From roads to city circuits

What is more beautiful than a city that, for an entire weekend, leaves its daily traffic to devote itself entirely to motor racing? There is no need to go around it: city circuits have a charm that is hard to match. It’s simply incredible to see the fastest single-seaters that we all know to be racing on the same streets that, until a few days before, were home to the frenzy that only big cities can give.

By definition, a street circuit is a motorsport racing circuit composed of temporarily closed-off public roads. It is no secret that, compared to the permanent circuits, city circuits are among the most challenging to deal with. Tight and blind curves, walls ready to punish every single mistake, narrow spaces to try overtaking: these are few of the reasons why each street circuit is a real challenge for any driver. Nevertheless, these tracks are among the most awaited. Let’s discover the most beautiful city circuits that motorsport offers us!

Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: bmw.com

Let’s start with the circuit that will host the next Formula 1 Grand Prix: Baku, Azerbaijan. Picture yourself as a racing driver: you are in the historic center of this magnificent city, where modern meets ancient. Sumptuous palaces heritage of the UNESCO are the panorama that you have the fortune to see while trying to earn as many points as possible for the championship. This circuit only debuted in 2016, with Rosberg as its first winner. Its charm is also due to another aspect: with its 28 meters below sea level, the straight start and finish of the Baku Circuit is the "lowest" point of the entire Formula 1 calendar!

Many have compared Baku to the historic circuit of Monaco. Opened in 1929, it is one of the most famous circuits in the world. Former champion Nelson Piquet said: «It’s like riding a bicycle around your living room». It is the oldest, shortest and slowest circuit in the F1 calendar, but also one of the most challenging ones: its very narrow curves make overtaking practically impossible. We don’t need to go back so far in time: the Monaco 2024 Grand Prix started with the terrible accident between Sergio Perez and the two Haas of Magnussen and Hulkenberg, with the Mexican’s car completely destroyed by the impact with the barriers.

Monaco

City circuits are so popular that even a city like Las Vegas has one. Glamour, celebrities, luxury hotels, casinos: Formula 1 and Las Vegas seem to be a perfect match. Yet, in the early 1980s, the first attempt to bring motorsport into the city had fallen short. In 1981 and 1982, the last race of the F1 season was held in the parking lot of Caesars Palace: here Nelson Piquet and Keke Rosberg were crowned World Champions. After a brief parenthesis of just two years, Formula 1 decided to abandon the streets of the city of Nevada until 2023. Last year, the Las Vegas Grand Prix was held on the brand new Strip Street Circuit. Despite the initial reservations, it turned out to be a great show for all the fans of Formula 1! The race, which takes place at night and sees the drivers facing the track counter-clockwise, is held around the MSG Sphere Arena, on a straight half kilometer along Koval Lane and in front of the famous casinos of Treasure Island, The Mirage, Caesars Palace and the fountains of the Bellagio. To conclude the whole thing then provides a straight line 1.9 km long where the drivers can reach peaks of 340 km/h of maximum speed.

The announcement of the entry of the Madrid Grand Prix from 2026 adds another city circuit to the calendar. We can say with certainty that gradually F1 is moving towards the big cities, abandoning permanent routes. City races have proved to be enormous opportunities to expand the global market of Formula 1, opening up new sporting and commercial scenarios. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan are investing heavily to host races, with the clear goal of increasing local tourism. Liberty Media itself has stated that it wants to continue the path towards greater involvement of cities: bringing competitions directly in the metropolises can facilitate public participation, connected to major events.

Curiously, it is a reverse path to that of Formula E, a category born with the idea of bringing the show of motor racing into cities around the world, taking advantage of being a series with zero emissions. In fact, technological innovations allow Formula E cars to move progressively towards more traditional circuits. Obviously, it is a way to increase the show of a league that certainly does not have the same economic return as the top series. Formula 1 and Formula E are thus heading in two different directions, partly because they are trying to achieve different goals. On the one hand, Formula 1 looks at the "destination cities" model and the possibility of increasing the commercial potential of racing; on the other hand, Formula E is looking for a stability that has rarely been found in recent years’ calendar.

The debate on city circuits is bound to continue. There are already some who look nostalgically at the traditional circuits which seem to gradually give way to the big cities. The hope is certainly not to see the entertainment of motorsport succumb behind the specter of economic gain. We conclude by saying something in support of the city circuits, given the next two meetings of the F1 Championship, respectively in Baku and Singapore. The show is guaranteed!