The 2023 Formula 1 (F1) season began on March 5 with the Bahrain Grand Prix and concludes with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 26. The season includes a record-breaking 24 races, including the return of the Qatar Grand Prix and a new race in Las Vegas. Below is a closer look at five of the circuits hosting races in 2023.
Bahrain International Circuit (Bahrain)
The Bahrain International Circuit hosted the first race of the F1 season for the third consecutive year in 2023. The 57-lap, 5.412-kilometer circuit is also where F1 drivers practice in preparation for the upcoming season. Hermann Tilke designed the track, which includes signature elements such as a tight, downhill Turn 10 and fast Turn 12. Drivers typically also have to deal with high winds. Michael Schumacher won the first-ever Bahrain Grand Prix held in 2004.
Ferrari’s Max Verstappen, the pole leader and defending F1 champion, won the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix to earn 25 points. His teammate, Sergio Perez, finished in second place, while veteran Fernando Alonso, making his debut with Aston Martin, finished in third. Alonso, who competed in the first Bahrain Grand Prix in 2004, is the oldest and most experienced F1 driver this season.
Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve (Canada)
The 2023 Canadian Grand Prix takes place at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on June 18. The track, which first hosted an F1 event in 1978, is 4.361 kilometers and the race spans 70 laps for a total distance of 305.27 kilometers. The Canadian Grand Prix was first held in 1961, and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has been the official site of the race since 1978. It was built for the Expo 67 World’s Fair in 1967 and named in honor of a Canadian motorsport legend who won six races with Ferrari, including the 1978 Canadian Grand Pix. Villeneuve died following a collision during qualification for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.
The track features plenty of tight turns, but is a fast circuit and considered a favorite of many drivers. The Wall of Champions, named for the three former Drivers’ World Champions who crashed into the outside wall of Turn 14 in the 1999 race, is one of the standout features of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The track has also hosted the FIA World Sportscar Championship, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.
Yas Marina Circuit (UAE)
The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi has hosted the annual Abu Dhabi Grand Prix every year since 2009. The 16-turn, 5.281-kilometer track, designed by Tilke, features a 1.2-kilometer straight between Turns 5 and 6 and a tough run through Turns 10 and 11 into 12. Verstappen holds the lap record at the Yas Marina Circuit with a time of 1:26.103.
The track is located on a $40 billion artificial island that includes seven luxury hotels; a golf course; a beach; and Ferrari World, a theme park that features the world’s fastest rollercoaster. Other popular attractions include Warner Bros. World and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the final race of the F1 season in 2009 and 2010 and every year since 2014. Verstappen is the two-time defending champion, while Lewis Hamilton has won the race a record five times.
Jeddah Street Circuit (Saudi Arabia)
The third Saudi Arabian Grand Prix took place on March 19 at the Jeddah Street Circuit, a 27-turn, 6.175-kilometer track near the Red Sea. It’s F1’s second-longest track and longest street circuit. Hamilton won the inaugural event in 2021, but some drivers, including George Russell, were critical of the track’s tight corners (it has more turns than any other F1 circuit) and poor visibility.
“It seemed pretty inevitable, you go around a Turn 2 that’s fairly wide and open—cars can go side by side—and then it really funnels in and goes pretty narrow pretty fast …” Russell told Motorsport.com after the 2021 race. “So, a lot to learn I think for motorsport this weekend, because it’s an incredibly exhilarating and exciting track to drive, but it’s lacking a lot from a safety perspective and a racing perspective.”
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix organizers made several adjustments to address those safety issues in 2022 and made more changes ahead of the 2023 race, including pushing the fences back near Turns 14 and 20 to give drivers more space and better sightlines. Perez won the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Albert Park Circuit (Australia)
The Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne first hosted the Australian Open Grand Prix in 1996. The circuit stands out from others used by F1, as it utilizes existing roads surrounding Albert Park with a detour through the car park at Lakeside Stadium. It’s 5.303 kilometers in length and, with 58 laps, covers a total distance of 307.574 kilometers. Schumacher set the fastest lap time at 1:24.125 in 2004.