Donington Park
Donington Park at a glance
- Location
- Castle Donington, Leicestershire
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 4.02 km (2.498 mi)
- Turns
- 12
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1931
- Owner
- MotorSport Vision (MSV, leased from the Wheatcroft family through 2038)
- Capacity
- 120,000
- Phone
- +44 344 225 4424
- Website
- donington-park.co.uk
Track map and layout
Donington Park is laid out through wooded parkland around Donington Hall, and its lap is defined by elevation as much as corners: the plunge downhill from Redgate into the Craner Curves is one of the most celebrated sequences in British motorsport, generations of racers describing the rhythm of Craners as a defining test of car control. The current Grand Prix Circuit runs clockwise over 4.020 km and 12 turns, continuing from Craners past the Old Hairpin, out through Starkeys Bridge and the fast Schwantz Curve (named for Kevin Schwantz's audacious 1990 500cc pass) into the extended Melbourne Loop added in 1985 for motorcycle Grands Prix, before climbing back through McLeans and Coppice and into the tightened Goddards chicane onto the pit straight. The shorter National Circuit (3.149-3.186 km, 10 turns) cuts out the Melbourne Loop, rejoining after Coppice for a faster, more compact club-racing lap.
Named corners and sections
- Redgate. The tight first-lap corner off the start-finish straight, leading straight into the downhill plunge of the Craner Curves.
- Craner Curves. A fast, downhill, off-camber sequence widely regarded as one of the best corner combinations in world motorsport, testing commitment and car balance.
- Old Hairpin. A slow, tight right-hander at the bottom of the hill that resets speed after the Craner Curves.
- Schwantz Curve. Named after Kevin Schwantz, whose audacious 1990 500cc pass through this section became one of motorcycle racing's most replayed moments.
- Melbourne Loop. An infield extension added in 1985 to lengthen the lap for motorcycle Grand Prix racing, used on the Grand Prix Circuit but bypassed on the National layout.
- Coppice. A fast, sweeping right-hander leading back towards the final corners and the pit straight.
- Goddards. The tightened chicane before the pit straight, realigned in 2010 to slow entry speed for safety.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Circuit | 4.02 km | 12 turns; current layout since 1986; used for MotoGP (1987-2009), WSBK, British GT and major bike events |
| National Circuit | 3.15 km | 10 turns; current Goddards realignment since 2010; used by BTCC and BSB |
Events and race weekends
Donington Park's modern calendar is built around the World Superbike Championship, which returns each year to the Grand Prix Circuit, and the British Touring Car Championship and British Superbike Championship, both run on the National Circuit. The British GT Championship also races at Donington, and the circuit's long historic-motorsport pedigree is marked each spring at the Donington Historic Festival, established in 2010 after the circuit's return to the Wheatcroft family. From 1987 to 2009 Donington hosted 23 consecutive British motorcycle Grands Prix, and in 1993 it staged Formula 1's only visit as host of the European Grand Prix.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship | WSBK | July | run on the Grand Prix Circuit |
| Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship | BTCC | — | multiple rounds per season on the National Circuit |
| British Superbike Championship | BSB | — | run on the National Circuit |
| British GT Championship | British GT | — | |
| Donington Historic Festival | Historic racing | May | established 2010 |
Getting there and parking
Donington Park sits immediately next to East Midlands Airport off the M1, roughly midway between Derby, Nottingham and Leicester. The nearest railway station is East Midlands Parkway on the Midland Main Line, around 15 minutes away by taxi, with regular trains from London, Nottingham, Sheffield and Lincoln; Skylink buses also connect the circuit to Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Loughborough. There is a dedicated bus stop at the East Entrance, directly opposite East Midlands Airport's terminal.
- East Midlands Airport (EMA) · about 5 min drive
Parking
General event parking is provided in fields around the circuit, usually included with tickets; arrive early for WSBK, BTCC and BSB weekends as M1 exits nearby can back up.
Because East Midlands Airport sits right next to the circuit, flying in and taking a short taxi or the East Entrance bus stop is often quicker than driving from further afield.
Hotels and camping near Donington Park
Donington Park runs on-site camping for most of its major race weekends, which is the cheapest and most convenient option for WSBK, BTCC and BSB visitors. For a hotel bed, Castle Donington itself has the closest options, including the Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel just over a kilometre from the gates, with a much larger choice of chain hotels around East Midlands Airport and in Derby, Nottingham and Loughborough, all within about 20-30 minutes; rooms nearest the circuit book out fastest for WSBK and BTCC weekends.
Where to look
Castle Donington is the nearest base, with the Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel about 1.3 km from the circuit; the wider East Midlands Airport hotel cluster, plus Derby, Nottingham and Loughborough, all lie within roughly half an hour's drive and offer a much larger range of accommodation.
Camping
On-site camping is available for most major race events; specific pitch pricing is set per event and published on the circuit's ticketing pages.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Donington Park, run by MSV since 2017, hosts a regular programme of car and motorcycle track days on both the National and Grand Prix layouts through MSV Trackdays, with bike track days including breakfast and lunch typically priced around £260. Third-party organisers also run sessions at the circuit throughout the year, and the venue has had a multi-million-pound facilities investment since MSV took over.
Who runs days here
- MSV Trackdays (car)car
- MSV Trackdays (bike)motorcycle
- Opentrack Eventscar
- No Limits Trackdaysmotorcycle
Typical cost: MSV bike track days from around £260 per day including breakfast and lunch; car track day pricing available on booking
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 1 (Grand Prix Circuit, 1993 layout) | 1:18.029 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren MP4/8 | 1993 |
| MotoGP (Grand Prix Circuit) | 1:28.714 | Dani Pedrosa | Honda RC211V | 2006 |
| World Superbike (Grand Prix Circuit) | 1:25.124 | Sam Lowes | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 2026 |
| BTCC (National Circuit) | 1:07.944 | Ashley Sutton | Ford Focus (NGTC) | 2026 |
| British Superbike (National Circuit) | 1:05.723 | Kyle Ryde | Yamaha YZF-R1 | 2022 |
Spectator guide
The downhill run from Redgate through the Craner Curves is Donington's signature spectator draw, with grass banking on the inside of the hill giving views of several corners in one sweep. Grandstands and general admission areas are concentrated around Redgate, the Craners, the Old Hairpin and Coppice, while the wooded parkland setting keeps much of the circuit shaded compared with more open UK venues.
Seating
Viewing areas take their names from the corners they overlook, including Redgate, Craner Curves, Old Hairpin and Coppice, with grandstands added at key points for major events like WSBK and BTCC.
Best places to watch
The banking above the Craner Curves gives a view of cars or bikes committing downhill through the sequence at full speed, widely rated as the circuit's best vantage point.
Weather
- May (Historic Festival): cool and changeable, highs typically around 14-16°C
- July (WSBK): warmest month, highs typically around 20-22°C
History of Donington Park
Britain's first park circuit
Donington Park opened in 1931 as the first permanent park circuit in England, laid out through the grounds around Donington Hall and ending the monopoly held by Brooklands. Through the mid-1930s it staged the Donington Grand Prix, drawing the German 'Silver Arrows' teams from Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union for prestigious pre-war races in 1937 and 1938. War intervened in 1940, when the circuit was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence and used as a military vehicle depot; it did not reopen for racing until Tom Wheatcroft, who had bought the site in 1971, funded its reconstruction, with the first postwar motorcycle and car races run in May 1977.
Grands Prix, two wheels and four
The Melbourne Loop was added in 1985 to extend the lap for motorcycle Grand Prix racing, and Donington hosted the British round of the motorcycle world championship for 23 consecutive years from 1987 to 2009, a run that included Kevin Schwantz's celebrated 1990 pass through the curve that now bears his name. Donington's sole Formula 1 race came in 1993, when it hosted the European Grand Prix; run in wet and drying conditions, the race is remembered chiefly for Ayrton Senna's dominant drive through the field on the opening lap. A high-profile attempt to bring the British Grand Prix to Donington for 2010 collapsed in 2009 when operator Donington Ventures Leisure failed to secure financing, and the lease reverted to the Wheatcroft family.
Present day under MSV
The circuit relaunched in 2010 with the newly-established Donington Historic Festival, and MotorSport Vision took over its operation in 2017 on a 21-year lease running to 2038, investing heavily in facilities since. Today Donington Park hosts the World Superbike Championship, British Touring Car Championship, British Superbike Championship and British GT Championship, alongside a year-round programme of car and bike track days on both the Grand Prix and National circuits.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit?+
The Grand Prix Circuit is 4.020 km (2.498 miles) with 12 turns; the shorter National Circuit is 3.149 km (1.957 miles) with 10 turns.
Did Donington Park host a Formula 1 race?+
Yes, once. Donington hosted the 1993 European Grand Prix on the Grand Prix Circuit, a race remembered for Ayrton Senna's dominant opening lap in wet conditions.
What is the lap record at Donington Park?+
The outright F1 lap record on the Grand Prix Circuit is 1:18.029, set by Ayrton Senna in a McLaren MP4/8 in 1993. On the National Circuit, the current BTCC lap record is 1:07.944, set by Ashley Sutton in 2026.
Can you camp at Donington Park for race weekends?+
Yes. On-site camping is available for most major race events, including WSBK, BTCC and BSB weekends, with pricing set per event.
How far is Donington Park from an airport?+
Donington Park sits immediately next to East Midlands Airport, about a 5-minute drive from the circuit's East Entrance.
Can the public drive or ride Donington Park?+
Yes. MSV Trackdays runs regular car and bike track days on both the National and Grand Prix circuits, with third-party organisers such as Opentrack and No Limits Trackdays also holding sessions there.
Other tracks nearby
- Mallory Park · 26 km · road course
- Birmingham Superprix · 53 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Rockingham Motor Speedway · 60 km · historic circuit (dormant)
- Silverstone Circuit · 88 km · road course
- Bedford Autodrome · 90 km · road course
- Oulton Park · 92 km · road course
Facts checked against 7 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.