The Sokol International Racetrack (also known as Sokol Circuit - kk, Сокол халықаралық ипподромы, Sokol xalıqaralıq ïppodromı, russian: Сокольский международный ипподром, Sokol'skiy mezhdunarodnyy ipodrom) is a
motorsport
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
race track northwest of
Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
,
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
. The circuit was designed by
Hermann Tilke and is marketed as an FIA Grade 2 track.
History
In July 2012, Kazakh businessman
Alijan Ibragimov
Alijan Ibragimov (also known as Alidjan or Alidzhon Ibragimov; 5 June 1953 – 3 February 2021) was a Kazakh oligarch of the Uyghur descent. He was born in Fergana, Uzbek SSR, and was a member of a well-known circle of oligarchs in Kazakhstan kno ...
announced plans to build a
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
40 million (
KZ₸19 billion) motorsport facility on the outskirts of Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, with construction scheduled to commence in September. RacingLoop were brought in as consultants and Hermann Tilke was charged with the design of a circuit intended to draw in
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
and the
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, however ground was not broken until 2014.
By 2016 a go-kart track and a drag strip had been opened with
Jorge Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three MotoGP World Championships (, and ) and two 250cc World Championships ( and ).
After winning the 2006 a ...
in attendance, as circuit construction was well underway. Construction had progressed as far as electronic and timing installation by early 2019 before it ground to a halt due to political issues.
On 27 September 2022, it was announced that the circuit would host the
Kazakhstan motorcycle Grand Prix until at least 2028 starting in
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
.
References
External links
Official website
{{MotoGP circuits
Grand Prix motorcycle circuits
Sports venues in Kazakhstan