Top 10 – Circuits F1 Abandoned
It’s 10 years on Saturday (April 23) since the wonderful Autodromo Enzo E Dino Ferrari at Imola in the Principality of San Marino hosted its 27th and last World Championship Grand Prix. The circuit hosted the Italian Grand Prix in 1980 – the only time it hasn’t been held at Monza – and the San Marino race every year between 1981 and 2006, and was well-loved by drivers and spectators.
Recent speculation that it’s back on Formula 1’s radar as a potential replacement for Monza will strike a chord with fans. Its old-school charms and challenging layout endeared it to fans, although the tragedies of 1994, when Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna lost their lives, will forever cast a dark shadow.
With the anniversary of the final event, won by Michael Schumacher's Ferrari in 2006, looming, we’ve looked back through the history books to recall other great venues lost to F1. We’ve limited it to tracks that are still active and on which F1 has no presence at all, so the old Hockenheim, Interlagos, Mexico City, Nürburgring Nordschleife, Osterreichring, Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps aren’t included as parts of them are still used in the modern game.
1 BRANDS HATCH, GREAT BRITAIN
Races: 14 (12 British GPs, 2 European GPs)
Key moments:
1976 James Hunt disqualified after winning on the road
1985 Nigel Mansell’s maiden career victory – in European GP
Winners:
1964 Jim Clark, Lotus 25-Climax
1966 Jack Brabham, Brabham BT19-Repco
1968 Jo Siffert, Lotus 49B-Cosworth
1970 Jochen Rindt, Lotus 72C-Cosworth
1972 Emerson Fittipaldi, Lotus 72D-Cosworth
1974 Jody Scheckter, Tyrrell 007-Cosworth
1976 Niki Lauda, Ferrari 312T2
1978 Carlos Reutemann, Ferrari 312T3
1980 Alan Jones, Williams FW07B-Cosworth
1982 Niki Lauda, McLaren MP4-1B-Cosworth
1983 Nelson Piquet, Brabham BT52B-BMW
1984 Niki Lauda, McLaren MP4-2-TAG Porsche
1985 Nigel Mansell, Williams FW10-Honda
1986 Nigel Mansell, Williams FW11-Honda
2 DIJON-PRENOIS, FRANCE
Races: 6 (5 French GPs, 1 Swiss GP)
Key moments:
1979 First victory for a turbocharged car. Gilles Villeneuve and René Arnoux stage that dice
1982 Keke Rosberg’s only win in his championship year comes in the Swiss GP
Winners:
1974 Ronnie Peterson, Lotus 72E-Cosworth
1977 Mario Andretti, Lotus 78-Cosworth
1979 Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Renault RS10-Renault
1981 Alain Prost, Renault RE30
1982 Keke Rosberg, Williams FW08-Cosworth
1984 Niki Lauda, McLaren MP4-2-TAG Porsche
3 DONINGTON PARK, GREAT BRITAIN
Races: 1 (1 European GP)
Key moment:
1993 Ayrton Senna’s opening-lap mastery
Winners
1993 Ayrton Senna, McLaren MP4-8-Ford
4 ESTORIL, PORTUGAL
Races: 13 (13 Portuguese GPs)
Key moments:
1985 Ayrton Senna’s maiden career victory
1995 David Coulthard’s first win
Winners:
1984 Alain Prost, McLaren MP4-2-TAG Porsche
1985 Ayrton Senna, Lotus 97T-Renault
1986 Nigel Mansell, Williams FW11-Honda
1987 Alain Prost, McLaren MP4-3-TAG Porsche
1988 Alain Prost, McLaren MP4-4-Honda
1989 Gerhard Berger, Ferrari 640
1990 Nigel Mansell, Ferrari F1-90-2
1991 Riccardo Patrese, Williams FW14-Renault
1992 Nigel Mansell, Williams FW14B-Renault
1993 Michael Schumacher, Benetton B193B-Ford
1994 Damon Hill, Williams FW16B-Renault
1995 David Coulthard, Williams FW17-Renault
1996 Jacques Villeneuve, Williams FW18-Renault
5 LONG BEACH, UNITED STATES
Races: 8 (8 United States West GPs)
Key moments:
1980 Nelson Piquet’s maiden career victory
1983 John Watson and Niki Lauda take one-two for McLaren – from 22nd and 23rd on the grid
Winners:
1976 Clay Regazzoni, Ferrari 312T
1977 Mario Andretti, Lotus 78-Cosworth
1978 Carlos Reutemann, Ferrari 312T2
1979 Gilles Villeneuve, Ferrari 312T4
1980 Nelson Piquet, Brabham BT49-Cosworth
1981 Alan Jones, Williams FW07-Cosworth
1982 Niki Lauda, McLaren MP4-1B-Cosworth
1983 John Watson, McLaren MP4-1C-Cosworth
6 MONT TREMBLANT, CANADA
Races: 2 (2 Canadian GPs)
Key moments:
1968 Denny Hulme and Bruce McLaren score McLaren’s first one-two
1970 Jackie Stewart gives Tyrrell a debut pole and leads the race before retiring
Winners:
1968 Denny Hulme, McLaren M7A-Cosworth
1970 Jacky Ickx, Ferrari 312B
7 MOSPORT, CANADA
Races: 8 (8 Canadian GPs)
Key moments:
1973 A pace car is used in a Grand Prix for the first time
1976 James Hunt closes to within eight points of championship leader Niki Lauda
Winners:
1967 Jack Brabham, Brabham BT24-Repco
1969 Jacky Ickx, Brabham BT26A-Cosworth
1971 Jackie Stewart, Tyrrell 003-Cosworth
1972 Jackie Stewart, Tyrrell 005-Cosworth
1973 Peter Revson, McLaren M23-Cosworth
1974 Emerson Fittipaldi, McLaren-Cosworth
1976 James Hunt, McLaren-Cosworth
1977 Jody Scheckter, Wolf WR1-Cosworth
8 PAUL RICARD, FRANCE
Races: 14 (14 French GPs)
Key moments:
1985 Nelson Piquet gives Brabham its 35th and final victory
1990 Ivan Capelli comes within three laps of scoring Leyton House’s first win
Winners:
1971 Jackie Stewart, Tyrrell 003-Cosworth
1973 Ronnie Peterson, Lotus 72E-Cosworth
1975 Niki Lauda, Ferrari 312T
1976 James Hunt, McLaren M23-Cosworth
1978 Mario Andretti, Lotus 79-Cosworth
1980 Alan Jones, Williams FW07B-Cosworth
1982 René Arnoux, Renault RE30B
1983 Alain Prost, Renault RE40
1985 Nelson Piquet, Brabham BT54-BMW
1986 Nigel Mansell, Williams FW11-Honda
1987 Nigel Mansell, Williams FW11B-Honda
1988 Alain Prost, McLaren MP4-4-Honda
1989 Alain Prost, McLaren MP4-5-Honda
1990 Alain Prost, Ferrari F1-90-2
9 WATKINS GLEN, UNITED STATES
Races: 20 (20 United States East GPs)
Key moments:
1966 Jim Clark gives the BRM H16 engine its only GP win
1973 World Champion Jackie Stewart retires from racing after Tyrrell team-mate François Cevert is killed in qualifying
Winners:
1961 Innes Ireland, Lotus 21-Climax
1962 Jim Clark, Lotus 25-Climax
1963 Graham Hill, BRM P57
1964 Graham Hill, BRM P261
1965 Graham Hill, BRM P261
1966 Jim Clark, Lotus 43-BRM
1967 Jim Clark, Lotus 49-Cosworth
1968 Jackie Stewart, Matra MS10-Cosworth
1969 Jochen Rindt, Lotus 49B-Cosworth
1970 Emerson Fittipaldi, Lotus 72C-Cosworth
1971 Francois Cevert, Tyrrell 003-Cosworth
1972 Jackie Stewart, Tyrrell 005-Cosworth
1973 Ronnie Peterson, Lotus 72E-Cosworth
1974 Carlos Reutemann, Brabham BT44-Cosworth
1975 Niki Lauda, Ferrari 312T
1976 James Hunt, McLaren M23-Cosworth
1977 James Hunt, McLaren M26-Cosworth
1978 Carlos Reutemann, Ferrari 312T3
1979 Gilles Villeneuve, Ferrari 312T4
1980 Alan Jones, Williams FW07B-Cosworth
10 ZANDVOORT, HOLLAND
Races: 30 (30 Dutch GPs)
Key moments:
1967 Jim Clark gives the Cosworth DFV engine a debut victory
1975 James Hunt holds off Niki Lauda’s Ferrari to give Hesketh its first and only victory
Winners:
1952 Alberto Ascari, Ferrari 500
1953 Alberto Ascari, Ferrari 500
1955 Juan Manuel Fangio, Mercedes W196
1958 Stirling Moss, Vanwall
1959 Jo Bonnier, BRM P25
1960 Jack Brabham, Cooper T53-Climax
1961 Wolfgang von Trips, Ferrari 156
1962 Graham Hill, BRM P57
1963 Jim Clark, Lotus 25-Climax
1964 Jim Clark, Lotus 25-Climax
1965 Jim Clark, Lotus 33-Climax
1966 Jack Brabham, Brabham BT19-Repco
1967 Jim Clark, Lotus 49-Cosworth
1968 Jackie Stewart, Matra MS10-Cosworth
1969 Jackie Stewart, Matra MS80-Cosworth
1970 Jochen Rindt, Lotus 72-Cosworth
1971 Jacky Ickx, Ferrari 312B2
1973 Jackie Stewart, Tyrrell 006-Cosworth
1974 Niki Lauda, Ferrari 312B3
1975 James Hunt, Hesketh 308B-Cosworth
1976 James Hunt, McLaren M23-Cosworth
1977 Niki Lauda, Ferrari 312T2
1978 Mario Andretti, Lotus 79-Cosworth
1979 Alan Jones, Williams FW07-Cosworth
1980 Nelson Piquet, Brabham BT49-Cosworth
1981 Alain Prost, Renault RE30
1982 Didier Pironi, Ferrari 126C2
1983 René Arnoux, Ferrari 126C3
1984 Alain Prost, McLaren MP4-2-TAG Porsche
1985 Niki Lauda, McLaren MP4-2B-TAG Porsche
F1
Top 10
