Brno Circuit

A historic Czech circuit with two distinct eras: the original public-road layout and the modern permanent track.

The Masaryk circuit or Masarykring, also referred to as the Brno Circuit, refers to two motorsport race tracks located in Brno, Czech Republic. The original street circuit was made up of public roads, and at its longest measured 29.194 km. The track is named after the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. In 1949, events such as the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix attracted top teams and drivers. In 1987, the new (current) circuit was opened. The Brno Circuit is historically one of the oldest circuits, on the place were also held the most motorcycle championships in history after the TT Circuit Assen.

Quick Facts

Direction: Counterclockwise (anti-clockwise)
Corner bias: Right-handed (more right-hand corners than left-hand corners)

Lore & Background

The original layout ran anti-clockwise on approximately 29.194 km of public roads in the outskirts of Brno. The circuit was established in 1930 on the initiative of a group of local figures, including physician and racing driver Otakar Bittmann, Bedřich Soffer and Miloš Bondy. From 1930 to 1937, the Masaryk circuit races attracted some of the top drivers and teams. On 25 September 1949, the race was held for the first and the last time in Czechoslovakia as part of the Grand Prix motor racing. The Czechoslovakian Grand Prix in 1949 was run clockwise on a shorter 17.800 km layout. In spite of a crowd in excess of 400,000 people, this would be the last Grand Prix for cars on the old circuit. Beginning in 1950, the circuit played host to the Czechoslovakian motorcycle Grand Prix, which became a world championship event from 1965. The current 5.403 km permanent road racing circuit was opened on 18 July 1987. It lies north of Kyvalka, within the bounds of the circuit used in the 1930s, but not incorporating any of the public roads. The motorcycle race moved to the new circuit and regained its status as a round of the world championship.