A guide to the Brands Hatch Circuit

Brands Hatch has been home to British motor sports since 1926 and was originally a motorcycle dirt track until it was surfaced in 1949 and pressed into use as a car track. It quickly became the home of Formula 3 racing and didn't stage a full-blown World Championship race until 1964 when Jim Clark completed his hat trick of British Grand Prix wins.

Constantly updated and upgraded, Brands Hatch is now host to some of the best car and motorcycle races in the world and there is even talk of a Formula 1 comeback if proposed circuit changes come to fruition. The rollercoaster circuit guarantees plenty of controversial events.

There are two layouts, the 'Grand Prix' and the tight 'Indy' track. The Indy Circuit makes use of the famed McLaren bend making a very short lap of 1.2mi. The Grand Prix Circuit is better known to World Superbike enthusiasts with its 2.6mi of tree-lined straights and high-speed chicanes. Lap records are: Grand Prix - 1m, 13.86s; Indy - 39.41s.

Popular events include: the British Touring Car Championships, Formula 3, British and World Superbike Championships, and karting, among others. There are plenty of track days on offer every week through the race season, enabling the public to take their own car or bike for a spin (a fee is charged for this). Performance car hire and driving is also popular.

The circuit is set in a natural amphitheatre so viewing is excellent, with most of the track visible from any of the grandstands. For the best view of the Indy circuit, get yourself a seat at the Paddock Hill bend grandstand, located above the Brands Hatch mega store. Facilities-wise, Brands Hatch is a little bit lacking apart from the ubiquitous mobile beer and food stands.