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Adelaide Street Circuit

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Adelaide Street Circuit
Layout used by Supercars from 1999 until 2026
Layout used by Formula One from 1985 to 1995 and ALMS in 2000
LocationAdelaide, South Australia
Coordinates34°55′50″S 138°37′14″E / 34.93056°S 138.62056°E / -34.93056; 138.62056
FIA Grade3
OwnerAdelaide City Council
Opened31 October 1985; 40 years ago (1985-10-31)
Re-opened in 8 April 1999; 27 years ago (1999-04-08)
Closed12 November 1995; 30 years ago (1995-11-12)
Former namesAdelaide Parklands Circuit
Major eventsCurrent:
Supercars Championship
Adelaide Grand Final (1999–2020, 2022–present)
Supercars Challenge (1985–1995)
GT World Challenge Australia (2007–2013, 2015–2017, 2022–2023, 2026)
Future:
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Australian motorcycle Grand Prix (2027)
Former:
Formula One
Australian Grand Prix (1985–1995)
American Le Mans Series
Race of a Thousand Years (2000)
Stadium Super Trucks (2015–2018, 2020, 2024)
S5000 (2023)
S5000 Tasman Series (2022)
Supercars Circuit (1999–2026)
Length3.219 km (2.000 mi)
Turns14
Race lap record1:16.0357 (Australia Aaron Cameron, Rogers AF01/V8, 2023, S5000)
Formula One Grand Prix Circuit (1985–1995, 2000)
Length3.780 km (2.349 mi)
Turns16
Race lap record1:15.381 (United Kingdom Damon Hill, Williams FW15C, 1993, F1)

The Adelaide Street Circuit, also known as the Adelaide Parklands Circuit, is a temporary street circuit in the East Parklands adjacent to the Adelaide central business district in South Australia, Australia.

The 3.780 km (2.349 mi) "Grand Prix" version of the track hosted eleven Formula One Australian Grand Prix events from 1985 to 1995, as well as the Race of a Thousand Years American Le Mans Series race in 2000. Between 1999 and 2020 and again from 2022, a shortened 3.219 km (2.000 mi) version of the circuit has been used for the Adelaide 500 touring car race. It is also used by the Adelaide Motorsport Festival. A modified layout of the original track will be used for the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix from 2027.

Formula One

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Keke Rosberg driving for Williams won the first Australian Formula One Grand Prix

Following Adelaide being awarded a round of the 1985 Formula One World Championship in October 1984, construction of the circuit by Macmahon Holdings.[1][2] The first event was held in 1985 as the final event of the season. The last Formula One race at the circuit was held in 1995 after which the rights were lost to Melbourne and the event moved to the Albert Park Street Circuit.[3]

Supercars

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The street circuit as seen from a helicopter in November 2024

During Adelaide's era hosting the Australian Grand Prix, the circuit hosted annual non-championship races for the Group A and later Group 3A touring cars.

From 1999 until 2020, the track hosted the Adelaide 500 for Supercars, in most years a 2 x 250 km race) on a shorter, 3.219 km (2.000 mi) variant of the track. The event became one of the most acclaimed on the Supercars calendar, and is the only event added to the Supercars Hall of Fame.[4][5] The event returned in 2022 but as the last event of the year, having previously usually been the opening event.[6]

MotoGP

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In 2027, a round of the MotoGP championship will be held when the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix moves from Phillip Island. It will use a heavily modified version of the Formula One Circuit.[7]

Circuit

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The view looking North down Victoria Park pit straight towards the Senna Chicane during Friday qualifying of the 2008 Adelaide 500

The Adelaide Street Circuit commences pit straight in Victoria Park. It is 500 m (550 yd) long and faces northwest. All the buildings and grandstands are temporary and were removed each year.

At the end of the straight, drivers negotiate the Senna Chicane, named after Ayrton Senna following his death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.[8] After the chicane the cars take a fast left turn to go uphill on a short straight on Wakefield Road to East Terrace before the first of three 90 degree corners. A fourth 90 degree followed onto Bartels Road back across the parklands. Then the track follows the fast turn 8 sweeper.

The full Grand Prix circuit bypasses the turn onto Bartels Road and continues with a sweeping left-right-right into Stag Turn (turn 9). This leads onto the 360 m (390 yd) long Rundle Road that was named after Alan Jones in 1987.[9]

In 2017, the building and opening of the O-Bahn Busway access and tunnel running off of Grenfell Street and across the circuit where the sweeping left-right-right (turns 7, 8 and 9) were made it necessary to actually move turns 7 and 8 approximately 100 metres to the south. While not affecting the overall length of the full circuit, it would make the run from turn 6 shorter and the run to turn 9 longer. The sweeping bends were also known as Banana Bend due to its location adjacent to the Adelaide Fruit Markets.

Brewery Bend is a fast right-hand sweeper named after the Kent Town Brewery that opens onto Dequetteville Terrace.[citation needed]

The Dequetteville Terrace straight (named after Jack Brabham for Formula One and Peter Brock for the Adelaide 500) was a 900 m (980 yd) stretch where the over 1,000 bhp (746 kW; 1,014 PS) Formula One cars in the turbo era (1985–88) were reaching speeds in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h) making Adelaide easily the fastest street circuit of the time as the only others were the much tighter Monaco, Detroit and Phoenix circuits.[citation needed] The short form of the track rejoins Brabham Straight two-thirds of the way down, so the 640 m (700 yd) long Bartels Road straight is longest on that layout. In 2007 this section of track was renamed Brock Straight after touring car driver Peter Brock.[citation needed]

Hairpin corner at the end of the Dequetteville Terrace straight

At the end of Brabham Straight is a right hand hairpin turn (at the Britannia Roundabout) that directs the driver back onto Wakefield Road.

After accelerating out of the hairpin the driver faces a left turn and a long sweeping right-hand curve back into Victoria Park behind the pit area. The lap concludes with another right-hand hairpin (Racetrack Hairpin) onto the pit straight.

The track is essentially flat except for a small valley on the Brock Straight, and a slight incline on Jones Straight, while the run-up Wakefield Road from turns 3 to 4 also has a slight incline.[citation needed] All of these sections of the track run in an east–west direction. The elevation ranges from 36–53 m (118–174 ft).[citation needed]

During the Formula One and early V8 Supercar eras the Victoria Park Racecourse, a horse racing track, was located at the park, though has since been removed.[citation needed]

Sprint Circuit

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Between 2014 and 2018, an annual Adelaide Motorsport Festival ran on the Victoria Park Sprint Circuit, a shortened 1.4 km (0.87 mi) layout. The layout turned right along Wakefield Street after the Senna Chicane and then rejoined the main circuit for the final corners.[10] The event had attracted older Formula One machinery, with Ivan Capelli holding the lap record in a March CG891.[11] The event was returned on March 24–26, 2023; and was also held on March 15–17, 2024.[12][13]

Events

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Aaron Cameron set the S5000 lap record for the Supercars Circuit on 24 November 2023
Current
Future
Former

Lap records

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The fastest ever recorded lap of the original 3.780 km (2.349 mi) Grand Prix Circuit was 1:13.371 by triple World Champion Ayrton Senna driving a McLaren MP4/8 Ford during qualifying for the 1993 Australian Grand Prix.[14] However, as this was in qualifying and not a race, it does not count as the lap record.

The fastest officially recorded lap of the 3.219 km (2.000 mi) Supercars circuit is 1:16.0357 set by Aaron Cameron on 24 November 2023 driving a Rogers AF01/V8 in 2023 S5000 Australian Drivers' Championship.[15] As of November 2025, the fastest official race lap records at Adelaide Street Circuit are listed as:[14][16][17]

CategoryTimeDriverVehicleDate
Supercars Circuit: 3.219 km (2.000 mi) (1999–2026)
S50001:16.0357[15][18]Australia Aaron CameronRogers AF01/V824 November 2023
GT31:17.2337Australia Matt CampbellPorsche 911 (992 I) GT3 R25 November 2023
Formula Three1:17.9726[16]Australia Simon HodgeMygale M1128 February 2014
Supercars Championship1:19.7028[19]Australia Will BrownChevrolet Camaro ZL130 November 2025
Formula Holden1:19.9556[14][16]New Zealand Simon WillsReynard 94D8 April 2001
Porsche Carrera Cup1:20.1441[20]Australia Bayley HallPorsche 911 (992 I) GT3 Cup24 November 2023
Super2 Series1:20.5121New Zealand Ryan WoodHolden ZB Commodore25 November 2023
Super3 Series1:21.6779Australia Cameron McLeodNissan Altima L3326 November 2023
GT1 (GTS)1:23.1553[14][21]Denmark Allan SimonsenFerrari 550 Millennio21 March 2004
Trans-Am Australia1:23.2163[22]Australia Jordan CoxFord Mustang Trans Am28 November 2025
Sports Racer1:24.5335[16]Australia Josh HuntWest WR1000 Kawasaki13 March 2010
N-GT1:24.851[23]Denmark Allan SimonsenFerrari 360 Modena GT4 March 2007
GT41:25.7405Australia Sam BrabhamMercedes-AMG GT43 December 2022
Formula Ford1:26.5441[16]Australia Cameron WatersMygale SJ010A18 March 2011
Touring Car Masters1:26.7998Australia George MiedeckeChevrolet Camaro RS3 December 2022
Group 3E Series Production Cars1:29.4477[16]Australia Ray HislopFord Falcon BF4 March 2018
Aussie Racing Cars1:30.3504[24]Australia Kody GarlandMustang-Yamaha28 November 2025
Historic F1 (1966–1969)1:30.960[14][16]United States Pete LovelyLotus 49B8 April 2000
Production Cars1:32.6755[16]Australia Chris AlajajianSubaru Impreza WRX STi19 March 2005
SuperUtes Series1:33.6751[25]Australia Adam MarjoramIsuzu D-Max15 November 2024
V8 Ute Racing Series1:35.3306[16]Australia Ryal HarrisFord Falcon FG Ute1 March 2015
Australian Mini Challenge1:37.2144[16]Australia Paul StokellMini John Cooper Works Challenge12 March 2010
Group N Historic Touring Cars1:37.6254[14]Australia Paul StubberChevrolet Camaro SS (1969)23 March 2003
Lotus Super Series1:38.4984[16]Australia Dean EvansLotus Exige26 March 2006
Australian Saloon Car Series1:39.7741[14][16]Australia Bruce HeinrichFord Falcon EA20 March 2003
Stadium Super Trucks1:43.2613[26]United States Matthew BrabhamStadium Super Truck17 November 2024
Mirage Cup1:43.5619[14][16]Australia Gavin HarveyMitsubishi Mirage9 April 2000
Holden HQ1:49.6988[14]Australia Philip CollierHolden Kingswood HQ10 April 1999
Grand Prix Circuit: 3.780 km (2.349 mi) (1985–1995, 2000)
Formula One1:15.381United Kingdom Damon HillWilliams FW15C7 November 1993
LMP9001:25.2189[27]Italy Rinaldo CapelloAudi R831 December 2000
Formula Brabham1:29.970[14]Australia Paul StokellReynard 91D12 November 1995
Formula Mondial1:33.200[14]United States Ross Cheever[a]
Australia John Bowe[a]		Ralt RT4[a]
Ralt RT4[a]		2 November 1985[a]
25 October 1986[a]
GT1 (GTS)1:35.5296[27]Portugal Ni AmorimChrysler Viper GTS-R31 December 2000
Formula Two1:35.900[14]Australia David BrabhamRalt RT30 Volkswagen15 November 1987
Sports Sedan1:36.5959[14]Australia Kerry BailyNissan 300ZX Turbo31 December 2000
ALMS GT1:36.8501[27]Germany Dirk MüllerPorsche 911 (996) GT3-R31 December 2000
Group 3A Touring Car1:37.720[14]Australia John BoweFord Falcon EF12 November 1995
250cc Superkart1:37.990[14]Sweden Stefan Rindeström250cc Superkart4 November 1989
Group A Touring Car1:42.470[28]Australia Glenn SetonFord Sierra RS5004 November 1990
Ferrari Challenge1:43.2832[14]Australia Mark NoskeFerrari 360 Challenge31 December 2000
Formula Ford1:44.020[14]Australia Jason BrightVan Diemen RF9511 November 1995
Group N Touring Cars1:53.420[14]Australia Darren EdwardsFord Mustang11 November 1995
Group 3E Series Production Cars2:02.140[14]Australia Kent YouldenFord Falcon EA3 November 1990
Holden HQ2:06.050[14]Australia Peter HolmesHolden Kingswood HQ11 November 1995

Sprint circuit

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The fastest recorded lap of the 1.400 km (0.870 mi) Victoria Park Sprint circuit is 0:42.5753 set by Ivan Capelli on 2 December 2018 driving a March CG891 car from the 1989 Formula One season.

CategoryTimeDriverVehicleDate
Outright0:42.5753Italy Ivan CapelliMarch CG891 Ilmor2 December 2018

Other information

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Notes

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Both drivers took the same lap time independently on different years.

References

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  1. ↑ Grand prix for Adelaide Canberra Times 29 October 1984 page 2
  2. ↑ Adeaide prepares for Grand Prix Engineers Australia 17 May 1985 page 11
  3. ↑ Grand prix date set, but opponents not giving up Canberra Times 23 June 1995 page 25
  4. ↑ "Hall of fame". Supercars. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  5. ↑ 25 years of Adelaide 500 moments Auto Action 13 November 2024
  6. ↑ State Government and Supercars lock in Adelaide 500 Government of South Australia
  7. ↑ Adelaide to host first ever MotoGP street race Auto Action 19 February 2026
  8. ↑ Throwback Thursday: the 1994 Australian Grand Prix National Motor Museum
  9. ↑ Jones gets it straight Auto Action issue 419 27 March 1987 page 1
  10. ↑ "Ivan Capelli Targets Lap Record at Adelaide Motorsport Festival". Auto Action. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  11. ↑ Howard, Tom (2 December 2018). "Capelli smashes Adelaide Motorsport Festival lap record". Speedcafe. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  12. ↑ Iwan Jones (16 August 2022). "Adelaide Motorsport Festival return locked in". Speedcafe. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "Adelaide Motorsport Festival". Adelaide Motorsport Festival. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Austin 7 Club (S.A.) Inc. - Lap Records". www.austin7clubsa.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Cameron Cruises to Opening Adelaide Win". S5000. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Adelaide Fastest Lap Comparison". Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "Natsoft Race Timing & Results Archives". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "2023 VAILO Adelaide 500 - Adelaide Parklands Circuit - 2023 S5000 Australian Drivers Championship - Race 1 - Classification". 24 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "2025 BP Adelaide Grand Final - Adelaide Parklands Circuit - 2025 Repco Supercars Championship - Race 34 - Provisional Classification". 30 November 2025. Archived from the original on 30 November 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  20. ↑ "Round 8, 2023: VAILO Adelaide 500". 24 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "CLEANEVENTS NATIONS CUP - RACE 3". 21 March 2004. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  22. ↑ "2025 BP Adelaide Grand Final - Adelaide Parklands Circuit - 2025 Trico Trans Am Series - Race 1 - Final Classification". 28 November 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  23. ↑ "Australian GT Championship Adelaide 2007". Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  24. ↑ "2025 BP Adelaide Grand Final - Adelaide Parklands Circuit - 2025 Battery World Aussie Racing Cars - Race 1 - Final Classification". 28 November 2025. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
  25. ↑ "2024 VAILO Adelaide 500 - Adelaide Parklands Circuit - 2024 Tyrepower V8 SuperUte Series - Race 1". 15 November 2024. Archived from the original on 14 June 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  26. ↑ "2024 VAILO Adelaide 500 - Adelaide Parklands Circuit - Boost Mobile Australian Stadium Super Trucks - Race 2". 17 November 2024. Archived from the original on 14 June 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  27. 1 2 3 "Asia Pacific Le Mans Series 2000". 31 December 2000. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  28. ↑ "1990 Ansett Air Freight Challenge, Formula 1 support race". 4 November 1990. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
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