or by public transport from the city centre.
Hotels and camping near Zürich Street Circuit
Zürich offers the full range of city hotels, and the Enge district itself, right on the former circuit, is a pleasant lakeside base within easy reach of the old town. There is no event-driven accommodation demand today since the circuit is not currently used for racing.
Where to look
Zürich city centre and the Enge / lakeside district, closest to the former circuit streets.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
No trackdays or public driving events take place on the former Zürich Street Circuit; the roads used for the 2018 ePrix are ordinary public streets, and Switzerland's nationwide ban on closed-circuit racing for combustion vehicles remains in force.
Spectator guide
There is no recurring event to attend; the Zürich ePrix was a one-off race in 2018 and has not returned to the calendar. Visitors today can walk the former circuit streets around the Enge harbour and Mythenquai as an ordinary lakeside stroll rather than a spectator experience.
Best places to watch
The Mythenquai and General-Guisan-Quai lakefront stretches, which formed the circuit's longer straights, are the most recognisable sections today.
Weather
- May-September: warm, generally dry summer conditions typical of the 2018 June race date
History of Zürich Street Circuit
Racing returns to Switzerland, briefly
Switzerland had been without closed-circuit motor racing since 1955, when the government banned it nationwide in response to the Le Mans disaster of that year. Formula E's all-electric format offered a way around that prohibition, since Swiss law targets combustion-engine circuit racing rather than motorsport in general, and in 2018 the all-electric championship became the first series to bring closed-circuit racing back to the country. A temporary street circuit was laid out through Zürich's lakeside Enge district, reportedly conceived when e-Mobil Züri chief executive Roger Tognella and his son plotted a possible route using Google Earth at home before it was developed into a race-ready 2.465 km, 11-turn layout along the Mythenquai and General-Guisan-Quai.
A single, historic race day
The Zürich ePrix took place on 10 June 2018 as a round of the 2017-18 ABB FIA Formula E Championship, drawing large crowds keen to see international motor racing return to Swiss streets for the first time since the 1954 Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten, 64 years earlier. Lucas di Grassi won the race for Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler after starting from fifth on the grid, in a event that generated significant domestic and international attention as a symbolic end to Switzerland's decades-long absence from the world racing calendar.
No repeat, but a lasting first
Despite the attention the race generated, Zürich has not returned to the Formula E calendar and no further round of the championship, or any other international circuit race, has been held in Switzerland since. The streets used for the 2018 ePrix remain ordinary public roads today, carrying no permanent trace of the event beyond its place in the record books as the race that ended Switzerland's 64-year absence from closed-circuit international motorsport.
Frequently asked questions
Is there still racing at the Zürich Street Circuit?+
No. The 2018 Zürich ePrix was a one-off event; Formula E has not returned to Zürich or elsewhere in Switzerland since, and the circuit's streets are ordinary public roads.
How was Formula E allowed to race in Switzerland when circuit racing is banned?+
Switzerland's 1955 ban targets closed-circuit racing of the kind that caused the Le Mans disaster; because it does not cover all-electric racing, Formula E was able to hold a closed-circuit race on Zürich's streets in 2018, the first such event in the country since 1954.
How long was the Zürich Street Circuit?+
The 2018 layout was 2.465 km (1.532 miles) long with 11 turns, run through the lakeside Enge district.
Who won the 2018 Zürich ePrix?+
Lucas di Grassi won the race for Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler, starting from fifth on the grid.
Why was the 2018 race historically significant?+
It was the first international closed-circuit motor race held in Switzerland since the 1954 Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten, ending a 64-year gap caused by the country's 1955 nationwide racing ban.
Other tracks nearby
- Circuit Bremgarten · 96 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- MSC Wieslauftal Rudersberg · 185 km · motocross
- Autodromo Nazionale Monza · 202 km · road course
- Hockenheimring · 219 km · road course
- Autodromo di Franciacorta (Porsche Experience Center Franciacorta) · 235 km · road course
- Circuit Dijon-Prenois · 273 km · road course
Facts checked against 3 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.