Battersea Park Street Circuit
Battersea Park Street Circuit at a glance
- Location
- London
- Type
- historic circuit (defunct)
- Length
- 2.925 km (1.818 mi)
- Turns
- 17
- Direction
- anti-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 2015
- Address
- Battersea Park
Track map and layout
The Battersea Park circuit was a temporary 1.818-mile (2.925km) street track laid out on the perimeter roads of the Grade II* listed Victorian park beside the Thames, using 17 corners and a chicane opposite the pit entry to slow cars along otherwise fast, tree-lined straights. It was built and dismantled for each race weekend rather than existing as a permanent facility. Drivers criticised it as narrow and bumpy: a severe bump at Turn 1 caused a suspension failure in its debut race, and the tight, tree-lined sightlines made it hard for spectators to follow the action from most vantage points. No trace of the track survives in the park today; it has reverted entirely to its normal use as public parkland, with cycling and walking routes running over the same tarmac the cars once used.
Named corners and sections
- Turn 1. A bumpy right-hander that caused Jerome d'Ambrosio's rear suspension to collapse in the circuit's first race in 2015.
- Pit chicane. A tight chicane placed opposite the pit entry to break up the park's long, tree-lined straights.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Street circuit | 2.93 km | The only layout used, for the 2015 and 2016 London ePrix double-headers |
Events and race weekends
Battersea Park hosted four Formula E races across two double-header weekends and never held any other significant motorsport. It staged the final two races of the inaugural 2014-15 season in June 2015 (where Nelson Piquet Jr clinched the first Formula E title by a single point over Sebastien Buemi) and a second double-header in July 2016, won by Nicolas Prost in both races. There is no annual event here now: the London ePrix moved away after 2016 and has not returned to Battersea Park.
Getting there and parking
Battersea Park is a genuine, still-open public park in central London, so visiting the site of the old circuit is straightforward even though the racing is long gone. Battersea Park railway station sits on the park's northern edge with services into Victoria, and Nine Elms London Underground station (Northern line) is roughly a seven-minute walk from the park. Several London bus routes also stop right by the park gates. There is no race-specific parking or access advice to give, since the circuit no longer operates as a motorsport venue.
Parking
There is no motorsport-related parking; the park has its own free public car park and standard on-street parking nearby, aimed at everyday park visitors rather than event traffic.
Come for the park itself, not the racing: nothing on the ground marks out the former circuit route, so treat a visit as a walk around a Thames-side London park rather than a track pilgrimage.
Hotels and camping near Battersea Park Street Circuit
There is no race-weekend accommodation pattern to describe since Battersea Park has not hosted motorsport since 2016. Visitors combining a look at the park with a wider London trip are best based centrally; the Battersea/Nine Elms and Chelsea areas immediately around the park have hotel options, with the far larger choice of central London hotels a short Tube or train ride away.
Where to look
Battersea, Nine Elms and Chelsea for proximity to the park; central London more broadly for greater choice and price range.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Battersea Park is not, and never was, open for public track days, HPDE sessions or ride days - it only ever existed as a temporary event-weekend circuit for Formula E and has been fully returned to normal park use since 2016.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula E race lap | 1:24.150 | Sebastien Buemi | Renault Z.E.15 | 2016 |
| Formula E qualifying lap | 1:22.033 | Sebastien Buemi | Renault Z.E.15 | 2016 |
Spectator guide
There is no current spectator event at Battersea Park; when Formula E raced here, viewing was widely criticised because the park's mature trees and tight street layout blocked sightlines from most vantage points along the course, a factor cited when the race moved on after 2016.
History of Battersea Park Street Circuit
A founding-era Formula E venue
Battersea Park never had a permanent racing circuit; instead, for two seasons it was transformed into a temporary 1.818-mile street track built on the park's own perimeter roads for the brand-new all-electric Formula E championship. British architect Simon Gibbons designed the 17-corner layout, which opened in June 2015 to host the final two races of the series' inaugural 2014-15 season - a weekend remembered as much for the title fight as the racing, since Nelson Piquet Jr's seventh place in the finale secured the first-ever Formula E drivers' championship by a single point over Sebastien Buemi.
Bumps, complaints and a second visit
The circuit drew criticism from the outset. Its surface was narrow and bumpy, and a severe bump under braking at Turn 1 caused Jerome d'Ambrosio's rear suspension to fail during the opening race. Tree-lined sightlines also made it difficult for spectators around the park to see much of the action. Despite this, Formula E returned in July 2016 for a second double-header, which Nicolas Prost swept, winning both races.
Local opposition ends the venue
Racing in a Grade II* listed Victorian park proved controversial with local residents and Wandsworth Council, who objected to the disruption caused by building and dismantling a race circuit, plus the associated noise and closure of public green space, each year. In mid-2016 organisers and the council confirmed the July races would be Battersea Park's last, and the venue was dropped from the calendar entirely.
No trace today
Battersea Park has since reverted completely to its ordinary role as a working London park, with no permanent grandstands, signage or track markings left behind. The London ePrix itself continued elsewhere in the capital before eventually settling at the ExCeL London exhibition centre from the 2021 season, and there has been no serious proposal to bring racing back to Battersea Park since 2016.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Battersea Park racing circuit still exist?+
No. It was always a temporary street circuit built for race weekends, and it has not been reassembled since the last Formula E races there in July 2016; the park is now purely public parkland.
What is at the Battersea Park circuit site now?+
Ordinary park roads and paths used for walking and cycling; there is no trace of the racing circuit, grandstands or timing equipment left in place.
What racing did Battersea Park host?+
Four Formula E races across two double-header weekends: the final two rounds of the 2014-15 season in June 2015, and a further double-header in July 2016.
Why did Formula E stop racing at Battersea Park?+
Local opposition to holding a motor race in a Grade II* listed public park, and the disruption of building and removing a circuit each year, led organisers and Wandsworth Council to end the venue after 2016.
How long was the Battersea Park circuit?+
1.818 miles (2.925km) with 17 corners, run anti-clockwise around the park's perimeter roads.
Where did the London ePrix move to after Battersea Park?+
After leaving Battersea Park, Formula E's London race eventually resettled at the ExCeL London exhibition centre, where it has run from the 2021 season.
Other tracks nearby
- ExCeL London Circuit · 13 km · street circuit
- Brooklands · 25 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Brands Hatch · 32 km · road course
- Goodwood Motor Circuit · 81 km · road course
- Bedford Autodrome · 87 km · road course
- Silverstone Circuit · 88 km · road course
Facts checked against 5 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.