 Grand Prix Circuit (1934–1961) | |
| Location | Pescara,Abruzzo, Italy |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°28′30″N14°9′3″E / 42.47500°N 14.15083°E /42.47500; 14.15083 |
| Opened | 13 July 1924; 101 years ago (1924-07-13) |
| Closed | 15 August 1961; 64 years ago (1961-08-15) |
| Major events | Formula One Pescara Grand Prix (1957) World Sportscar Championship (1961) Coppa Acerbo (1924–1928, 1930–1939, 1947–1954, 1956–1957, 1960–1961) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1934–1961) | |
| Length | 25.801 km (16.032 mi) |
| Race lap record | 9:44.600 ( Stirling Moss,Vanwall VW 5,1957,F1) |
| Original Road Course (1924–1933) | |
| Length | 25.578 km (15.893 mi) |
| Race lap record | 10:25.400 (Alfa Romeo P3, Tazio Nuvolari,1932,GP) |
ThePescara Circuit was a 16.032 mi (25.801 km) race course made up entirely of public roads nearPescara,Italy that hosted theCoppa Acerbo auto race. Pescara is the longest circuit to ever host aFormula One Grand Prix,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] but was used only once, for the1957 Pescara Grand Prix, in whichScuderia Ferrari remained absent.
The country and town roads used were both narrow and bumpy. Like many long circuits (such as the originalNürburgring andSpa-Francorchamps circuits), Pescara was revered as a fantastic driver's circuit, but also like Spa and the Nürburgring, it was extremely dangerous and unforgiving.
The long track travelled through a number of villages situated on hills surrounding Pescara, following a roughly triangular shape with itscorners at the seaside municipality of Pescara. It included two 3.4 mi (5.5 km) long straights (about as long as theMulsanne Straight at Le Mans and the Buonfornello Straight of theTarga Florio) between the seaside municipality ofMontesilvano, nicknamed "The Flying Kilometre".[1][2] It was on "The Flying Kilometre" thatGuy Moll was killed during the 1934 Coppa Acerbo.[1][8] The highest point, atSpoltore, was 185 m (607 ft) above sea level.[5] The track started just outside the middle of Pescara, moving west through the suburb of Rione Partenze, and then into the hilly villages of Frascone, Valle Carbone, Spoltore, and Case Fornace, going through a mixture of slow and fast bends before dropping out of the hills into the inland municipality ofCappelle sul Tavo, then down the first 3.4 mi (5.5 km) straight northeast to Montesilvano before going down another 3.4 mi (5.5 km) straight and returning to Pescara.[2]
The first race took place in 1924 and non-ChampionshipFormula One races followed in the early 1950s, withone official Formula One World Championship event in1957[2][4][6][7] due to theSuez Crisis-related cancellation of other races.[1] ThePescara Grand Prix drew in excess of 200,000 spectators,[7] and remains the longest circuit in terms of lap distance ever to stage a Formula One Grand Prix. But the circuit was feared even byEnzo Ferrari who did not send his cars to this race out of fear for his drivers' safety.[9]
It was the first F1 circuit with an artificial chicane, built in 1934 on the start-finish straight to reduce speed in the pits after 3.4 mi (5.5 km) of flat out.[4][8]
The track's last race was a four-hourWorld Sportscar Championship race in 1961,[1][6] won byLorenzo Bandini andGiorgio Scarlatti driving aFerrari 250 TR forScuderia Centro Sud.[10] After that race the circuit was permanently retired as a racing venue as it was impossible for the organizers to guarantee the safety of drivers and spectators.[2][4][6][7]
The fastest official race lap records at the Pescara Circuit are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Circuit: 25.801 km (1934–1961)[1] | ||||
| Formula One | 9:44.600 | Stirling Moss | Vanwall VW 5 | 1957 Pescara Grand Prix |
| Sports car racing | 9:55.500[10] | Richie Ginther | Ferrari Dino 246 SP | 1961 4 Hours of Pescara |
| GP | 10:35.000[11] | Achille Varzi | Auto Union B | 1935 Coppa Acerbo |
| Voiturette | 11:06.800[12] | Giuseppe Farina | Alfa Romeo 158 | 1939 Coppa Acerbo |
| Formula Junior | 11:10.400[13] | Denny Hulme | Cooper T52 | 1960 Pescara Grand Prix |
| Original Road Course: 25.578 km (1926–1933)[1] | ||||
| GP | 10:25.400[14] | Tazio Nuvolari | Alfa Romeo P3 | 1932 Coppa Acerbo |
