A circuit that began on estate roads, lost its Formula One dream in 2009 and came back under new owners with a 2038 lease.
With a capacity of 120,000, this Leicestershire circuit near Castle Donington began on estate roads in 1931. It hosted the 1993 European Grand Prix, which Ayrton Senna won by over a minute. MotorSport Vision runs the circuit business under a lease that lasts until 2038.
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. It began as a set of estate roads in 1931, was rebuilt by Tom Wheatcroft in the 1970s and hosted the 1993 European Grand Prix. Its business is now run by MotorSport Vision, under a lease that runs until 2038, after a near-collapse in 2009 when its British Grand Prix dream ended.
Where is Donington Park and who runs it today?
The circuit sits in Leicestershire, a few yards from the Derbyshire border, and carries a Derby postcode. The track business is owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, while the surrounding Donington Park Estate remains in the hands of the Wheatcroft family and is leased to MotorSport Vision until 2038. Its capacity is 120,000, and the Download Festival is staged on the same grounds.
The location is convenient for travellers. The runway's western end at East Midlands Airport lies only about 400 yards (365 metres) from the track's eastern end, and the circuit is close to the M1. East Midlands Parkway and Derby Midland stations are also nearby, and the owners have encouraged spectators to use them.
A 1931 estate track that survived wartime requisition, a failed Formula One dream and a bankruptcy to host racing again.
How did Donington Park start as a racing venue?
The circuit grew out of the Donington Hall estate between the two world wars. Fred Craner, who had ridden in seven Isle of Man TT races and ran a Derby garage by 1931, approached the estate's owner, John Gillies Shields, to use the estate roads for racing. Motorcycles ran first, on 25 May 1931, which was Whit Monday, on an original track of 2.186 mi (3.518 km).
In 1933 the layout was widened and sealed at a cost of 12,000 pounds, and the first car race was held on 25 March that year. The first Donington Park Trophy, on 7 October 1933, went to Earl Howe, who drove a Bugatti Type 51. The 300-mile (480 km) Donington Grand Prix followed in 1935, when Richard Shuttleworth won in an Alfa Romeo P3.
Why did Donington Park close during the Second World War?
The circuit closed in 1940, when the Ministry of Defence requisitioned the land and converted it into a military vehicle depot. The land was returned from military use in 1956 and cleared for racing in 1957 by local planners, but it had fallen into disrepair during the war years.
Before the war the Donington Grand Prix had attracted big names. In 1937 Bernd Rosemeyer won in an Auto Union, one of the German Silver Arrows, and in 1938 Tazio Nuvolari won in another Auto Union, showing how the venue fitted into the racing scene of its time.
How did Tom Wheatcroft revive the circuit?
Business man and car collector Tom Wheatcroft bought the park in 1971 and funded the rebuilding of the track. He also opened the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition in March 1973, which housed the biggest assembly of Grand Prix cars anywhere until its 2018 closure. Wheatcroft fought Leicestershire County Council, which had refused planning consent for a return to racing, and he won on appeal, having the circuit ready by early 1976.
The first post-war motorcycle meeting took place on Sunday, 15 May 1977, and car racing returned on Saturday, 28 May 1977. The opening car meeting nearly did not happen, because local ramblers tried to assert their footpath rights at the last moment. It went ahead as a Motor Trial, a loophole that limited the use of single-seater racing cars for that first event.
The Melbourne Loop was built in 1985 to lengthen the lap to 2.498 mi (4.020 km), because the earlier layout was too short for Grand Prix motorcycle races. The shorter 1.957 mi (3.149 km) National circuit remains in use for most non-Grand Prix events.
What were the layouts of Donington Park?
| Layout | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Original estate track, 1931 | 2.186 mi (3.518 km) | Unsealed estate roads |
| National circuit | 1.957 mi (3.149 km) | Used for most non-Grand Prix events |
| Melbourne Loop, from 1985 | 2.498 mi (4.020 km) | Added for Grand Prix motorcycle racing |
| Proposed 2008 Formula One layout | 2.944 mi (4.738 km) | Tilke design with a new infield loop, never built |
Why did the British Grand Prix bid at Donington fail?
In 2007 Wheatcroft sold a 150-year lease on the track and museum to Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, a company led by Simon Gillett. Bernie Ecclestone said on 4 July 2008 that Donington would stage the British Grand Prix from 2010 under a 17-year deal, and the plan included a Tilke redesign with a new pit complex and an infield loop.
The venture soon ran into financial difficulty. In April 2009 Wheatcroft & Son sought 2.47m pounds in rent arrears and the forfeiture of the lease, and a settlement was reached out of court in June. By 24 October 2009 the company had failed to raise the 135 million pounds needed for the race, and Ecclestone confirmed on 29 October that the race would not go ahead at Donington.
The company went into administration on 18 November 2009 owing contractors and suppliers close to 4 million pounds, and a secured loan of 14 million pounds from Anglo Irish Bank. On 7 December 2009 Silverstone won the British Grand Prix contract for the next 17 years, from 2010 to 2026.
What happened to Donington Park when the lease collapsed?
On 24 December 2009 no buyer had been found for the company, so the 150-year lease was terminated. Ownership returned to Wheatcroft & Son Ltd, which was then led by Kevin Wheatcroft after the death of his father in 2009. The circuit reopened for the Donington Revival meeting in August 2010.
A lease sale to the Worcestershire-based Adroit Group was agreed subject to contract in May 2010, and Adroit rebuilt sections of track and infrastructure. After a series of inspections the circuit recovered its Grade 2 licences from the ACU, MSA and FIA, but the parties failed to agree the final lease. The Wheatcroft-owned Donington Park Racing then took control in late 2010 and brought in World Touring Car and World Superbike events, along with the first Donington Historic Festival. Wheatcroft then invested heavily, excavating the infield, adding an all-terrain course and upgrading hospitality buildings and conferencing suites.
Who owns Donington Park now?
MotorSport Vision bought the circuit business in January 2017, taking a 21-year lease on the estate that runs until 2038. The Competition and Markets Authority cleared the deal in August 2017, and work began almost at once. The winter of 2017 and 2018 brought a resurfaced paddock, a new Garage 39 eatery, and a large grandstand overlooking Hollywood corner.
In April 2021 MotorSport Vision bought the freehold of the Donington Hall Estate, which covers 28 acres. The Grade II* listed hall is planned as a hotel with 40 bedrooms, due to open in 2023, and the adjoining Hastings House is to become a motorhouse for supercars, classic cars and motorcycles.
What happened at the 1993 European Grand Prix?
The 1993 European Grand Prix was held at Donington on 11 April 1993 in rainy conditions, and Ayrton Senna dominated the race. He moved from fifth to first on the opening lap and won by more than a minute from Damon Hill. AtlasF1 later described the performance as the Drive of the Decade, and a memorial to Senna stands in the grounds outside the Donington Collections.
The race is also remembered for the lap times that came before it. In the final qualifying session Alain Prost set 1:10.458 in a Williams FW15C, an unofficial all-time track record for a race weekend.
Which racing series have raced at Donington?
Donington has been a fixture of the British Touring Car Championship since the series was created in 1987, and the BTCC season launch has been held at the circuit since 2013. In 1999 Matt Neal won a race in a Nissan Primera, becoming the first independent driver to win in the modern era, which earned him a 250,000 pound prize. The World Touring Car Championship moved there in 2011 after five years at Brands Hatch, and Yvan Muller won both races for Chevrolet.
The venue has also hosted DTM rounds in 2002 and 2003, with Jean Alesi taking every win for AMG Mercedes across both years. It has seen the European Le Mans Series, FIA GT Championship races between 1997 and 1999 and from 2002 to 2004, and RAC Rally stages between 1981 and 1998. The FIA Formula E Championship also based its headquarters on the site in its early years.
What motorcycle racing has taken place at Donington?
Donington was the home of the British motorcycle Grand Prix from 1987 to 2009, a run of 23 years. Silverstone had hosted the race until 1986. When the Dorna Sports deal moved to Silverstone for 2010, the Donington circuit lost both its motorcycle and Formula One ambitions in less than a year.
The circuit later became the regular home of the Superbike World Championship and the British Superbike Championship, and it has held Motocross des Nations events. A bid to host a 2015 Grand Prix was called off in February 2015, and the races remained at Silverstone that year.
What other events have shaped Donington Park?
Beyond motorsport, the park has a long history of music. The Monsters of Rock festival ran there from 1980 to the mid-1990s, with acts such as Van Halen and Bon Jovi appearing. The Download Festival, run by Live Nation, has been staged at the venue since 2003, although it now takes place outside the track boundary.
The park has also hosted a few unusual events. In 1992 the music promoter Fantazia held its One Step Beyond rave there, which sold 25,000 tickets, and police reckoned around 3,000 people got in without tickets. In 1975 a motorcycle rally drew 10,000 riders to the grounds.
