The Donington Park Circuit is one of the most prestigious and traditional venues for motorsports in central England. It was the first permanent racing road course in the country, opening its doors for a motorcycle race in 1931, as an initiative of the local motor club secretary Fred Craner. Some of the high-profile events currently held at the FIA Grade 2 road course of Donington Park are the Superbike World Championship and the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, to name a few. The typical English weather with mild temperatures, cloudy skies, and lots of rain means the track surface in Donington Park is wet most of the time.
There are two layouts available for different competitions in Donington Park: the 1.96-mile (3.15-km) National Circuit and the 2.5-mile (4.02-km) GP Circuit, including The Esses and the Melbourne Hairpin. In general terms, Donington Park is a fast-paced raceway consisting of long sweepers with varying angles and remarkable elevation changes, which create some blind spots along the way. The GP Circuit elevates the technical level needed to maintain high speed and get the most out of the circuit, and the National Circuit layout favors velocity over control. The state-of-the-art safety measures, ample run-off, and grassed areas around the track guarantee drivers can feel secure to do the best they can to drive around it in the less possible time.
The Donington Park Circuit runs clockwise starting in the Wheatcroft Straight, with high-performance vehicles hitting 200 km/h (124 mph) before downshifting to enter Redgate at 100 km/h (62 mph). The Craner Curves come next, followed by the Old Hairpin at corner number four. Starkey's Bridge goes downhill at 220 km/h (136 mph), and the 90-degree turn at McLean's leads into another acceleration sector. The Starkey's Straight is the fastest in Donington Park, with velocities as high as 250 km/h (155 mph), and The Esses provides a considerable speed reduction before the abrupt halt at the Melbourne Hairpin, where racers need to travel at 50 km/h (31 mph) to remain in control. The tight-angle Goddards end the races with a three-dimensional challenge, as drivers need to face the elevation change before entering into the final stretch of the raceway.
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