Grand Prix Rejects

The discussion on the old Hockenheimring got me thinking, how many other 'lost' F1 circuits are there out there? I don't mean existing tracks which aren't used for F1 anymore but tracks (or parts of tracks) which have been completely abandoned. There is the old Hockenheim obviously:

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/3993256.jpg
Approach to old Jim Clark chicane

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/4016807.jpg
The Ostkurve

Similarly there is the atmospheric old banked curcuit at Monza:

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/7030598.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/6320098.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/20705918.jpg

Can anyone think of any others?

Well, Österreichring. It looks like this nowadays:

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/2866/742db041231a1ring0021nv6.jpg

Also, Nivelles is in a pretty bad shape out of disuse:

http://www.circuitsofthepast.nl/gallery/albums/Circuits/Nivelles-Baulers/Nivelles_2003_03_Kartbaan.jpg
http://www.circuitsofthepast.nl/gallery/albums/Circuits/Nivelles-Baulers/Nivelles_1998_rondje_51_Pitsstraat.jpg
[url]http://www.circuitsofthepast.nl/gallery/albums/Circuits/Nivelles-Baulers/Nivelles_1999_4_najaar_Pitsgebouw_gesloopt.jpg[/url

There are some nice photo series that I've seen on the web somewhere regarding Montjuich Park and a walk around Bremgarten. It's just that I've lost the links. Sorry.

Didn't know they'd actually torn up the tarmac at Hockenheim


Looks like a bitchin' place to take a dirt bike though.

Jacarepaguá is gone too!
The track is full of cracks, the weeds have grown beyond the kerbs, it was used to build a pool complex for the Pan American games in 2007, but even that is abandoned.

If you go to downtown Phoenix where the street circuit was, you would barely recognize it, with all the new building and stadiums that have been built in the last 20 years

Dom wrote:The discussion on the old Hockenheimring got me thinking, how many other 'lost' F1 circuits are there out there? I don't mean existing tracks which aren't used for F1 anymore but tracks (or parts of tracks) which have been completely abandoned. There is the old Hockenheim obviously:

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/3993256.jpg
Approach to old Jim Clark chicane

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/4016807.jpg
The Ostkurve

Similarly there is the atmospheric old banked curcuit at Monza:

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/7030598.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/6320098.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/20705918.jpg

Can anyone think of any others?

Here's a more recent picture of the Hockinheimring

Dom wrote:<snip>
Similarly there is the atmospheric old banked curcuit at Monza:

Those are wonderful photos. I find Monza to be very interesting, I spent a lunch hour looking at the aerial photos on google once, finding the traces of the old formal gardens there. Thanks for posting the links.

We have Mosport and St Jovite here but they are both flourishing, I'm happy to say. I've ridden both on my bike at DOCC events. wheeeee!

dresda wrote:Those are wonderful photos. I find Monza to be very interesting, I spent a lunch hour looking at the aerial photos on google once, finding the traces of the old formal gardens there. Thanks for posting the links.

I am so going to have to go there someday. Even if there isn't a race on I'd love to wonder around and see the place.

Dom wrote:

dresda wrote:Those are wonderful photos. I find Monza to be very interesting, I spent a lunch hour looking at the aerial photos on google once, finding the traces of the old formal gardens there. Thanks for posting the links.

I am so going to have to go there someday. Even if there isn't a race on I'd love to wonder around and see the place.

When I went to Monza I was too young to even know that the banking existed. What a bloody waste of a trip...

The most famous abandoned circuit here in Finland is the Keimola circuit, which was officially abandoned on 1978 after it had turned unprofitable for the company that owned the circuit (though it did have a few unofficial races by some enthustiastics in the 80s). Even though it never hosted a F1 race, it did host some Formula Two races, which are possibly the highest standard of track races ever run on Finnish ground. Those races featured the likes of Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jack Brabham, Jochen Rindt and Denny Hulme.

Track profile:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Keimola_Motor_Stadium_map.svg
The start/finish straight:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Keimola_maalisuora.jpg
Remnants of the Neste curve (South curve):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Keimola_kaari.jpg
The control tower:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Keimola_torni.jpg
Close-up on the control tower:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Keimola_sponssit.jpg

What about Reims? As far as I know, the place is deserted, after checking Wikipedia, it apparently held F1 races till 1966.



A picture of the pitlane.

The ghosts of Rouen-Les-Essarts

My favourite track ever









These pictures were taken shortly before the buildings were demolished.






And now there is nothing to show that the race was ever held there, except for a trench which runs along where the pits once were.

Those Rouen pictures are so sad

Are there any photos of the shopping mall that is now on the grounds of Riverside International Speedway?

The saddest part of what happened to Rouen is what happened to the famous cobbled Nouveau Monde Hairpin - dug up, and tarmaced over.



Just wrong really. It was funny about last year's rumours of the French GP returning to Rouen in 2011 or 2012, i'd rather have Rouen back than Paul Ricard. :p

shinji wrote:Those Rouen pictures are so sad

Tragic indeed. You can still see where the pits were on Google Earth - does anyone know why they were demolished?

The track at Nivelles is still visible from the air, although most of it is now an industrial estate.

Here's Riverside in 1989


And what the site looks like today

The Sudschleife at the Nurburgring.... and is there not a track elsewhere in germany that had a similar length....

http://theracingline.net/racingcircuits/racingcircuits/ - go to "Photo archives" for some lost tracks, the Clermont-Ferrand pics are particularly good

Went to Reims once, eerie. Its still there, just off the motorway.

There is always Brooklands for the oildies out there, not used since ww2.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=brooklands+circuit&sll=53.177871,-3.334445&sspn=9.121366,19.753418&ie=UTF8&ll=51.350021,-0.467262&spn=0.017878,0.038581&t=h&z=15

See it on Street view

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=brooklands+circuit&sll=53.177871,-3.334445&sspn=9.121366,19.753418&ie=UTF8&ll=51.343079,-0.474215&spn=0,359.961419&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=51.343088,-0.474215&panoid=QKgtm8yw_iT9TJgqXdiIZA&cbp=12,252.03,,0,5

My best mate lives a stones throw from Brooklands, and I've been to the museum and stood on the banking (which is a very weird feeling actually) but every time I go to the Tesco there it makes my heart sink.

Interesting topic Nice to see some links to pictures at my site here. I'm the owner of the website http://www.circuitsofthepast.nl, a website about ... lost circuits

Is Clermont Ferrand still in use for anything?

& has anyone mentioned Aintree.

eagleash wrote:Is Clermont Ferrand still in use for anything?

& has anyone mentioned Aintree.

Both are still partially there. The Aintree Grand Prix circuit is barely used anymore but they still hold race meetings on the Club configuration from time to time.
As for Clermont-Ferrand, the monster 8 mile track is long gone but there is still a little track there that hosts local F3 races.

surprised to find Aintree still in use & a bit of a resurgence in 2009. It's a bit like Lydden & Castle Combe still there but not in any way mainstream.

Clermont Ferrand is apparently twinned with Aberdeen.

Herman wrote:Interesting topic Nice to see some links to pictures at my site here. I'm the owner of the website http://www.circuitsofthepast.nl, a website about ... lost circuits

Great website! Thank you for putting it together.

It's quite interesting to take a look over some of the old circuits which were used in the past - thanks for that. Just a shame that you will be able to add yet another track to that list, in the form of Jacarepagua, following the success of the Rio Olympic bid.

Nice to revive this thread.

Shameless self-promotion of my amateur attempts at photography, but here's a photo of the start/finish line at the disused Catalina Park circuit west of Sydney: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eytl/1551426335/

All too sadly, we will shortly have to add Oran Park to the list of lost circuits.

Those photos of abandoned places sort of touch my emotions...

Did anyone see the recent James May prog where he built a 3 mile scalextric circuit following the line of the old Brooklands track. Inc thru peoples gardens, office blocks & over a river? Interesting to see the banking as it is now & what has become of the developed areas.

eytl wrote:All too sadly, we will shortly have to add Oran Park to the list of lost circuits.

I have requested HWNSNBM annihilate the New South Wales government to revert this doing of evil.

eagleash wrote:Did anyone see the recent James May prog where he built a 3 mile scalextric circuit following the line of the old Brooklands track. Inc thru peoples gardens, office blocks & over a river? Interesting to see the banking as it is now & what has become of the developed areas.

Yeah, was a good show that. Sad to see how the track is in such a state of disrepair.

shinji wrote:

eagleash wrote:Did anyone see the recent James May prog where he built a 3 mile scalextric circuit following the line of the old Brooklands track. Inc thru peoples gardens, office blocks & over a river? Interesting to see the banking as it is now & what has become of the developed areas.

Yeah, was a good show that. Sad to see how the track is in such a state of disrepair.

The whole series has been interesting.

Every now & again I cycle round the old Crystal Palace track which is more or less open to the public. It's ok but the parkies are on horseback so they can chase you!! Taking a motorcycle round is definitely frowned upon
to the tune of about £80 I understand.

Nice website Herman, never knew that there was a Zandvoort street circuit!

eagleash wrote:Every now & again I cycle round the old Crystal Palace track which is more or less open to the public. It's ok but the parkies are on horseback so they can chase you!! Taking a motorcycle round is definitely frowned upon
to the tune of about £80 I understand.

You live nearby? I'm from Penge. The old Crystal Palace track was used for a stage of Tour of Britain cycle race a couple of years ago but they ran it backwards, so the steep, weaving climb that finished the lap was instead a downhill run at the start. It looked bloody terrifying from where I was standing.

Dom wrote:

eagleash wrote:Every now & again I cycle round the old Crystal Palace track which is more or less open to the public. It's ok but the parkies are on horseback so they can chase you!! Taking a motorcycle round is definitely frowned upon
to the tune of about £80 I understand.

You live nearby? I'm from Penge. The old Crystal Palace track was used for a stage of Tour of Britain cycle race a couple of years ago but they ran it backwards, so the steep, weaving climb that finished the lap was instead a downhill run at the start. It looked bloody terrifying from where I was standing.

I remember standing on that bank watching Ickx win over Mclaren 1966?

Live somewhere close by beginning with Cr....used to live on Church Rd/corner Stambourne Way.

Did you go to any of the speed trials 1999-2002?

On the advise of AutoSport, I've been watching this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY5zdnGvT0c

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDAK4jBK ... re=related

watka wrote:On the advise of AutoSport, I've been watching this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY5zdnGvT0c

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDAK4jBK ... re=related

Thanks for posting that...just great to watch.....I was there that day.

One of the associated videos was a 1964 meeting at The Palace in which Jim Clark (then the reigning World Champ) featured in a Lotus Cortina. I can just see Jenson turning up at Croft say in a Ginetta race next year.

Plenty of great parts of F1 tracks have been ruined. Yes they are safer, but there must have been ways to make the original corners safer without totally changing them.

Spa-Francorchamps:
They tried not to ruin Spa-Francorchamps too much, but they have managed to completely ruin the Bus Stop chicane. The old tight left-right then quick right-left onto the main straight was so much better than the boring right-left they have replaced it with.

Monza:
That first corner double-chicane was a great way to start the race and a great chance of a first-corner prang, but now it is much easier to get the whole field through.

Catalunya:
What is with slowing down the final right-hand corner sequence leading onto the front straight? They slowed it right down and removed the close racing and pretty much all possibility of a car following another at great speed right down the front straight and possibly overtaking them into the first corner.

But yes, i am in total agreeance that Hockenheim should be returned to its original glory. I think now that Rome has been granted a GP, that has spelt the death of Imola returning too.