The South Africa A1 Grand Prix

The Durban street circuit was especially designed for the 2006 A1 Grand Prix of South Africa, and marked a first return to the country of world class motorsport since the 1993 Formula One Grand Prix.

The circuit focused around Durban's ocean setting and is much like the famous Monaco circuit. The 2 mile, 11 corner circuit starts and finishes in Snell Parade close to the beach. The circuit begins with a charge down to a tight right hand hairpin bend before accelerating into Argyle Road, with a quick chicane to add some potential for drama. The circuit continues with a long straight before winding round the famous Suncoast Casino then retuning to the straight on Snell Parade.

The A1 Grand Prix of 2006 saw France continue their domination by winning the sprint race, but then coming unstuck in the main race and finishing in eighth. The race was won by Dutch driver Jos Verstappen who had to start 16th on the grid after a miscalculation cost him in the sprint race. France's Alexandre Premat had problems with his pit stops in the main race, and eventually Team Switzerland (Neel Jani) and Team Portugal (Alvaro Parente) followed the Dutch home.

As a street course, the circuit has all the facilities that a large city has to offer and although the designers were hugely limited by the available space, they have still managed to achieve grandstand seating for 22,000 spectators.

Durban has an International Airport although it is relatively small and many international flights are routed through Johannesburg. South African Airways and British Airways are the two biggest international carriers serving Durban. The airport is 11 miles south of Durban city centre. The city is a great holiday beach resort and as a result there is a thriving tourist industry here.