What Swede, Russian, Belgian, American and Italian don’t love a fast ride? Not surprisingly, the places where it can be done turn into sports “meccas”. The victories of the nations are forged on the race tracks, and the heroes who make them grow into legends. Each circuit, like the people who built it, has its own character, features and flavor.
In the early 20th century, it was believed that the tracks should be long, complex and run through the settled areas, between the fields, villages and pastures. The norm was considered the length of the circuit more than 20 km. It was thought that the rider who did not learn by heart the configuration of the track better reveals the abilities of a pilot. But this approach prevailed until the 20-ies. Spectacle and safety requirements gradually ousted long tracks, and by 50-ies race tracks were no longer larger than 6 km. Rings, loops and ovals became the tools to improve motorsport.
Spa-Francorchamps track – How not to run over a chicken?
Motorsport in France and Belgium is inextricably linked to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The idea of creating a sports track near Liège belongs to journalist Jules de Thiers, one of the heads of the large Belgian newspaper La Meuse. Jules was in love with the nascent motorsport and believed that motor racing would breathe new life into World War-torn Belgium. In 1920 his idea was supported by Henry van Ofem of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium, who lobbied the government to build the track. As a result, under the track was allocated several country roads near the village of Francorchamps, meandering between hills, woods and even houses, which made the route interesting to race. The 14 km dirt track was not much different from today’s rally specials.
When choosing the place of competition, Henry van Ofem and Jules de Thiers had cheated. Nearby was the famous mud resort of Spa, where wealthy tourists from all over the world vacationed. Their presence could have made the races in Belgium famous throughout Europe. And so it happened. Despite the fact that in 1921 only one racer applied for participation, just three years later, in 1924, a 24 hour endurance race was held where dozens of athletes competed. The circuit was paved and the great Belgian Grand Prix took place as early as 1925. These races were the forerunner of the post-war Formula 1 series, which came to Belgium in 1950.
Speeds were increasing and the large length of the circuit began to raise questions. For example, it was easy to run over a chicken or crash into a farmhouse! That’s what happened in 1966 to rider Jackie Stewart at the Belgian Grand Prix. He lost control, went off the track and rammed into a peasant’s barn! Despite the driver suffering with broken arms and legs, the circuit management undertook the construction of a new circuit in 1972, fully complying with the new FIA requirements. A modern 7 km-long circuit was built next to the historical route.
Spa-Francorchamps has retained its character. The new circuit is as fast as ever and abounds with gradients, which makes racing interesting. But most importantly, Francorchamps has a variable climate. The Ardennes mountains are cloudy and it can rain unexpectedly, which adds spice to the races.
The Belgian Grand Prix, Formula 1, DTM, GP2 and motorcycle races are held at Spa-Francorchamps.
The track in Monaco – At the personal invitation of the prince
The history of the Southern Circuit de Monaco, namely the Monte-Carlo circuit, is unusual. Technical sport has been developing in this seaside principality since the end of the 19th century. As early as 1880, a cycling association emerged. Then, with the development of automobiles, the association expanded its powers and in 1907 added the word auto to its name. Racing championships were held right in the streets of Monte-Carlo, but their status was still low, while the ruling house of the Principality of Monaco was struggling for respectability. In 1928, Prince Louis II supported the initiative of sports enthusiast Anthony Noghes and funded the Monaco Grand Prix. The city’s narrow roads were redesigned to accommodate the most powerful machines of the time. For greater solidity, only drivers who received a personal invitation from the prince could take part in the race. The first victory in Monte Carlo in 1929 was won by the British William Grover-Williams in a Bugatti Type 35B.
The track to this day is almost unchanged. It also passes through a tunnel and a sea harbor, where high-speed sections, alternating “hairpin” and a series of mountain turns with altitude differences. In the harbor, the pilots risk flying into the water. It is not surprising that in the 20s Prince Louis II ordered special attention to safety. Already in the 20’s the first bumpers appeared, but two pilots in the history of the Circuit de Monaco still swam in the harbor.
In general, despite the tortuosity and the abundance of unseen sections, the circuit in Monte Carlo is considered one of the safest. Only two pilots died here during all the races.
This is due to the special attention paid to the construction of the sports facility and the strict compliance with the regulations of the Automobile Association. As a result, the Monaco Grand Prix has achieved a very special aristocratic status and become the crown jewel of F1 since its early years. Today, the Circuit de Monaco is on the calendar of nearly every prestigious championship, including Formula 1, GP2 and others.
The track at Monza – Fast and onslaught
The fastest to this day is considered to be the Monza circuit in Italy. It was created in the early 20’s for the Italian Grand Prix. The reason for building the circuit was a crushing defeat of the Italians from the French in the race at Brescia. In 1921, not a single Italian car came to the finish line and all the prizes went to the eternal rivals of the southern nation. To prevent such disgrace in the future, a good speedway was needed where Alfa Romeo racers could unleash their potential. The Mussolini party that had just come to power had invested heavily in motorsport. Senator Silvio Crespi, chairman of the Automobile Club of Milan, together with Arturo Merzania, the appointed director of the circuit, found a place in the Monza Park. The design of the American track in Indianapolis was taken as the basis of the track. In order not to disturb the historical landscape, the roads were laid on the existing passages. The builders managed to achieve minimum clearance of the forest.
Already in 1922 the first version of the track was put into operation. Its length was 14 kilometers. Monza indeed turned out to be the fastest in Europe. Bolides raced here at more than 200 kilometers per hour. Accidents began. Many pilots ended their days in Monza, however, Italy came out as the leaders of Motorsport and rubbed the nose not only of the French, but also the Germans. At Monza, engineer Enzo Ferrari shone and strengthened the glory of his machines.
Meanwhile, because of safety requirements in 1938-39, it was necessary to reconstruct the site. Because of the long distance, rescuers did not always have time to reach the victims. The length of the track was reduced to 6.3 km. A 2,000-seat grandstand, concrete fence and 30 service boxes were built.
The Monza circuit is still considered the fastest in Formula 1. On August 25, 2005 Juan-Pablo Montoya drove his McLaren to a Formula 1 speed record of 372.6 km/h during test runs. It also recorded the highest overload of 5g experienced by a driver when decelerating from 300 km/h to 80 km/h.
Monza is loved by mechanics and engineers, because it’s the engineers who win races here, not the drivers. In Monza, there are a lot of straight lines, where the leading role is played by engines, aerodynamics and suspension settings. The outcome of the Grand Prix depends on how the mechanics and technicians work.
Silverstone track: Humming like an airplane
The Silverstone circuit in Britain has a strong touch of militarism. It is striking with its large expanses and the hum of the engines, spreading across the plains for many kilometers. During the war the airfield at Silverstone was home to the U.S. and British air armies. Hundreds of strategic four-engine bombers took off from here toward enemy shores to achieve hegemony in Europe for their creators. Now the battle for leadership between European nations is being waged on the very ground of Silverstone.
In 1948, when the Americans took their armies across the ocean, the Royal Automobile Club was looking for a place to set up a driving range. Silverstone suited as best as possible. Excellent concrete lanes with flat pouring could accept any high-speed cars. The first races were held here in 1948 directly on the runways airfield among the planes, fuel barrels and other military stuff. The track looked like an hourglass and allowed relatively high speeds. The first British Grand Prix took place as early as 1950. In the same year at Silverstone were held and competitions in the newly created Formula 1. The “royal” race received the attention of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. It was the first and only time in the history of Silverstone.
Now, the configuration of the track has changed. It is laid outside the concrete runways of the airfield and runs along the former auxiliary taxiways. Only on some high-speed sections, it enters the former “concrete runways. This configuration seemed more interesting for racers and technical services. The length of the Formula 1 circuit has never exceeded 6 km. and ran very compactly, so that the marshals could reach any end of it within a few minutes. The track is 13 meters wide, opening up great opportunities for overtaking.
The Indianapolis track – Power and spectacle
The history of automobile tracks in the U.S. took a different path. Long “European” gingerbread cars didn’t take root in the ocean right away. No one wanted to watch the strings of cars stretching along the 14-kilometer road among the rural plains, scaring the chickens away. Americans wanted spectacle, power, and a demonstration of superiority. Indianapolis in the early 20th century was considered the capital of America’s automobile industry. And it was here in 1908 that a consortium of automakers, together with the American Automobile Association AAA, decided to create a giant 2.5-mile long oval proving ground to test sports cars. Very quickly the testing grew into a full-fledged competition, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway launched America’s most legendary race, the Indianapolis 500 Mile.
“The Indy 500 was first held in 1908. Then, on May 30, Memorial Day, the command “Gentlemen! Start your engines!” which has been uttered ever since as a motto and a message before every race. In the 500-mile races, competitors must complete 200 laps (500 miles or 804 kilometers). In 1908, race winner Ray Harroun drove a Marmon Model 32 and covered the distance in 6 hours 42 minutes and 8 seconds. One hundred years later, on May 30, 2008, Englishman Dan Weldon in a Dallara / Honda sports car spent 2 hours. 56. minutes and 11 seconds.
The track was originally unpaved, but very quickly it was covered with special red tiles, which earned it the nickname “Old Brickyard” Brickyard. Now the track has a concrete surface, but at the start and at the finish there are fragments of the old “Brickyard,” which is revered. Tradition is important to America. Over the past century, the track has grown. Now it can hold up to 400,000 spectators, making the Indianapolis oval the largest race track in the world.
Track at the Nürburgring – Torture for the pilot
Perhaps the most famous track in Russia is the German North Loop at the Nürburgring. Although the old circuit is no longer used for top-class racing, its importance has not been lost. The historic Nürburgring remains as iconic an attraction as it was half a century ago.
Construction of the circuit began in 1927 in the Eifel mountains, some 70 kilometers south of Cologne, at the behest of the Rhineland-Palatinate authorities, who wanted to attract tourists from all over the world to their remote and abandoned region. The initial bet was that no one else in the world would have such a route. The altitude differences in the hills around Nürburg reached 300 meters, so many turns at the Nürburgring happened to be “closed,” that is impossible to see. The drivers had to fly into the unknown at a speed of 200 km/h. With a route length of 28 km. race on the “Northern loop” turned into a torture for pilots.
After the Nazis came to power, the track acquired ideological significance. Automobile victories of Germany were forged here. Their spearhead was directed against the triumphal march of the Italians. The race of 1935, where Auto Union and Daimler-Benz challenged the Italian Alfa Romeo 8C Tipo B, is still memorable. There were about 200,000 spectators in the stands, including the German top leadership. Hitler couldn’t wait to wash Mussolini down.
Enzo Ferrari himself was present in the Italian team, directing the Alfa Romeo technicians. But the German cars were more powerful. Manfred von Brauchitsch of Daimler-Benz seized the lead and was well ahead of Italian Tazio Nuvolari. But he got a flat tire on the finish line. The Italian Tazio Nuvolari was the first to cross the line in a red Alfa, surrounded by the silence of the audience.
In 1951 the Nurburgring was established as Formula 1. However, the great length of the North Loop interfered with control over the race and did not allow technicians and rescuers to arrive in time to the accident sites. Thus, in 1981, small rings, including the GP-Strecke for Formula 1, appeared at the Nürburgring.
The old track is now used for endurance racing, as well as for tuning and testing the production cars of the big German three. It is believed that if a car can withstand a race at full speed on the old Nürburgring ring, it is no longer afraid of anything.
Track in Bikernieki – Collectivism and perseverance
The iconic track of the USSR is of course the Bikernieki circuit in Riga. The track hosted both domestic analogues of Formula 3, i.e. open-wheel car races, and body car races, such as the Amber Volga, which made Bikernieki famous in the 60s and 70s.
Despite the fact that the USSR government did not attach much importance to motor sports, there were groups of enthusiasts in love with circuit racing. They were grouped around DOSAAF and relied on major enterprises, mainly in the defense industry.
The initiative to create the track came from motorcycle racers Eduard Kiope and Kārlis Ošiņš. Initially, the route was conceived as a motorcycle track. Therefore, a forest near Riga was selected for it, which was supposed to protect racers from sideways gusts of wind. However, in 1962, with support from the Latvian SSR Ministry of Road Transport, the engineers under Peteris Denis decided to design a mixed circuit capable of hosting any level of competition.
The track in Bikernieki was built, as is customary, “with the whole world”. Many works were done collectively and by hand. The racers themselves, students from Riga Polytechnic Institute, members of the Central Automobile Club and even workers from the Ministry of Road Transport and highways, drained the swamp, cut down trees and placed several layers of road surface. Joint work united the motor racing community of the USSR.
Three rings were built in Bikernieki. “The Ring of Excellence, 8 meters wide and 3,580 meters long, was designed for motorcycle racing. It had 12 right turns and 9 left turns. “Speed Ring” was wider by 2 m. and slightly longer ( 3,662 m.). This is where the cars performed. When connecting the two rings there was a third circuit with a length of 5495 m, which was used for motorcycle races.
Already by the autumn of 1965, asphalt was paved on the “Ring of Excellence”, and in July 1966 Bikernieki hosted the first automobile competition “Amber Volga”.
In the same year, Estonian racer Ants Seiler was killed on the last turn of the “Speedway Ring”. This turn was named after him. In 1968, Bikernieki was the venue for the Socialist Countries’ Friendship Cup on the Formula 3 analogues.
In general, the circuit in Bikernieki had good potential for development. In 1984 the circuit underwent serious modernization, as required by the FIA. Concrete bumpers with chain-link fences were installed along the perimeter, emergency braking zones were built around the corners and electronic scoreboards were installed. At the end of the 1980s, Bikernieki Autodrom welcomed guests from Western countries.
From 1966 to 1991 Bikernieki was the venue for 42 stages of USSR autosport championships, both for open-wheel cars and coachbuilders, as well as for 7 stages of the Socialist Countries’ Friendship Cup.
After the collapse of the USSR, the track fell into disrepair and no longer meets safety requirements. In Russia, two other autodromo appeared that have already become legendary, namely Moscow Raceway and the circuit in Sochi. But that is another story.
