MotoGP Circuits

Circuits 

In total, 74 different circuits and 32 countries have hosted World Championship motorcycling races since the first round was held on the Mountain Course in the Isle of Man in 1949, the TT event also having the distinction, at 37 and ¾ miles long, of being the longest track ever to host a World Championship race.

Up until 2020, only one had the distinction of hosting a race every year since then – Assen in Holland. The Dutch venue has undergone a few layout changes since 1949 but some of today’s circuit was used in that first race and it has a unique place on the GP calendar – it’s also unique as it’s a circuit used solely by motorcycles.

However, its amazing run came to an end in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic shortened season saw it removed from the calendar. Great Britain and Italy had also held a round every single year but GB, like Assen, lost their record in 2020 with no round taking place leaving just Italy as the only country to host a round at least once every year since 1949.

But whilst Assen has hosted a GP on 74 occasions – one less than the 75 years the Grand Prix Championship has taken place between 1949 and 2023 – Spain has actually hosted the most GPs, 143, due to hosting more than one a year on some occasions. The last few seasons have seen four GP’s take place each year and the pandemic-hit 2020 season saw seven races take place in the country!

This also applies to the likes of Italy, Japan and Germany. For example, Japan hosted the Japanese and Pacific Grands Prix in the same season with Italian circuits hosting the Italian and San Marino rounds.

6 circuits to start

Back to 1949 and that first season saw six circuits used – the Isle of Man, Bremgarten in Swizerland, Assen, Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Clady in Northern Ireland, and Monza in Italy. Points were awarded to the top five finishers in each race with an extra point for the race finisher with the fastest lap. All rounds counted towards the championship in the 125cc, 250cc and Sidecar categories, while in the 350cc and 500cc championships, only the best three results counted.

For much of the 1950s and 1960s, the majority of Grand Prix races were held on public road courses like the Mountain Course on the Isle of Man, Spa in Belgium, Solitude in Germany and Brno in the Czech Republic (then known as Czechoslovakia) and only in the 1970s did this trend start to change as rider’s safety became a hot topic. Road circuits were slowly phased out and replaced by short circuits, one of the biggest changes happening in 1976 when the TT held the British round for the final time, Silverstone taking over in 1977.

Dundrod in Northern Ireland and had already disappeared off the calendar after the 1971 season. Monjuich Park in Spain was last used in 1976 whilst Brno and Imatra road courses were last used in 1982, the former having a new short circuit purpose-built instead. Spa, albeit reduced to just over four miles in length, lasted until 1990 but from that moment on, the Grand Prix championship has been solely for the domain of man-made short circuits.

Circuits continue to grow

Ever since that maiden season in 1949, the calendar has continued to grow with more and more circuits – and more and more countries – fighting it out to host a round of the series.

Initially Europe-based, the Championship went to South America (Argentina) for the first time in 1961, Asia (Japan) in 1963, North America (USA) in 1964, Africa (South Africa) in 1983 and Australasia (Australia) in 1989.

32 countries, including East and West Germany, have hosted a round since 1949 with France having the highest number of circuits used at eight, closely followed by Spain (6) and Germany (5).

No less than nine circuits have been visited just once, these being Geneva, Switzerland (1950), Albi, France (1951), Schottenring , Germany (1953), Hedemora, Sweden (1958), Mosport, Canada (1967), Zolder, Belgium (1980), Magny Cours, France (1992), Interlagos, Brazil (1992), Johor, Malaysia (1998) and, Buddh International in India, the most recent country and circuit used, in 2023.

The 2019 calendar saw a packed 19-race schedule with Thailand the newest country to host a round whilst 2020 was expecting to see that number increased to 20 races with Finland returning to the schedule for the first time since 1982.

However, delays have meant the Kymiring is still to host a GP, but Indonesia was back on the schedule in 2022, for the first time since 1997, whilst a 20-round series took place in 2023 with India the latest country to host a MotoGP round. Kazakhstan was due to be on the calendar in 2023 but is now set to make its debut in 2024 when 21 Grands Prix are scheduled.

Full list of countries, circuits and years hosted rounds

America (35)

Austin – 2013-19, 2021-23 (10)

Daytona – 1964-65 (2)

Laguna Seca – 1988-91, 1993-94, 2005-13 (15)

Indianapolis – 2008-15 (8)

Argentina (18)

Buenos Aires – 1961-3, 1981-82, 1987, 1994-95, 1998-99 (10)

Termas de Rio Hondo – 2014-19, 2023 (8)

Australia (33)

Eastern Creek – 1991-1996 (6)

Phillip Island – 1989-90, 1997-2019, 2023 (27)

Austria (34)

Salzburgring – 1971-91, 1993 (22)

Red Bull Ring (formerly Zeltweg) – 1996-97, 2016-23 (12)

Belgium (41)

Spa-Francorchamps – 1949-79, 1981-90 (40)

Zolder – 1980 (1)

Brazil (13)

Goiania – 1987-89 (3)

Interlagos – 1992 (1)

Jacarepagua – 1995-97, 1999-2004 (9)

Canada (1)

Mosport – 1967 (1)

China (4)

Shanghai – 2005-08 (4)

Czech Republic (51)

Brno – 1965-82, 1987-91, 1993-2020 (51)

Finland (21)

Imatra – 1964-82 (19)

Tampere – 1962-63 (2)

France (67)

Albi – 1951 (1)

Clermont Ferrand – 1959-64, 1966-67, 1972, 1974 (10)

Le Mans – 1969-70, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989-91, 1994-95, 2000-23 (36)

Magny Cours – 1992 (1)

Nogaro – 1978, 1982 (2)

Paul Ricard – 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980-81, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1996-99 (13)

Reims – 1954-55 (2)

Rouen – 1953, 1965 (2)

Germany (84)

Hockenheim – 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1966-67, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981-83, 1985-87, 1989, 1991-94 (23)

Nurburgring – 1955, 1958, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995-97 (17)

Sachsenring – 1961-72, 1998-2019, 2021 – 2023 (37)

Schottenring – 1953 (1)

Solitude – 1952, 1954, 1956, 1960, 1962, 1964 (6)

Great Britain (74)

Donington Park – 1987-2009 (23)

Silverstone – 1977-86, 2010-17, 2019, 2021-2023 (23)

Isle of Man TT – 1949-76 (28)

Holland (74)

Assen – 1949-2019, 2021-2023 (74)

Hungary (2)

Hungaroring – 1990, 1992 (2)

India (1)

Buddh International Circuit – 2023 (1)

Indonesia (4)

Mandalika – 2022 -23 (2)

Sentul – 1996-97 (2)

Italy (106)

Imola – 1972, 1974-75, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1996-99 (12)

Misano – 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986-87, 1989-91, 1993, 2007-23 (28)

Monza – 1949-71, 1973, 1981-83, 1986-87 (29)

Mugello – 1976, 1978, 1982, 1984-85, 1991-2019, 2021-2023 (37)

Japan (44)

Fuji – 1966-67 (2)

Motegi – 1999-2019, 2023 (23)

Suzuka – 1963-65, 1987-98, 2000-03 (19)

Malaysia (31)

Johor – 1998 (1)

Sepang – 1999-2019, 2022- 2023 (23)

Shah Alam – 1991-97 (7)

Northern Ireland (23)

Clady -1949-52 (4)

Dundrod – 1953-71 (19)

Portugal (18)

Estoril – 2000-12 (13)

Portimao – 2020-23 (5)

Qatar (21)

Losail – 2004-23 (21)

South Africa (10)

Kyalami – 1983-85, 1992 (4)

Welkom – 1999-04 (6)

Spain (146)

Catalunya – 1992-2023 (32)

Jarama – 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977-86, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1998 (18)

Jerez – 1987-2023 (38)

Motorland Aragon – 2010-22 (14)

Montjuich Park – 1950-55, 1961-68, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976 (18)

Valencia – 1999-2023 (26)

Sweden (22)

Anderstorp – 1971-77, 1981-90 (17)

Hedemora – 1958 (1)

Karlskoga – 1978-79 (2)

Kristianstad – 1959, 1961 (2)

Switzerland (6)

Bremgarten – 1949, 1951-54 (5)

Geneva – 1950 (1)

Thailand (4)

Buriram – 2019, 2024 (4)

Turkey (3)

Istanbul Park – 2005-07 (3)

Venezuela (3)

San Carlos – 1977-79 (3)

Yugoslavia (21)

Opatija – 1970, 1972-77 (8)

Rijeka – 1978-90 (13)

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