All 24 circuits on Formula 1’s packed 2025 grand prix calendar · RaceFans

What makes an ideal venue for a Formulation 1 race?

The world championship takes in a variety of programs: Everlasting tracks and closed streets; Lengthy straights and complicated sequences; Tremendous-fast corners and tight chicanes.

What mixture of those provides as much as the last word Formulation 1 monitor? Does it solely matter if they supply a assorted race with a number of overtaking, or does it matter how difficult the monitor is for drivers?

The world championship consisted of a record-breaking 24 rounds final yr. It would repeat each one in all them in 2025. With no substantial adjustments to the layouts anticipated, right here is RaceFans’ rating of each present F1 venue. Every has been graded on the problem supplied by its format, the standard of racing it produces (partly based mostly on RaceFans’ Charge the Race scores), and the way its viewers and site contribute to the ambiance of the occasion.

24: Yas Marina

Yas Marina was constructed with a money-no-object price range on a synthetic island. Its designers wasted their clean canvas, producing a tedious, gradual format with huge, forgiving asphalt run-off areas and little driving problem.

A 2021 overhaul deleted a number of of its worst corners, but the format nonetheless has little to commend it in addition to the novelty worth of a pit lane exit which tunnels beneath the primary nook. Had it not loved the advantage of internet hosting a number of title-deciders, virtually none of Yas Marina’s races can be memorable.

23: Losail Worldwide Circuit

Much like Bahrain when it comes to environment, albeit with a faster, tougher format. Presumably too difficult for F1’s tyres, as all three of its races have seen both surprising punctures or, in 2023, emergency measures to keep away from them. That makes it cheap to query whether or not trendy F1 automobiles are literally suitable with this monitor.

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22: Miami Worldwide Autodrome

Liberty Media’s many makes an attempt to carry a race in downtown Miami had been thwarted. Clearly determined to make good on its pledge to convey F1 again to Florida, it signed off this insipid course which winds its approach across the grounds of the Exhausting Rock Stadium.

The ghastly flip 14-15 chicane seems like one thing from a late-era Champ Automotive road monitor and absolutely ranks as F1’s worst nook. None of its three grands prix up to now generated a lot motion, and the race is greatest identified for outrageous meals costs and the much-derided ‘faux marina’ of its inaugural yr.

21: Bahrain Worldwide Circuit

The primary glimpse of the Bahrain Worldwide Circuit simply over 20 years in the past was a miserable signal of how far F1 had lowered the bar in its eagerness to court docket rich race promoters. Now the world championship was racing on a scaled-up go-kart monitor in the course of a desert. It proved an indication of issues to come back.

Whereas nobody would describe its format as difficult, it has not less than produced some good races, although not final yr. Its transition to an evening race in 2014 has helped to masks its lower than telegenic, ex-camel farm environment.

20: Jeddah Corniche Circuit

Jeddah is a pretend road monitor, laid out on purpose-built roads inside the metropolis. Whereas it has some impressively fast corners, it opens with a transparent instance of horrible design: a desperately gradual chicane with an simply cheated run-off space.

F1 drivers are considerably conflicted about Jeddah, having fun with its excessive speeds but in addition commonly describing it as probably the most harmful monitor – and never simply due to the missiles touchdown close by.

19: Baku Metropolis Circuit

This isn’t a racing monitor format, it’s a tour bus route meant to indicate off native landmarks. Nonetheless the course turns into extra fascinating after the primary sector and the excessive speeds make for a worthwhile problem.

Baku has a repute for producing crash-strewn races which it solely sometimes lives as much as, not less than so far as F1 is anxious.

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18: Shanghai Worldwide Circuit

China’s world championship venue is an oddball affair. It options some genuinely uncommon corners however lacks move, stopping and beginning. It’s constructed on a completely completely different scale to most tracks, massively extensive in locations with an unlimited again straight.

Fashionable F1 automobiles can not less than race moderately nicely there, and F1’s lengthy absence because of the Covid-19 pandemic doesn’t appear to have diminished native enthusiasm for the race.

17: Circuit de Catalunya

‘Familiarity breeds contempt’ was the aphorism which captured F1’s relationship with the house of the Spanish Grand Prix for a few years. As groups commonly examined on the Circuit de Catalunya, they typically arrived with their automobiles well-tuned to the monitor.

A few revisions within the 2000s didn’t assist: Flip 10 was tightened in a futile try to help overtaking, and a chicane added on the finish of the lap for security causes. These adjustments have since been reversed and its format is healthier for it, but it surely seems prone to disappear from F1’s schedule after subsequent yr when the race strikes to Madrid. It is likely to be considered extra fondly as soon as it’s been changed with yet one more road circuit.

16: Hungaroring

The Hungaroring was derided when the compact, winding course joined the calendar in 1986, at a time when F1 nonetheless visited the monstrously quick Osterreichring a brief distance away. It’s a mark of the usual of later circuits that its repute has improved, although the monitor itself additionally benefited from optimistic revisions in 1989 and 2003. An all-new paddock will greet groups this yr.

15: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

The Mexican Grand Prix promoters are blessed with an excellent venue for his or her spherical of the world championship – not many metropolises have FIA grade one everlasting racing circuits inside their environs. Nonetheless the monitor’s refurbishment for its return to the championship after a 23-year absence was a case examine in methods to break a circuit.

The mighty Peraltada, scene of one in all F1’s best overtaking strikes of all time, was bypassed in favour of a gradual tour by a former baseball stadium. It couldn’t be made protected for contemporary F1 automobiles, they mentioned, however only a few years later they had been racing at Jeddah.

Each nook on the monitor was tightened. Little doubt the designers confronted a problem working inside the limits that they had, however did corners combos like two-three and four-five-six-seven actually must be so excessively gradual? Mexico’s enthusiastic followers deserved significantly better.

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14: Singapore

F1’s authentic night time race was additionally its most gruelling occasion for a few years, although it has doubtlessly misplaced that crown to Losail. The 2023 format tweak additionally took the sting off it – in reality, it took 4 edges off it, creating an extended straight close to the top of the lap.

Arguably this has diminished the monitor’s character considerably, making it much less brutally powerful over a grand prix distance, with out including a lot to it. Nonetheless it stays one in all few true road tracks on the F1 calendar, and one the place overtaking is nearly doable. One other revamp is anticipated subsequent yr.

13: Las Vegas Strip Circuit

F1’s latest venue has solely held two races and would possibly solely maintain another. Though its format is straightforward, this provides it the uncommon attribute of being one of many few really high-speed venues F1 visits: A Hockenheim with casinos as a substitute of timber.

12: Pink Bull Ring

The repute of the Pink Bull Ring can’t assist however endure by comparability to the daunting Osterreichring which preceded it. Nonetheless, the monitor has rather a lot to commend it: Good alternatives for racing, genuinely fast corners and spectacular surroundings. The monitor operators are additionally lastly getting on prime of the monitor limits drawback which blighted it for much too lengthy.

11: Albert Park

Melbourne’s scenic parkland circuit has all the time been tough with little room for error. Its well-judged overhaul, first utilized in 2022, amplified these qualities, rising the pace of a number of corners and deleting one in all its slower bends. Passing stays tough, however that is nonetheless one in all F1’s greatest non permanent tracks.

Fortunately, it has been reinstated because the season-opening race this yr, a job which fits it to a tee.

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10: Monaco

In fact Monaco doesn’t deserve a spot among the many 10 greatest circuits when it comes to the standard of racing it produces. When it’s dry, the Monaco Grand Prix is often a procession, and a quirk of F1’s guidelines made it even worse final yr.

However the problem of this impossibly slim and twisty circuit is actually distinctive. Avenue tracks like this need to be seen to know simply how ludicrous it’s that drivers deal with them at F1 speeds. Some calls for the Monte-Carlo course have to be overhauled to go well with trendy F1, or distributed with solely; quite the opposite, it’s the excessively extensive and heavy automobiles which want to vary.

9: Imola

Imola will ceaselessly be related to the double tragedy of 1994, following which the monitor was emasculated with but extra chicanes. Nonetheless a few of its high-speed character was restored previous to its return to the F1 calendar in 2020.

It stays a beautiful venue, the automobiles winding their approach by the Parco delle Acque Minerali. The gang invariably reserve the loudest cheers for his or her beloved Ferraris.

8: Zandvoort

If the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez suffered an unsightly facelift in 2015, Zandvoort loved way more delicate remedy six years later. Already a lot modified from the model F1 beforehand raced at within the eighties, a lot of its character was retained by an clever and delicate updating, together with the addition of two steeply banked turns.

The speedy, undulating corners in the course of the monitor are its spotlight, although it’s in all probability nonetheless too slim in locations for F1 automobiles to race nicely. Sadly, they received’t return after subsequent yr.

7: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

The Isle Notre Dame in Montreal barely has sufficient room for a Formulation 1-grade monitor. Because of this, it has a number of compromises, not least its very awkward pit lane entrance.

However the monitor named for the late Gilles Villeneuve merely works, daring drivers to take just a bit an excessive amount of pace over its tough kerbs and between its immediately punishing partitions. It’s on the doorstep of a terrific metropolis, too.

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6: Monza

Like Monaco, Monza is one thing of an anachronism, albeit an excellent one. It’s nonetheless F1’s quickest circuit, and enjoys the advantage of an outstanding setting and passionate crowd.

Because the seventies, F1 has needed to tame Monza’s excessive speeds utilizing chicanes, there being inadequate room for bigger run-offs at lots of its corners. Though the Rettifilo is without doubt one of the most unappealing corners wherever, it’s the solely factor to be mentioned in opposition to this magnificent piece of the previous.

5: Circuit of the Americas

Austin’s Formulation 1 circuit is an excellent rebuke to the declare that nobody builds good everlasting racing amenities any extra. From its steep climb after the beginning, by its sinuous and speedy first sector, and across the speedy turns 16-17-18, this can be a vastly spectacular course.

The tedious run by turns 12 to fifteen is the one factor to be mentioned in opposition to it. However even this ought to be improved this yr, because the monitor operators are understood to be lastly taking steps to toughen up the excessively beneficiant run-off areas which F1 drivers have abused for years.

4: Interlagos

When the unique Interlagos circuit was shortened for F1’s return in 1990, the designers stumble on a successful combination of acceleration zones, nook speeds and gradient which make for each a difficult course and very good racing. The pit lane entrance is a bit sketchy, however that has been considerably improved by current enhancements.

Even when it doesn’t rain and there isn’t a championship left to determine, Interlagos usually produces memorable races. The locals could have one in all their very own to cheer on this yr, which ought to add to the ambiance.

3: Silverstone

Few tracks have lasted as lengthy or gone by as many adjustments as Silverstone whereas remaining in such fine condition. Its final change in 2010 provoked some knee-jerk grumbles in regards to the lack of Bridge, a nook which had already been toned down by the addition of a chicane. Its new sequence, although considerably ponderous, has opened up additional overtaking alternatives.

The remainder of the monitor is thrillingly quick: Copse, Maggotts/Becketts and Stowe are unimaginable locations to observe F1 automobiles present what they will do. Silverstone’s origins as an airfield make it nothing a lot to take a look at, however the racing and packed crowd often makes up for that.

2: Suzuka

Few circuits encourage the form of respect and reverence amongst F1 drivers that Suzuka does. The primary sector is a stunning sequence of high-speed switchback corners, and the problem doesn’t let up from there till drivers attain the lengthy straights on the finish of the lap.

It’s had a couple of tweaks to tame a few of its extra excessive corners, notably 130R, which isn’t what it was. Passing isn’t straightforward both, and races might be processional, however Suzuka retains its capability to impress.

The Japanese followers are enthusiastic, educated and switch up in big numbers even when there isn’t a neighborhood driver on the grid.

1: Spa-Francorchamps

F1 final raced on the previous, ‘monster’ Spa-Francorchamps in 1970. When it returned 13 years later, the circuit had been shortened and renovated but in addition a lot improved.

Whereas majestic corners reminiscent of Eau Rouge had been retained, others reminiscent of Pouhon had been created. They continue to be over 40 years later, although the ever-improving capabilities of F1 automobiles and inevitable adjustments to run-off areas have lessened their problem considerably.

Even so, that is one in all few circuits the place F1 automobiles can really impress us with their capabilities, and accomplish that in a picturesque atmosphere. Except for the required evil of its ponderous last chicane, Spa is a masterpiece. Sadly, F1 will solely go to it as soon as each different yr after 2027.

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