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Legend and translations

GBR - UNITED KINGDOM
DONINGTON PARK
Description	Circuit created in 1931 in the same park, using internal roads already existing. In the first years the circuit was used by motorbikes only, as it was created by Frank Craner, a former biker who raced 7 Tourist Trophies. In 1933 the track become permanent and in 1935 it hosted "Donington Grand Prix", a kind of British Car Grand Prix even if it had not this name because of opposition of RAC. In 1967 Autosprint reported that announced reopening of the circuit had been canceled due to technical difficulties. Donington Park is surely one of the most famous international circuit: since 1987 it has hosted motorbike Great Britain GP and in 1993 it hosted Formula 1 Europe GP, a famous race dominated by Ayrton Senna in a tremendous rain. Track layout had many changes all over the years. Two final hairpins in the current layout were built in 1984. Now the track has 11 bends, 7 right and 4 left. Because of some problems at Silverstone for organizing F.1 Great Britain GP, in 2003 a proposal was made for a renewal of the track in order to host again a F.1 GP. This idea was suspended for years, but it should happen in 2010.
Location	Castle Donington LEC - Leicestershire - England
Location	Donington Park, Derbyshire; approx. 200 km - 125 mi from London
Latitude - Longitude	+ 52°49'47"     - 1°22'49" 52.829722     -1.380278
UTM Coordinates	X = 609123.402  -  Y = 5854557.996  -  Zone 30U
Aerial photo / Map (*)	Google Maps  -    Bing Maps  -    Flash Earth
Altitude AMSL	95 m - 312 ft
Inauguration	1931
Closing
Designer
Sources and links (Translation) (**)	(1) (page 72) Author: Peter Swinger - Published by: Dial House - year: 2001 - ISBN: 0 7110 3104 5 Description (2) (page 44) Author: Peter Higham, Bruce Jones - Published by: Andre Deutsch - year: 1999 - ISBN: 0-233-99619-2 Description (3) Forum Forum Europe Great Britain and Ireland GBR - Donington Park [ENG] (with mapof 2003 proposal) (4) Forum Forum Europe Great Britain and Ireland GBR - Sprint Venues [ENG] (5) uk2.usp.net/bmrc/index.cfm British Moto Racing Circuits (6) www.ddavid.com/formula1/donig1937.htm (7) www.donington-park.co.uk/formula-one-plans 2010 proposal details (8) www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/t4.htm The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing (9) www.mgcars.org.uk/cambs.mgoc/barc14.htm (10) www.milermeter.com/?r=2363256 Track layout (11) www.racingcircuits.net Motor Racing Circuits Database (12) www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=108156 10 Tenths Forum Racing Talk Trackside Donington Track Development Plans (13) Autosprint 15/1967 (page 9) Announced reopening of the circuit has been canceled due to technical difficulties (14) Autosprint 2/1972 (page 12) 7 combined layouts proposed (without map) (15) Autosprint 32/1972 (page 22) First rumors for a F.1 circuit at Donington (16) Autosprint 3/1974 (page 47) Problem with municipality for building the circuit (17) Autosprint 8/1974 (page 40) Circuit reopened (18) Autosprint 49/1974 (page 62) Permit to do race is still pending, but works go on (19) Autosprint 49/1974 (page 62) Works stopped (20) Autosprint 51/1976 (page 62) 1976 proposal (21) Autosprint 17/1977 (page 38) New circuit is nearly ready (22) Autosprint 29/1982 (page 20) (23) Autosprint 26/1983 (page 5) In 1988 first F.1 GP (24) Rombo 27/1983 (page 84) Approved for F.1: in 1988 will it host Great Britain GP? (25) Autosprint 7/2007 (page 21) New owner: Wheatcroft sells to Dvll (26) www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20835.html The revamped Donington Park [Publishing date: October 4th 2008]

(*) NOTE: a complete and detailed view of the circuit can be found (if available) on Street View by Google Maps and/or Bird's Eye and 3D views by Bing Maps for Enterprise (former Microsoft Virtual Earth): both can be reached using their own link in Aerial photo / Map cell.

(**) For on-line not-English speaking sources, click on each small flag and you open the corresponding Google Translator page with automatic translation.

Donington Park
Description
Years	1931÷1934
Direction	Clockwise
Proposal	NO
No longer operational	YES
Car Circuit	YES
Motorbike circuit	YES
Type	Road course
Inauguration	1931
Closing
Last update of this page	June 21st 2007
Info last update
Designer
Distinctive points
length	3518  m	11542  ft	2.186  mi		(11)

Donington Park
Description	According to Motor Racing Circuits Database this layout was used only in 1935÷1936
Years	1934÷1937
Direction	Clockwise
Proposal	NO
No longer operational	YES
Car Circuit	YES
Motorbike circuit	YES
Type	Permanent
Inauguration
Closing
Last update of this page	June 21st 2007
Info last update
Designer
Distinctive points
length	4107  m	13474  ft	2.552  mi		(11)
length	4130  m	13550  ft	2.566  mi		(8)

Donington Park
Description
Years	1937÷1939
Direction	Clockwise
Proposal	NO
No longer operational	YES
Car Circuit	YES
Motorbike circuit	YES
Type	Permanent
Inauguration
Closing	1939
Last update of this page	June 21st 2007
Info last update
Designer
Distinctive points
length	5029  m	16500  ft	3.125  mi		(11)
length	5029  m	16499  ft	3.125  mi		(8)
length	5029  m	16499  ft	3.125  mi		(6)

Donington Park
Description	Proposal dated October 1976 of new Donington circuit. In comparison to layout opened in 1977, you can notice hairpin behind paddock, built only in 1985, and different layout of Club Circuit. Moreover, track length should be wrong as they are quite different to 1977 and 1985 layouts (3150 and 4020 m respectively), quote similar respectively to Club Circuit and Gp Circuit.
Years	1976
Direction	Clockwise
Proposal	YES
Proposal not developed	YES
Car Circuit	YES
Motorbike circuit
Type	Permanent
Inauguration
Closing
Last update of this page	June 21st 2007
Info last update
Designer
Distinctive points	Hollywood - Starkeys Bridge - Coppice Wood - McLeans Corner - Coppice Corner - Starkeys Straight
length	4340  m	14239  ft	2.697  mi	Long circuit	(20)
length	3800  m	12467  ft	2.361  mi	Club Circuit	(20)

Donington Park
Description	Permanent circuit opened in 1977 (March 27th?), in the same park used from 1931 to 1939 by a circuit in some different layouts. In 1983 a contract was signed for hosting Great Britain GP from 1988, after expiry of Brands Hatch and Silverstone contracts (respectively in 1986 and 1987). In 1985 it was lengthened by adding an hairpin just before start/finish line (not shown on the map), but this layout is still available as short course
Years	1977÷...
Direction	Clockwise
Proposal	NO
No longer operational
Car Circuit	YES
Motorbike circuit
Type	Permanent
Inauguration	1977
Closing
Last update of this page	June 21st 2007
Info last update
Designer
Distinctive points	Wheatcroft Straight - Redgate Corner - Hollywood - Craner Curbes - Old hairpin - Starkeys Bridge - Coppice Wood - McLeans Corner - Coppice Corner - Starkeys Straight - Goddards (Park chicane)
length	3149  m	10333  ft	1.957  mi		(11)
length	3150  m	10335  ft	1.957  mi		(22)

Donington Park
Description
Years	1985÷...
Direction	Clockwise
Proposal	NO
No longer operational
Car Circuit	YES
Motorbike circuit	YES
Type	Permanent
Inauguration	1985
Closing
Last update of this page	June 21st 2007
Info last update
Designer
Distinctive points
length	4020  m	13189  ft	2.498  mi	Long circuit	(11)
length	3149  m	10333  ft	1.957  mi	Short circuit	(11)

Donington Park
Description	It hosted British Sprint Championship in 1998, 1988 and 1998
Years	1987÷1988, 1998
Direction
Proposal	NO
No longer operational
Car Circuit
Motorbike circuit
Type	Sprint Venue
Inauguration	1987
Closing	1998
Last update of this page	December 27th 2009
Info last update
Designer
Distinctive points

Donington Park
Description	2003 proposal not developed
Years	2003
Direction	Clockwise
Proposal	YES
Proposal not developed	YES
Car Circuit	YES
Motorbike circuit	YES
Type	Permanent
Inauguration
Closing
Last update of this page	June 21st 2007
Info last update
Designer
Distinctive points

Donington Park
Description	Proposal dated 2008, it should host British F.1 GP in 2010.
Years	2010
Direction	Clockwise
Proposal	YES
Proposal not developed
Car Circuit	YES
Motorbike circuit	YES
Type	Permanent
Inauguration
Closing
Last update of this page	October 7th 2008
Info last update	October 4th 2008
Designer	Tilke Hermann Tilke
Distinctive points
length	4750  m	15585  ft	2.952  mi	Calculated from aerial photo (*)	(10)

Latitude - Longitude: + 52°49'47", - 1°22'49"
If the aerial photo is not visible, you have to zoom out by clicking (maybe more then once) button ’-’ in top left corner

Updates
Date	Track layout	Years	Description by	Map by	Thanks to	Note
March 23rd 2024			Guido de Carli			Update	Description
December 27th 2009		1987÷1988, 1998	Guido de Carli		andylaurence	Update	Description
November 19th 2008		2010	Guido de Carli	Vasco	Vasco	Update	Map
October 7th 2008		2010	Guido de Carli			Update	Description
July 4th 2008			Guido de Carli			Update	Description
June 21st 2007			Lorenzo Tommasi			Update	Description
August 19th 2005			Guido de Carli			Update	Description
March 25th 2005		1977÷...	Guido de Carli			Update	Description
November 26th 2004		1976	Guido de Carli	Guido de Carli		Update	Description with map
March 10th 2004		1977÷...	Guido de Carli	Guido de Carli		Update	Description with map
March 24th 2003			Guido de Carli			Update	Description
March 11th 2003			Guido de Carli			Update	Description
October 10th 2002			Guido de Carli			New	Description
Not all eventual updates issued in last years are already visible in this list

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