Donington Park

Donington Park is a motor racing circuit in Leicestershire, England, close to Castle Donington, south-west of Nottingham and south-east of Derby. The eastern end of the track lies only a few hundred metres from the end of the runway at East Midlands Airport. The circuit runs clockwise, measures 4.023 kilometres today and has 12 corners.

It was built on the Donington Hall estate and was the first permanent park circuit in England. The first motorcycle race took place in 1931 on unsurfaced estate roads, on a layout of 3.518 kilometres. For 1933 the track was widened and surfaced, and the first car race followed on 25 March that year. The first Donington Grand Prix was held in 1935, with Bernd Rosemeyer winning in 1937 and Tazio Nuvolari in 1938, both driving Auto Unions. The circuit closed in 1940 and was used as a depot for military vehicles, before being approved for racing again in 1957. Tom Wheatcroft bought the land in 1971, rebuilt the track and reopened it in 1977. The Melbourne Loop, added in 1985, extended the lap to about 4.02 kilometres and allowed the British motorcycle Grand Prix to be held there from 1987 to 2009. The shorter layout survives as the National Circuit.

In the Formula One World Championship, Donington Park staged a race only in 1993, the European Grand Prix on 11 April. In wet conditions Ayrton Senna won for McLaren by more than a minute from Damon Hill, having climbed from fifth place to the lead on the opening lap. A memorial to Senna stands in the grounds.