Masaryk Circuit

The Masaryk circuit ( cz, Masarykův okruh) or Masarykring, also referred to as the Brno Circuit, refers to two motorsport race tracks located in Brno, Czech Republic.
The original street circuit was made up of public roads, and at its longest measured . In 1949, events such as the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix attracted top teams and drivers. The track is named after the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Racing on the old roads ended after 1986, when the new (current) circuit was opened.

The annual Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Czech Republic is the circuit's most important event. It has been held here since 1950 and is the most famous motor race in the Czech Republic. The race has been part of the World Grand Prix since 1965.

The FIA World Touring Car Championship, FIA GT1 World Championship, Formula Two and the Superbike World Championship also raced at the circuit.

The Czech Republic Motorcycle Grand Prix is more of a promoter event than a profit-raiser itself. Since tobacco advertising has been banned in 2007, it is common among the other MotoGP events. The Brno Circuit is historically one of the oldest circuits, on the place were also held the most motorcycle championships in history after the TT Circuit Assen.

Original circuits

The original layout ran anti-clockwise on approximately of public roads in the outskirts of Brno, where the start/finish was located in Bosonohy. The circuit went east past Kamenny and then went north past the Bohunice University Campus in Kejbaly, and went through the villages of Libusino, Kohouvotice and Žebětín, out to Ostrovacice, through Veselka and back through a series of fast straights and kinks. From 1930 to 1937, the Masaryk circuit races attracted some of the top drivers and teams.

On September 25, 1949, the race was held for the first and the last time in Czechoslovakia as part of the Grand Prix motor racing (later evolved into Formula One). The Czechoslovakian Grand Prix in 1949 was run clockwise on a shorter layout, which turned right at Veselka, bypassed Ostrovacice and entered Žebětín from the south rather than the west. In spite of a crowd in excess of 400,000 people, this would be the last Grand Prix for cars on the old circuit.

Beginning in 1950, the circuit played host to the Czechoslovakian motorcycle Grand Prix, which became a world championship event from 1965. The circuit had been again reduced in length to in 1964, completely bypassing Žebětín and using a new through-road that went to Kohoutovice quicker. The European Touring Car series visited in the 1980s, by which time the circuit had been finally reduced to in 1975, which exited Kohoutovice from the south and bypassed Libusino and Kejbaly and went right through Kamenny and rejoined the main road back to Bosonohy.

Modern circuit

The current permanent road racing circuit was opened in 1987. It lies north of Kyvalka, within the bounds of the circuit used in the 1930s, but not incorporating any of the public roads. The motorcycle race moved to the new circuit and regained its status as a round of the world championship. A World Sports Car Championship race was held in 1988, and a round of the A1 Grand Prix series in 2006. It was also the location of the 24H Epilog of Brno (previously 6 Hours of Brno).

Lap records

The unofficial lap record is 1.34:700 set by Jérôme d'Ambrosio in Renault R29 Formula One car in 2010, while the official race lap records at the modern layout of Brno Circuit are listed as:

Layout history

File:All layouts of the Masaryk Circuit (Brno Circuit) between 1930 and today combined.png, All layouts of the circuit between 1930 and today combined
File:Masaryk circuit 1930-37.svg, Brno circuit (1930–1937)
File:Brno_1949-1963.png, Brno circuit (1949–1963)
File:Brno_1964-1974.png, Brno circuit (1964–1974)
File:Brno_1975-1986.png, Brno circuit (1975–1986)
File:Brno (formerly Masarykův okruh).svg, Brno circuit (1987–present)

Events

; Current
* April: LeBrno Series
* May: Porsche Sprint Challenge Central Europe, Histo-Cup Austria
* September: BOSS GP, ACCR Formula 4 Championship, FIA Central European Zone Formula 3
* October: LeBrno Series

; Former
* 24H Series '' 12 Hours of Brno'' (2015–2016, 2019)
* A1 Grand Prix (2006–2007)
* Auto GP (2002–2005, 2010–2011, 2013, 2016)
* Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (2004–2005)
* Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (1988, 1991–1992)
* European Touring Car Championship (1968–1972, 1975–1986, 2000–2004)
* European Touring Car Cup (2013, 2015)
* FIA GT Championship (2000–2008)
* FIA GT1 World Championship (2010)
* FIA Sportscar Championship ''Brno 2 Hours 30 Minutes'' (1997–2002)
* FIM Endurance World Championship (2001–2003)
* Formula 3 Euro Series (2004)
* Formula Renault Eurocup (2004, 2010)
* MotoGP ''Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix'' (1965–1982, 1987–1991, 1993–2020)
* Sidecar World Championship (1969–1982, 1987–1991, 1993–1997)
* Superbike World Championship (1993–1996, 2005–2012, 2018)
* TCR Eastern Europe Trophy (2019–2021)
* World Series by Renault (2010)
* World Sportscar Championship '' 360 km of Brno'' (1988)
* World Touring Car Championship '' FIA WTCC Race of the Czech Republic'' (2006–2011)

Gallery

File:Masarykův okruh, vítěz Louis Chiron na Bugatti. Projíždí zatáčku v Pisárkách (1932).jpg, Winning Louis Chiron in Bugatti, Brno 1932
File:Juan Parés and Ángel Nieto 1971 Brno.jpeg, Ángel Nieto during Grand Prix motorcycle racing in Brno, 1971
File:Start Superbike Weltmeisterschaft 2008 Brno.JPG, Starting grid on the Brno Circuit
File:Automotodrom Brno Omega.JPG, Omega bend of the Brno Circuit
File:Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo 2009 Brno.jpg, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo in Brno, 2009
File:Marc Márquez and Valentino Rossi 2014 Brno 2.jpeg, Marc Márquez and Valentino Rossi in Brno, 2014
File:Okruh 20180422 072410.jpg, Brno Circuit from air

See also

* Autodrom Most: Other race track in the Czech republic

Notes

References

External links

Official WebpageTrackpedia's guide to driving the Brno circuitThe best place to stand at Automotodrom BrnoSatellite picture from Google Maps

{{Authority control

Motorsport venues in the Czech Republic
Superbike World Championship circuits
Grand Prix motorcycle circuits
A1 Grand Prix circuits
Sport in Brno
Buildings and structures in Brno
World Touring Car Championship circuits