05.04.2008
Having hosted the first ever A1 race, Brands Hatch has shown itself more than capable of holding a world class event. Located less than 20 miles from the centre of London, Brands Hatch is ideally located for motorsport and to explore one of Europe’s most exciting cities.
With its fierce undulating circuit and fast sweeping corners, Brands Hatch is one of the most challenging Grand Prix circuits in the world. The infamous Paddock Hill Bend has ended many a drivers race, including A1 Team Lebanon’s Khalil Beschir who rolled spectacularly in A1’s first ever Feature race. The pressure will really be on when A1 makes it’s second visit to Brands Hatch, as the World Cup could be decided here.
With such a strong motorsport heritage, Great Britain is the perfect place for the season to come to a close. The British fans at the series opener in 2005 were some of the most enthusiastic of the whole season, creating a festival atmosphere in the crowded grandstands. Hopefully they will be rewarded with a good result for the home team in the season finale.
CIRCUIT HISTORY
A race track has existed on the Brands Hatch site since 1926, when a grass track was used for motorcycles. Since then, many motor racing legends have won at the circuit, including Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ayrton Senna and Jenson Button.
The 2.65 mile Grand Prix circuit was constructed in 1959 and first held a major motor racing event in 1960. During the 60s, the owners negotiated a deal that would see the British Grand Prix alternating between Brands Hatch and Silverstone. The first Formula One World Championship race at Brands Hatch took place in 1964, which was won by Jim Clark. The last Formula One race at Brands Hatch was appropriately won by Nigel Mansell in 1986.
Through the 1980s and 90s, the circuit changed ownership several times, before being bought by Motorsport Vision in 2004, headed by ex-Formula One driver Jonathan Palmer. Since then the circuit has gone from strength to strength, World Superbikes and British Touring Car fans have regularly made a pilgrimage to Brands Hatch, and the DTM championship will race at Brands Hatch for the first time in 2006. Brands was also the first race of the inaugural season of A1, and was watched by a crowd of 72,000.
COUNTRY INFORMATION
During the nineteenth century, the UK was the most dominant industrial and maritime power in the world, and played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its height, the British Empire covered over one-fourth of the earth’s surface.
The United Kingdom lies to the Northwest of mainland Europe, with most of the population residing on the island of Great Britain. The United Kingdom is constitutional monarchy and unitary state made up of the four constituent nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK is also head of the Commonwealth, with 15 other Commonwealth Realms sharing the same monarch as head of state.
The UK is the third largest country in Europe with nearly 60 million inhabitants, 7.2 million of these live in London. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world.
The UK has a highly developed economy, and the fourth highest Gross Domestic Product in the world. The service sector makes up 72 per cent of this. Tourism is also essential to the economic prosperity of the UK. 24 million tourists visit the UK every year, the majority of these to London, making the UK the sixth major tourist destination in the world. The financial district of London, known as the The City, is the largest financial centre in Europe and has the largest concentration of foreign branches anywhere in the world.
LOCAL INFORMATION
Time zone: GMT +1
Airport: London City Airport, Gatwick, Stansted, Heathrow
Currency: Pound Sterling
Average April temperature: 42.4°F
Average April rainfall: 2.1 inches
CIRCUIT INFORMATION
Location: Brands Hatch, Kent, England
Track length: 4.22 km / 2.62 miles
No. turns: 9
No. laps: Sprint race: 18 , Feature race: 38
Direction: Clockwise
Lap record: 1.14.965, recorded by Nelson Piquet Jr, A1 Team Brazil, in 2005.
Address: Brands Hatch Circuit
Fawkham
Longfield
Kent
DA3 8NG
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