Race tracks are often multi-functional venues used in different motorsport championships, with F1 and MotoGP being no different.
There are five tracks on the 2024 calendar for both series, while many others have been used for either championship in the past. So, what are these circuits?
Circuits from the current F1 and MotoGP calendars.
Circuit of the Americas – United States
2012-19; 2021 – present |
2013-19; 2021 – present |
|
Lap record (on current track) |
Alex Rins (2m03.126s, 2023) |
The Circuit of the Americas ended the United States’ five-year absence from the F1 calendar by becoming the new host of the United States Grand Prix in 2012. This was only two years after the start of the construction of the circuit that COTA became the first purpose-built circuit in the United States. track for FIA and FIM (the governing bodies of F1 and MotoGP) events to replace Indianapolis, which hosted the last United States F1 grand prix in 2007.
Watching the construction of this state-of-the-art venue, MotoGP wanted in on the action, so a deal was made for COTA to debut on this calendar in 2013. It was named the Grand Prix of the Americas as at the era. The United States had two other events on the calendar: the United States GP held at Laguna Seca and the Indianapolis GP at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C43
Photo by: Alfa Romeo
Since then, COTA has featured on both calendars every year – with the exception of the COVID-hit 2020 season – as it has become a very popular track among riders, riders and fans.
This is due to its fast nature with long straights and high-speed corners that make for a very fun ride while paving the way for some excellent racing. The long runoff zones also make COTA suitable for MotoGP as they provide enough space for riders to slow down before hitting a barrier.
But there is a difference of almost 30 seconds between the COTA lap records for F1 and MotoGP. This is not surprising, however, because although the top speed of an F1 car is similar to that of a MotoGP motorcycle, it has a much higher cornering speed, which is especially necessary in the twisty sector. of COTA. COTA is also a large 3.4-mile circuit, which means lap time differences are generally greater.
Barcelona-Catalonia Circuit – Spain
Johann Zarco (1m39.939s, 2021) |
The Barcelona-Catalonia Circuit was billed as the Grand Prix of the Olympic Games since the Spanish city hosted the 1992 edition. The track was therefore built as part of that year’s summer games development program , after being opened to the public in 1991 when it replaced Jerez as the new host of the Spanish GP in F1.
A year later, Barcelona began hosting the European motorcycle GP – Jerez was the Spanish motorcycle GP – until 1995 before switching to the Catalan GP.
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Photo by: MotoGP
Since then, Barcelona has remained on both calendars, while being used numerous times for testing in F1 and MotoGP. As a result, competitors in both series know the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya incredibly well and it is also popular among some due to its high elevations, fast corners and long main straight, making it a challenging track and exciting.
However, the future of the circuit is uncertain as Madrid will become the new host of the Spanish F1 GP from 2026, the year which also corresponds to the expiration of Barcelona’s MotoGP contract.
Losail International Circuit – Qatar
2004-19; 2021 – present |
||
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (1) |
Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi (4) |
|
Max Verstappen (1m23.196s, 2021) |
Pedro Acosta (1m52.657s, 2024) |
Qatar is a relatively recent addition to the F1 championship, but has been a MotoGP staple for many years. The Losail International Circuit made its MotoGP debut in 2004 and has become something of a pioneer in the Middle East. It was one of the first countries to introduce motorsport to the region, alongside Bahrain, which joined F1 in 2004.
The circuit made history four years later when Qatar hosted the first ever MotoGP night race. Qatar has only missed one MotoGP season – 2020 – since its debut due to COVID, while in 2021 it hosted two events due to the pandemic.
This was also the year Losail made its F1 debut where it hosted the penultimate round of the season.
Alex Albon, Williams FW45
Photo by: Williams
Qatar’s second race took place in 2023 – it had been absent in 2022 due to the FIFA World Cup – where it was criticized by drivers and fans, as the extreme conditions forced a three-stop strategy , while many drivers struggled with the weather, including Logan Sargeant who retired due to heat stroke. The Qatar GP does not have the same problem, however, as it takes place at a very different time of year where temperatures are lower.
It’s also no surprise that it has remained on the MotoGP calendar for so long because, like Austin and Barcelona, the fast corners, long straights and large runoff areas make it ideal for motorcycles.
Silverstone – United Kingdom
1950-54; 1956-85 (intermittently); 1987 – today |
1977-86; 2010-17; 2019; 2021 – present |
|
Jorge Lorenzo and Kenny Roberts (3) |
||
Lap record (on current track) |
Max Verstappen (1m27.097s, 2020) |
Alex Rins (1m59.346s, 2022) |
Silverstone hosted the first F1 Grand Prix in 1950, but it wasn’t until 1987 that it finally became the permanent venue for the British Grand Prix after sharing it with Aintree and Brands Hatch.
In 1977, Silverstone began hosting the British GP. Silverstone lost the rights to Donington Park in 1987 before regaining them in 2010. However, cycling fans have failed to get used to the circuit hoping for the return of the Leicestershire track.
There have also been moments of controversy for both series on the English site. In 2018, the circuit was resurfaced to remove significant bumps that had proven problematic for MotoGP riders. But Lewis Hamilton criticized this, saying the circuit is “the fastest it has ever been”, while calling it “a waste of money, which could have been put to much better use”.
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Later that year, the MotoGP round had to be canceled after long delays on Sunday, as the resurfaced track proved unable to shed rainwater and was deemed too dangerous to race on. Nevertheless, while MotoGP fans may want to return to Donington Park, Silverstone and F1 are intrinsically linked to each other, as it is many people’s favorite circuit due to its atmosphere, its difficult turns and its numerous overtaking points.
Silverstone is also a long 3.6-mile lap, meaning it’s no surprise that of the five circuits on both calendars, the British circuit has the biggest difference – 32 seconds – between its lap records in F1 and MotoGP.
Red Bull Ring – Austria
1970 (as Österreichring) |
||
1970-87; 1997-03; 2014 – present |
1996-97; 2016 – present |
|
Giacomo Agostini, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Kevin Schwantz, Mick Doohan, Andrea Dovizioso (3) |
||
Andrea Dovizioso (1m23.827s, 2019) |
Austria made its debut on the F1 calendar when its Styrian circuit was named the Osterreichring, a very intimidating layout that remained until 1995, eight years after the circuit left the series.
The circuit was completely rebuilt in 1996, when the now named A1-Ring replaced the dangerous Salzburgring as host of the Austrian MotoGP GP. F1 arrived at the new circuit in 1997, which was also its last year hosting motorcycle races for a while due to low attendances. Austria then remained on the F1 calendar until 2003.
Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz purchased the circuit in 2004, hence the venue’s current name, with the aim of restoring it to what it once was. F1 finally returned to the track in 2014, two years before MotoGP did the same.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Around this time, the Red Bull Ring became a popular destination for fans due to its location in Central Europe, making it easier for international travelers. The Red Bull Ring is also very well suited to both series as it is a very fast lap with challenging corners, elevation changes and fast straights.
It’s also a short lap of just 2.7 miles, making the difference in lap times between F1 and MotoGP smaller than at circuits like COTA, Losail and Silverstone. Since 2022 however, MotoGP has used a slightly different layout since a chicane follows Turn 1 so the bikes do not go as fast into the Turn 3 hairpin at the top of the hill.
Circuits that have already hosted F1 and MotoGP races
Last appearance in MotoGP |
|||||
Algarve International Circuit |
|||||
Autodromo Oscar and Juan Gálvez |
|||||
Nelson Piquet International Autodrome |
|||||
Buddha International Circuit |
|||||
Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
|||||
Mosport International Circuit |
|||||
Sepang International Circuit |
|||||
Shanghai International Circuit |
|||||
Race tracks are often multi-functional venues used in different motorsport championships, with F1 and MotoGP being no different.
There are five tracks on the 2024 calendar for both series, while many others have been used for either championship in the past. So, what are these circuits?
Circuits from the current F1 and MotoGP calendars.
Circuit of the Americas – United States
2012-19; 2021 – present |
2013-19; 2021 – present |
|
Lap record (on current track) |
Alex Rins (2m03.126s, 2023) |
The Circuit of the Americas ended the United States’ five-year absence from the F1 calendar by becoming the new host of the United States Grand Prix in 2012. This was only two years after the start of the construction of the circuit that COTA became the first purpose-built circuit in the United States. track for FIA and FIM (the governing bodies of F1 and MotoGP) events to replace Indianapolis, which hosted the last United States F1 grand prix in 2007.
Watching the construction of this state-of-the-art venue, MotoGP wanted in on the action, so a deal was made for COTA to debut on this calendar in 2013. It was named the Grand Prix of the Americas as at the era. The United States had two other events on the calendar: the United States GP held at Laguna Seca and the Indianapolis GP at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C43
Photo by: Alfa Romeo
Since then, COTA has featured on both calendars every year – with the exception of the COVID-hit 2020 season – as it has become a very popular track among riders, riders and fans.
This is due to its fast nature with long straights and high-speed corners that make for a very fun ride while paving the way for some excellent racing. The long runoff zones also make COTA suitable for MotoGP as they provide enough space for riders to slow down before hitting a barrier.
But there is a difference of almost 30 seconds between the COTA lap records for F1 and MotoGP. This is not surprising, however, because although the top speed of an F1 car is similar to that of a MotoGP motorcycle, it has a much higher cornering speed, which is especially necessary in the twisty sector. of COTA. COTA is also a large 3.4-mile circuit, which means lap time differences are generally greater.
Barcelona-Catalonia Circuit – Spain
Johann Zarco (1m39.939s, 2021) |
The Barcelona-Catalonia Circuit was billed as the Grand Prix of the Olympic Games since the Spanish city hosted the 1992 edition. The track was therefore built as part of that year’s summer games development program , after being opened to the public in 1991 when it replaced Jerez as the new host of the Spanish GP in F1.
A year later, Barcelona began hosting the European motorcycle GP – Jerez was the Spanish motorcycle GP – until 1995 before switching to the Catalan GP.
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Photo by: MotoGP
Since then, Barcelona has remained on both calendars, while being used numerous times for testing in F1 and MotoGP. As a result, competitors in both series know the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya incredibly well and it is also popular among some due to its high elevations, fast corners and long main straight, making it a challenging track and exciting.
However, the future of the circuit is uncertain as Madrid will become the new host of the Spanish F1 GP from 2026, the year which also corresponds to the expiration of Barcelona’s MotoGP contract.
Losail International Circuit – Qatar
2004-19; 2021 – present |
||
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen (1) |
Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi (4) |
|
Max Verstappen (1m23.196s, 2021) |
Pedro Acosta (1m52.657s, 2024) |
Qatar is a relatively recent addition to the F1 championship, but has been a MotoGP staple for many years. The Losail International Circuit made its MotoGP debut in 2004 and has become something of a pioneer in the Middle East. It was one of the first countries to introduce motorsport to the region, alongside Bahrain, which joined F1 in 2004.
The circuit made history four years later when Qatar hosted the first ever MotoGP night race. Qatar has only missed one MotoGP season – 2020 – since its debut due to COVID, while in 2021 it hosted two events due to the pandemic.
This was also the year Losail made its F1 debut where it hosted the penultimate round of the season.
Alex Albon, Williams FW45
Photo by: Williams
Qatar’s second race took place in 2023 – it had been absent in 2022 due to the FIFA World Cup – where it was criticized by drivers and fans, as the extreme conditions forced a three-stop strategy , while many drivers struggled with the weather, including Logan Sargeant who retired due to heat stroke. The Qatar GP does not have the same problem, however, as it takes place at a very different time of year where temperatures are lower.
It’s also no surprise that it has remained on the MotoGP calendar for so long because, like Austin and Barcelona, the fast corners, long straights and large runoff areas make it ideal for motorcycles.
Silverstone – United Kingdom
1950-54; 1956-85 (intermittently); 1987 – today |
1977-86; 2010-17; 2019; 2021 – present |
|
Jorge Lorenzo and Kenny Roberts (3) |
||
Lap record (on current track) |
Max Verstappen (1m27.097s, 2020) |
Alex Rins (1m59.346s, 2022) |
Silverstone hosted the first F1 Grand Prix in 1950, but it wasn’t until 1987 that it finally became the permanent venue for the British Grand Prix after sharing it with Aintree and Brands Hatch.
In 1977, Silverstone began hosting the British GP. Silverstone lost the rights to Donington Park in 1987 before regaining them in 2010. However, cycling fans have failed to get used to the circuit hoping for the return of the Leicestershire track.
There have also been moments of controversy for both series on the English site. In 2018, the circuit was resurfaced to remove significant bumps that had proven problematic for MotoGP riders. But Lewis Hamilton criticized this, saying the circuit is “the fastest it has ever been”, while calling it “a waste of money, which could have been put to much better use”.
Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Later that year, the MotoGP round had to be canceled after long delays on Sunday, as the resurfaced track proved unable to shed rainwater and was deemed too dangerous to race on. Nevertheless, while MotoGP fans may want to return to Donington Park, Silverstone and F1 are intrinsically linked to each other, as it is many people’s favorite circuit due to its atmosphere, its difficult turns and its numerous overtaking points.
Silverstone is also a long 3.6-mile lap, meaning it’s no surprise that of the five circuits on both calendars, the British circuit has the biggest difference – 32 seconds – between its lap records in F1 and MotoGP.
Red Bull Ring – Austria
1970 (as Österreichring) |
||
1970-87; 1997-03; 2014 – present |
1996-97; 2016 – present |
|
Giacomo Agostini, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Kevin Schwantz, Mick Doohan, Andrea Dovizioso (3) |
||
Andrea Dovizioso (1m23.827s, 2019) |
Austria made its debut on the F1 calendar when its Styrian circuit was named the Osterreichring, a very intimidating layout that remained until 1995, eight years after the circuit left the series.
The circuit was completely rebuilt in 1996, when the now named A1-Ring replaced the dangerous Salzburgring as host of the Austrian MotoGP GP. F1 arrived at the new circuit in 1997, which was also its last year hosting motorcycle races for a while due to low attendances. Austria then remained on the F1 calendar until 2003.
Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz purchased the circuit in 2004, hence the venue’s current name, with the aim of restoring it to what it once was. F1 finally returned to the track in 2014, two years before MotoGP did the same.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Around this time, the Red Bull Ring became a popular destination for fans due to its location in Central Europe, making it easier for international travelers. The Red Bull Ring is also very well suited to both series as it is a very fast lap with challenging corners, elevation changes and fast straights.
It’s also a short lap of just 2.7 miles, making the difference in lap times between F1 and MotoGP smaller than at circuits like COTA, Losail and Silverstone. Since 2022 however, MotoGP has used a slightly different layout since a chicane follows Turn 1 so the bikes do not go as fast into the Turn 3 hairpin at the top of the hill.
Circuits that have already hosted F1 and MotoGP races
Last appearance in MotoGP |
|||||
Algarve International Circuit |
|||||
Autodromo Oscar and Juan Gálvez |
|||||
Nelson Piquet International Autodrome |
|||||
Buddha International Circuit |
|||||
Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
|||||
Mosport International Circuit |
|||||
Sepang International Circuit |
|||||
Shanghai International Circuit |
|||||