Grand Prix Challenge - Circuit Histories FAQ
GRAND PRIX CHALLENGE: CIRCUIT HISTORIES GUIDE
Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather
Initial Version Completed: March 11, 2003
Version 1.0 Completed: March 11, 2003
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Spacing and Length
Circuit History: Albert Park
Circuit History: Kuala Lampur
Circuit History: Interlagos
Circuit History: Imola
Circuit History: Catalunya
Circuit History: A1-Ring
Circuit History: Monte Carlo
Circuit History: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Circuit History: Nurburgring
Circuit History: Silverstone
Circuit History: Nevers Magny-Cours
Circuit History: Hockenheim
Circuit History: Hungaroring
Circuit History: Spa-Francorchamps
Circuit History: Monza
Circuit History: Indianapolis
Circuit History: Suzuka
SPACING AND LENGTH
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This guide was created due to a personal inquiry, wishing to
learn more about the history of the race venues currently
used in F1 competition (and in Grand Prix Challenge as well).
This is not intended to be a detailed history of all the race
venues, but more of a general overview of the circuits.
The majority of information for this section comes from
circuits' official Web sites, Formula1.com
(http://www.formula1.com/), and Driver Network
(http://www.drivernetwork.net/). To the extent possible, I
will try to update circuit wins as best as I can, although
that admittedly is not initially a priority in writing this
CIRCUIT HISTORY: ALBERT PARK
The Albert Park circuit is a beautiful tree-lined venue using
real Melbourne city streets encircling the serene Albert Park
Lake. The Albert Park circuit has hosted the Grand Prix of
Australia since 1996, taking over from the Adelaide temporary
street circuit. Over 400,000 spectators saw the 1997 Grand
Prix of Australia in person at the Albert Park venue.
The 2002 Grand Prix of Australia was extremely eventful from
the very beginning - to the extent that only eight cars
finished the race!!! Rubens Barrichello began the race from
Pole Position (P1), but on slowing for the first corner of
the circuit, Ralf Schumacher (brother of Michael Schumacher)
rammed the rear of Barrichello's Ferrari and was sent
airborne, landing in the massive sand trap at the end of Pit
Straight with far too much damage to continue. The incident
created a massive chain-reaction melee as the other drivers
scrambled to take evasive action... but many ended up taking
each other out of contention due to massive damage. Seven
other drivers were forced to retire from the race due to
extreme damage. Fortunately, there were no severe injuries -
just a lot of bruised egos and angry tempers. Stupidly,
however, the race marshals made the decision to send out the
Safety Car instead of red-flagging the race; had the race
been stopped instead, FIA rules would have permitted all
those drivers involved in the incident to use their back-up
('T') cars when the race was restarted. Of course, those
drivers whose cars were damaged in the opening-lap melee were
able to take advantage of the Safety Car situation to make
repairs and rejoin the race.
F1 winners at Albert Park include Damon Hill (1996), David
Coulthard (1997), Mika Hakkinen (1998), Eddie Irvine (1999),
and Michael Schumacher (2000-2002).
The official Web site of the Australian Grand Prix
features information on Australian F1 driver Mark Webber.
Interestingly, there is a movement afoot - Save Albert Park
(http://www.save-albert-park.org.au/) - which aims to prevent
the relocation of the Grand Prix of Australia to a permanent
CIRCUIT HISTORY: KUALA LAMPUR
The Sepang Circuit opened in March 1999 and includes three
circuit formations: Race Track (used for the F1 Grand Prix of
Malaysia), Go-Kart Track (using the first half of Race
Track), and Motocross Track (circuit layout not yet available
on the official Sepang Web site). This is the second-newest
race venue in F1 competition, which began its F1 use at the
end of the 1999 season. Sepang hosts F1, JapanGT, MotoGP,
Merdeka Endurance, Malaysian Super Series, Motocross, and
other track events (including private bookings).
Two features cause the Sepang Circuit to truly stand out
among all other F1 race venues. The first is the incredibly
wide nature of the track itself, which has a 16m minimum
width to provide plenty of side-by-side racing action.
Aesthetically, the Sepang Circuit is literally dominated by
the main grandstand, which is nestled snugly inside the two
longest straightaways and has a roof designed to simulate
Malaysia's national flower (the hibiscus, or Rosa Sinensis -
known locally as the Bunga Raya).
Unfortunately, with the relative newness of the Sepang
Circuit, there is not much historical information to be
found. The winners of the initial four Grands Prix of
Malaysia: Eddie Irvine (1999), Michael Schumacher (2000 and
2001), and Ralf Schumacher (2002).
See the official Web site (http://www.malaysiangp.com.my).
CIRCUIT HISTORY: INTERLAGOS
The Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace has hosted the Grand Prix of
Brazil intermittently since 1973, but has held the event
consistently since 1990. As with many race venues, the
circuit was originally longer (7.914 kilometers, or 4.946
miles) than its current configuration (4.267 kilometers, or
2.667 miles). This is also an odd venue in that races are
This is definitely a tricky circuit to master, built upon a
steep hillside. The very end of Pit Straight is the highest
point of the circuit, then the circuit drops away
significantly on a steep downhill S-curve which is one of the
most dangerous areas in all of current F1 racing. The
majority of Sector 2 and the beginning of Sector 3 are a set
of tight, twisty corners connected with VERY brief
straightaways, all tempered with significant elegant changes.
F1 winners at Interlagos: Emerson Fittipaldi (1973 and 1974),
Carlos Pace (1975), Niki Lauda (1976), Carlos Reutemann
(1977), Jacques Laffite (1979), Rene Arnoux (1980), Alain
Prost (1990), Ayrton Senna (1991 and 1993), Nigel Mansell
(1992), Michael Schumacher (1994, 1995, 2000, and 2002),
Damon Hill (1996), Jacques Villeneuve (1997), Mika Hakkinen
(1998 and 1999), and David Coulthard (2001).
Unfortunately, I am currently unable to find any further
online information concerning the Interlagos venue.
CIRCUIT HISTORY: IMOLA
Used for F1 racing since 1963, the Autodromo Enzo & Dino
Ferrari is actually located in Italy (20 miles - or 32
kilometers - from Bologna) even though it officially hosts
the Grand Prix of San Marino. Construction of the circuit
began in 1950, and three years later was officially opened
with 125cc & 500cc motorbike events. However, only in 1979
was the entire venue made permanent; before this time, part
of the circuit was comprised of public roads.
The 1963 F1 race was an untitled race, but was indeed part of
the Formula1 series. In 1980, the Imola circuit hosted its
first World F1 race as the Grand Prix of Italy. Beginning in
1981, the race at Imola was named the Grand Prix of San
Two notable major incidents occurred at Imola. The first was
in 1989, when Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger crashed and
exploded in flames. Nearly a full fifteen seconds later, the
flames were extinguished and Berger saved to the delight of
the concerned spectators; in fact, Berger re-entered the
Five years later, during the qualifier race and the actual
Grand Prix, Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna lost their
lives. (There has practically been a 'cult' surrounding the
death of Ayrton Senna, and there are several Web sites which
include details as well as video of his tragic death.) Due
to these incidents, the circuit was redesigned.
F1 winners at Imola: Nelson Piquet (1981), Didier Pironi
(1982), Patrick Tambay (1983), Alain Prost (1984, 1984, and
1993), Elio de Angelis (1985), Nigel Mansell (1987 and 1992),
Ayrton Senna (1988, 1989, and 1991), Riccardo Patrese (1990),
Michael Schumacher (1994, 1999, 2000, and 2002), Damon Hill
(1995 and 1996), Heinz-Harald Frentzen (1997), David
Coulthard (1998), and Ralf Schumacher (2001).
Visit the official Web site (http://www.autodromoimola.com/)
for more information.
CIRCUIT HISTORY: CATALUNYA
The Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona has hosted the Grand
Prix of Spain since 1997. The circuit hosts numerous forms
of racing, including FIA Sportscar Championship, Spanish
Formula-1 Grand Prix, 24 HOURS MOTORBIKE ENDURANCE, 24 HOURS
CAR ENDURANCE, Catalunya Motorbike Championship, Spanish GT's
Championship, Truck GP, and certainly F1 Racing; Catalunya
even holds courses for the preparation of racing officials.
Many teams also use the circuit for practice and testing.
The circuit has three configurations: Grand Prix (7.563
kilometers, or 4.727 miles), National (4.907 kilometers, or
3.067 miles), and School (2.725 kilometers, or 1.703 miles).
F1 winners at Catalunya: Jacques Villeneuve (1997), Mika
Hakkinen (1998-2000), and Mika Hakkinen (2001 and 2002).
See the official Web site (http://www.circuitcat.com) for
more information. Unfortunately, it does not have any
historical information on the circuit, nor can I find any
such information online.
CIRCUIT HISTORY: A1-RING
The A1-Ring has been the host of F1's Grand Prix of Austria
since 1997, but also hosts Truck Grand Prix, Classic Grand
Prix, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, and motorbikes, among
other racing series.
The 2002 Grand Prix of Austria was surrounded by controversy
following an extreme Ferrari public relations faux pas.
Reubens Barrichello had truly dominated the entire race
weekend, and was definitely on his way to his second-ever F1
win. In the closing laps of the race, teammate Michael
Schumacher (P2) began closing in on Barrichello, but the
assumption was that this move was to allow Ferrari's cars to
be close enough for a photo opportunity for its sponsors.
However, since Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya
(Schumacher's closest expected competition) were at that
point very close in points in the Drivers' Championship,
Barrichello - who that week had signed a contract extension
as the NUMBER TWO TEAM DRIVER behind Michael Schumacher - was
ordered to pull aside in the final meters of the race to
allow his teammate to gain an extra four points in his lead
over Montoya (P1 awards 10 points; P2 awards 6 points).
While FIA could not do anything against the team or the
drivers for the team orders, the fans in the stands (and
myself watching live on television at 7AM in Arizona) were
FURIOUS. Michael Schumacher having officially 'won' the race
was to take the top rung on the podium, but instead took the
second rung and pushed the 'true' winner Reubens Barrichello
to the top rung; the FIA took objection to this and
sanctioned the team and the drivers at a special hearing
later in the year.
F1 winners at A1-Ring: Jacques Villeneuve (1997), Mika
Hakkinen (1998 and 2000), Eddie Irvine (1999), David
Coulthard (2001), and Michael Schumacher (the official winner
in 2002 - see the note on the controversy above, as many
consider that Reubens Barrichello won the race).
See the official Web site (http://www.a1ring.at/) for more
information. Unfortunately, it does not appear to have any
historical information on the circuit itself, nor can I find
any such information online. Also, the official Web site is
entirely in German, a language I cannot read.
CIRCUIT HISTORY: MONTE CARLO
Anthony Noghes presented the concept of an automobile racing
event in the streets of Monte Carlo in the 1920s. With the
support of Prince Louis II, it was realized that the natural
lay of the land provided a natural location for a superb
racetrack. The first Grand Prix of Monaco was help April 14,
1929, with sixteen competitors. Since then, only fourteen
years did the Grand Prix of Monaco not take place.
Many of the most famous F1 drivers have won the Grand Prix of
Monaco: Juan Manuel Fangio in 1950 and 1957; Stirling Moss in
1956, 1960, and 1961; Graham Hill in 1963-1965, 1968 and
1969; Jackie Stewart in 1966, 1971, and 1973; Niki Lauda in
1975 and 1976; Alain Prost in 1984-1986 and 1988; Ayrton
Senna in 1987 and 1989-1993; and Michael Schumacher in 1994,
1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001. Due to the narrowness of the
circuit, the steep elevation changes, and the numerous tight
corners, the Grand Prix of Monte Carlo is one of the most
prestigious events an F1 driver can possibly win.
See the official Web site (http://www.monaco.mc/monaco/gprix)
for more information.
CIRCUIT HISTORY: CIRCUIT GILLES-VILLENEUVE
Located on the Ile Notre-Dame in Montreal, Quebec, Canada,
the circuit has hosted the Grand Prix of Canada since 1978.
The circuit is named for Gilles-Villeneuve, the first
Canadian F1 driver. His first F1 victory was in 1978 at the
Canadian Grand Prix on the Ile Notre-Dame track. However,
following his death during a practice session for the 1982
Grand Prix of Belgium, the City of Montreal Executive
Committee passed a resolution to rename the circuit in honor
of Gilles-Villeneuve. Jacques Villeneuve, son of Gilles-
Villeneuve, now competes in F1 (for BAR in 2002), so the
Villeneuve name continues on in F1 racing.
Many people attempt to compare F1 cars with CART cars.
Therefore, it is perhaps not so surprising that in 2002, CART
raced at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve for the first time. Based
upon the popularity of this first CART venture to the
circuit, CART will likely keep returning to this great race
venue for many years and decades to come.
F1 winners at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve: Gilles-Villeneuve
(1978), Alan Jones (1979 and 1980), Jacques Laffite (1981),
Nelson Piquet (1982, 1984 and 1991), Rene Arnoux (1983),
Michele Alboreto (1985), Ayrton Senna (1988 and 1990),
Thierry Boutsen (1989), Gerhard Berger (1992), Alain Prost
(1993), Michael Schumacher (1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, and
2002), Jean Alesi (1995), Damon Hill (1996), Mika Hakkinen
(1999), and Ralf Schumacher (2001).
The official Web site (http://www.grandprix.ca) has plenty of
good information - including very important circuit access
information, since cars cannot be taken to the island.
CIRCUIT HISTORY: NURBURGRING
Originally 22.677 kilometers (14.173 miles) in length, the
Nurburgring first opened in 1927 (following two years of
construction) and is still going strong. The opening events
featured motorcycles (June 18, 1927), with cars featured the
following day. The 1939 German Grand Prix was the final race
at Nurburgring for quite some time due to the beginning of
World War II. The circuit itself was damaged in the closing
months of the war, but racing returned to Nurburgring in
1947. However, there were no races at Nurburgring in 1948,
as the circuit was being brought up to safety standards.
Nurburgring began hosting F1 events in 1951. Estimates show
that 400,000 spectators came to the track for the 1954 F1
race. In 1958, however, the F1 race saw the death of Peter
Collins as his Ferrari went out of control.
The 1968 world motorcycle championship at Nurburgring had a
strange stoppage: a forest fire. The F1 Grand Prix later
that year had nearly impossible visibility due to intense
rain and fog.
In 1970, the Northern Loop of the circuit was called into
question after numerous accidents. Improvements were made
for the following year, when 130,000 spectators witnessed
Jackie Stewart winning the F1 Grand Prix. More improvements
were demanded in 1974 (first by motorcyclists, then by F1
drivers). When Nikki Lauda was seriously injured in 1976,
the Northern Loop was decommissioned as an F1 venue.
A new, shorter circuit was then designed and built, opening
in 1984 at 4.542 kilometers (2.839 miles) in length. Alan
Prost won that year's European Grand Prix. In 1986, however,
the F1 race moved to Hockenheim. 1995 saw the return of F1
to Nurburgring, and the historic race venue has produced
excellent races ever since.
Some of the notable F1 winners at Nurburgring: Alberto Ascari
(1951 and 1952), Juan Manuel Fangio (1954-1956), Stirling
Moss (1961), Jim Clark (1965), Jack Brabham (1966), Jackie
Stewart (1968, 1971, and 1973), Alain Prost (1984), Michael
Schumacher (1995, 2000, and 2001), Jacques Villeneuve (1996
and 1997), Mika Hakkinen (1998), and Rubens Barrichello
See the official Web site (http://www.nuerburgring.de/) for
plenty more details about the Nurburgring.
CIRCUIT HISTORY: SILVERSTONE
The world-famous Silverstone circuit - often spoken of in the
same terms as Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Monza - has
hosted F1 racing since 1950. This 5.110-kilometer (3.194-
mile) circuit is set at an airport site, and contains several
configurations. The Silverstone International circuit (used
for the British TOCA series) shares much of the same pavement
as the Grand Prix circuit used for the annual F1 Grand Prix
of Great Britain; in fact, the pavement for the two circuits
even cross at approximately two-thirds of the way around the
During World War II, the Royal Air Force chose the site now
known as Silverstone for an airfield and a bomber-training
base. Following the war, other circuits such as Donnington
Park and Brooklands could not be used for racing due to
having been converted for wartime uses. Thus, in 1948, the
Silverstone site was used for its first race... with the
circuit marked by hay bales. The circuit was redone in 1949
and assumed a configuration roughly equivalent to that in
F1 began in 1950, and held its first race at Silverstone.
Guiseppe Farina won the first-ever F1 race in an Alfa Romeo.
The British Racing Drivers' Club operated Silverstone until
2001, when current owner Octagon Motorsports took control of
the venue; this also ensures that the British Grand Prix will
be held at Silverstone for at least the next fifteen years.
The world's best F1 drivers have all placed themselves into
the Silverstone record books, including Manuel Fangio,
Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn, Jack Brabham, John Surtees, Jim
Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, John Watson,
Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Eddie
Irvine, Jacques Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen, Michael
Schumacher, and David Coulthard. The track record is held by
Michael Schumacher, at 1:24.475 with an average speed of
Silverstone hosts far more than just F1: Grand Prix
motorcycles, SuperBikes, Karts, FIA GTs, European Le Mans,
RallySprint, stages of the Rally of Great Britain, British
Touring Car Championship, and British Formula 3 and GT.
The official Web site is actually the site for Octagon
Motorsports (http://www.octagonmotorsports.com/), which owns
and operates Silverstone, as well as Snetterton, Cadwell
Park, Brands Hatch, and Oulton Park.
CIRCUIT HISTORY: NEVERS MAGNY-COURS
Characterized by its three parallel straightaways (which can
be aurally difficult for drivers while on the middle
straightaway), Nevers Magny-Cours has hosted F1 events since
1991. The 4.226-kilometer (2.641-mile) circuit is also used
for Motorbikes Championship, FIA GT Championship, Formula
Renault 2000 Eurocup, FIA Sportcar Championship, Formula
Nissan, historical races, and various endurance races.
F1 winners at Nevers Magny-Cours: Nigel Mansell (1991 and
1992), Alain Prost (1993), Michael Schumacher (1994, 1995,
1997, 1998, 2001, and 2002), Damon Hill (1996), Heinz-Harald
Frentzen (1999), and David Coulthard (2000).
Visit the official Web site (http://www.magnycours.com/) for
more information. Unfortunately, the site does not include
any circuit history in either the French- or English-language
versions of the site.
This information on the 1999 F1 race at Magny-Cours is
provided by ViperMask, one of the biggest F1 fans I have ever
met. It is edited only for formatting purposes.
As for Magny-Cours, Heinz Harald Frentzen's win was a
very special one. He made a BEAUTIFUL drive in the
wet, in the Jordan Mugen-Honda. It was one of the
races that made HHF into a superstar driver AND the
Driver of the Year in 1999.
CIRCUIT HISTORY: HOCKENHEIM
The Hockenheim circuit was an EXCELLENT and very high-speed
race venue until 2002, when the circuit was redesigned and
severely shortened while accommodations were added to bring
in even more spectators than before. The former Hockenheim
configuration ran almost entirely through the German forest.
The circuit was designed in 1932, and hosts F1 and many other
forms of motorsport.
Notable F1 winners at Hockenheim: Niki Lauda (1977), Mario
Andretti (1978), (1981, 1986, and 1987), Alain Prost (1984,
1993), Ayrton Senna (1988-1990), Nigel Mansell (1991 and
1992), Michael Schumacher (1995, 2002), and Mika Hakkinen
The official Web site (http://www.hockenheimring.de/) is
unfortunately only available in German - which is a language
I cannot read :-(
CIRCUIT HISTORY: HUNGARORING
Located 19.2 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Budapest, the
3.946-kilometer (2.466-mile) Hungaroring circuit has been
used for F1 racing since 1986, and represented the first
foray of F1 racing into the Eastern Block (during the Cold
F1 winners at Hungaroring include Nelson Piquet (1986 and
1987), Ayrton Senna (1988, 1991, and 1992), Nigel Mansell
(1989), Thierry Boutsen (1990), Damon Hill (1993 and 1995),
Michael Schumacher (1994, 1998, and 2001), Jacques Villeneuve
(1996 and 1997), Mika Hakkinen (1999 and 2000), and Reubens
The official Web site (http://www.hungaroring.hu/)
unfortunately does not include a circuit history.
CIRCUIT HISTORY: SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is one of the most scenic race
venues in all of F1 racing (especially now that the
Hockenheim circuit in Germany has been practically destroyed
in its new, far shorter configuration); races here are also
as much characterized by the often-changing weather as by the
challenging circuit itself. The Spa-Francorchamps venue has
been as long as 14.038 kilometers (8.774 miles) in length
(from 1950 to 1956), but has been greatly shortened now to
6.928 kilometers (4.330 miles) in length. This is a tricky
circuit, categorized primarily by the tight La Source hairpin
just beyond the Start/Finish Line, and the long, snaking,
steep, uphill climb up Eau Rouge to the tree-lined Kemmel
Straight (the highest area of the circuit).
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit hosts numerous forms of
motorsport, including F1, Karting, and motorbikes. There are
also two driving schools based at Spa-Francorchamps: Peugeot
Driving School EPMA and RACB Driving school.
Conceived in 1920, the circuit was ready for racing in August
1921... but there was no race, as only one competitor had
registered :-( Three years later, Spa-Francorchamps hosted
its first annual 24 Hours of Francorchamps (24 Hours of Spa),
an endurance race begun only one year following the inaugural
24 Hours of Le Mans. Until World War II, the major events
held at the circuit were the motorcycle grand prix races, the
Belgian Grand Prix, and the 24 Hours of Francorchamps.
However, by the 1970s, drivers were sincerely concerned about
safety along the lengthy Spa-Francorchamps circuit. After
numerous propositions, a shorter circuit was created, and the
7-kilomter circuit was inaugurated in 1979. Fortunately, the
new circuit kept the main characteristics of its massive
former self and also sported many safety improvements. With
the shorter, safer circuit, the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium was
able to return to Spa-Francorchamps. The current track
record was set by Michael Schumacher at 1:43.726 (241.837KMH,
or 151.148MPH) in 2002.
In one of the most spectacular passes in recent F1 history,
the 2000 Grand Prix of Belgium hinged upon Mika Salo drafting
behind Michael Schumacher to make a pass for the race lead at
the end of Kemmel Straight, using a third car as a pick on
entering Malmedy-Les Combes at the highest point of the Spa-
Notable F1 winners at Spa-Francorchamps: Juan Manuel Fangio
(1950, 1954, and 1955), Alberto Ascari (1952 and 1953), Jack
Brabham (1960), Jim Clark (1962-1965), Emerson Fittipaldi
(1972), Alain Prost (1983 and 1987), Ayrton Senna (1985, and
1988-1991), Nigel Mansell (1986), Michael Schumacher (1992,
1995-1997, and 2001-2002), and Mika Hakkinen (2000).
Please visit the official Web site (http://www.spa-
francorchamps.be/) for a lot of excellent information on the
Spa-Francorchamps circuit and its many events and driving
CIRCUIT HISTORY: MONZA
Originally opened in 1922 to commemorate the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the Milan Automobile Club, the Monza circuit
(Autodromo Nazionale Monza), near Milan, Italy, has been the
site of more F1 grand prix events than any other. The Monza
circuit has seen numerous configurations, including the
famous banked section from 1955 to 1961.
Monza has always been an incredibly fast race venue... and
with this speed comes even greater danger. Phil Hill's 1961
race victory (his second consecutive win at Monza) was
severely overshadowed by a collision between Jim Clark and
Wolfgang von Trips which took the lives of the latter driver
and over one dozen spectators. A 1970 mechanical failure
during Qualifying killed Jochen Rindt, so one may not be
surprised that chicanes, guard rails, and reinforced fencing
were added beginning in 1972 as an attempt to slow the cars
and make Monza's events safer for all involved; however, the
chicanes specifically were really just makeshift safety
measures due to the increasing performance in virtually all
realms of motorsport. In more recent years, the opening lap
of the 2000 Grand Prix of Italy was seriously marred by the
death of a trackside race marshal due to all the flying
debris at the Roggia Chicane (the second chicane of the
circuit). While there were no dangerous incidents at the
2001 Grand Prix of Italy, that particular event happened to
be scheduled for the first weekend following the world-
shocking terrorist attacks on the United States (September
11, 2001) AND the near-fatal accident at a new race venue in
Germany (the previous afternoon) which forced the amputation
of the legs of CART driver Alex Zanardi; these events cast a
dark shadow over the race itself as well as the entire Grand
On a far more positive note, Williams driver Juan Pablo
Montoya - truly making his first great impact upon the F1
world following several years of astounding success in CART -
broke Keke Rosberg's twenty-seven-year record for the fastest
ever F1 qualifying lap. Rosberg's then record-setting lap
was 259.005KPH (161.878MPH) set at Silverstone; Montoya's new
record-setting lap was 259.827KPH (162.392MPH). What makes
Montoya's achievement even more impressive is that Michelin-
shod F1 vehicles (led by Williams and McLaren) have generally
not been able to compete with Bridgestone-shod cars (led by
The Monza circuit has seen all sorts of motorsport events,
including motorcycles and touring cars, and currently is
5.736 kilometers (3.585 miles) in length. A recent Italian
telefilm on the life of Enzzo Ferrari exclusively used the
Monza circuit for its racing shots using time-appropriate
Notable F1 winners at Monza: Alberto Ascari (1951 and 1952),
Juan Manuel Fangio (1953-1955), Stirling Moss (1956 and
1957), Stirling Moss (1959), Jim Clark (1963), Jackie Stewart
(1965 and 1969), Emerson Fittipaldi (1972), Mario Andretti
(1977), Niki Lauda (1978 and 1984), Alain Prost (1981, 1985,
and 1989), Nelson Piquet (1983, 1986, and 1987), Ayrton Senna
(1990 and 1992), Michael Schumacher (1996, 1998, 2000, and
2002), and Juan Pablo Montoya (2001).
The official Web site of Autodromo Nazionale Monza
(http://www.monzanet.it/) has plenty of great information,
including a large track map of Monza's various configurations
and plenty of images of racing action on Monza's banked
CIRCUIT HISTORY: INDIANAPOLIS
Essentially a 'stadium circuit' located at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, the Indianapolis Grand Prix circuit is the newest
race venue in F1, first used in its current incarnation in
2000. This also marks the return of F1 racing to the United
States, which had been absent since 1991 (using a temporary
street circuit in downtown Phoenix, Arizona). The initial
4.192-kilometer (2.620-mile) US Grand Prix was won by Michael
Schumacher in 2000, followed by Mika Hakkinen (in his final
race win before sabbatical/retirement) in 2001.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway was purchased in 1945 by Tony
Hulman (the namesake of Hulman Blvd., which connects Turn 7
and Turn 8 of the Grand Prix circuit) and restored to use
after the speedway had fallen into disuse because of World
War II. In 1950-1960, the Indianapolis 500 also awarded
points for the F1 World Championship; winners in this era
include Johnnie Parsons, Bill Vukovich, and Jim Rathmann.
Tony George, the President of the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, was almost single-handedly responsible for bringing
F1 racing back to the United States. The Indianapolis Motor
Speedway had to be brought up to standard in order to host
the United States Grand Prix, including a new Paddock area
which would allow cars to exit from the garage directly onto
Pit Lane. Also, in a MAJOR concession to the traditions of
F1 racing, the 2000 USGP marked the very first time that a
race had been run in REVERSE (clockwise) at Indianapolis
The 2001 Grand Prix of the United States was the first major
auto racing event on American soil following the terrorist
attacks on America just two weeks before. FIA and USGP
organizers truly went out of their way to provide
entertainment, soothing words, and patriotic moments for the
thousands of spectators at a time when the nation and the
world were still in shock, grief, and mourning at the
Winners of the Indianapolis 500 during its quasi-F1 era
(1950-1960): Johnnie Parsons (1950), Lee Wallard (1951), Troy
Ruttman (1952), Bill Vukovich (81953 and 1954), Bob Sweikert
(1955), Pat Flaherty (1956), Sam Hanks (1957), Jimmy Bryan
(1958), Rodger Ward (1959), and Jim Rathmann (1960).
Winners of the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis in
the modern era: Michael Schumacher (2000), and Mika Hakkinen
Visit the official Web site (http://www.usgpindy.com/).
CIRCUIT HISTORY: SUZUKA
In operation since at least 1962 and the host of F1 races
since 1987, Suzuka Circuit is the host of many forms of
motorsport - including F1 and other Formula series, and
motorbikes (including MotoGP) - as well as several racing
schools. Suzuka comprises two different circuits: the 5.821-
kilometer (3.638-mile) International Racing Course (used for
F1 events) and the 1.264-kilometer (0.790-mile) Southern
Course (which itself contains numerous configurations).
F1 winners at Suzuka: Gerhard Berger (1987 and 1991), Ayrton
Senna (1988), Alessandro Nannini (1989), Nelson Piquet
(1990), Riccardo Patrese (1992), Ayrton Senna (1993), Damon
Hill (1994 and 1996), Michael Schumacher (1995, 1997, and
2000-2002), and Mika Hakkinen (1998 and 1999).
Unfortunately, the official Web site
(http://www.suzukacircuit.co.jp/) is almost exclusively in
Japanese. Many section titles are also given in English (such
as Event Calendar, Group Enjoy!, and Circuit Queen), but the
only truly-English area is a single page with downloadable
files of information for buying tickets to the next Grand
Prix of Japan.
The official FIA Web site (http://www.fia.com/) has a lot of
good information pertaining to F1 racing, including the
current season's race schedule, rules and regulations, and
links to the official Web sites of most of the courses used.
The FIA Web site is available in both French and English.
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Wolf Feather Jamie Stafford
Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there's a
remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are.
- Major Kusanagi, _Ghost in the Shell_
What isn't remembered never happened. - _Serial Experiments Lain_