Croatia to get first Formula 1-ready racing track

Croatia to get first Formula 1-ready racing track

By 2027, Croatia is set to have a brand new racing circuit called the Croatia Ring.

This track will meet all the criteria and standards for Formula 1 and will be capable of hosting the world’s largest auto-moto races.

According to sources, the project was included on the list of national strategic projects during a meeting of the Commission for the Evaluation and Determination of Strategic Projects on Tuesday, and its implementation should begin soon, Index.hr reported.

Location near Slunj

The track will be built at the Lapovac – Blagaj site near Slunj, and the project was included in the spatial plan of Karlovac County back in 2022.

This means everything is ready for its implementation, and the investors are business people from Croatia. They will finance the construction of the track, so not a single cent of public money will be spent on it.

“I can confirm your inquiry and add that we have been working on this major tourist project of constructing the Croatia Ring racing track, built to the highest world standards, for three years. It is significant not only for the area of Slunj and Karlovac County but for the whole of Croatia.

This is an entirely private project funded by several Croatian investors and entrepreneurs, such as Ante Bušić and Tomislav Mamić, without public money or state land. The project is signed by the world’s leading company for the construction of Formula 1 tracks, TILKE GmbH, along with architects Hermann and Carsten Tilke. Advisors, including former Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, are also involved.

The path is still long, but we are proceeding step by step, as we have so far. This is an extremely complex project, and when the time comes, we will present everything to the public. We are grateful to everyone who recognized and supported this exceptional project, especially for being included in Croatia’s Strategic Projects, which aim to expedite all procedures,” Davorin Štetner, one of the people behind the project, told Index.hr.

In the first phase, the track will be four kilometers long, and in the second phase, it can be modified and changed according to needs. Due to its configuration, it will meet all FIA standards, allowing for the theoretical possibility of hosting all FIA-sanctioned races, such as GT races, MotoGP, or even Formula 1.

Advisor: Former Formula 1 World Champion

The new track will be completely different, more demanding, and more modern than the one at Grobnik, and Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 world champion, will serve as an advisor for its construction. Additionally, numerous foreign experts have been engaged to ensure it is built to the highest standards.

Besides being a major boost for Croatian auto-moto sports, the construction of the new track is expected to significantly economically revitalize this part of Croatia. The track is expected to attract thousands of visitors annually and could potentially host the biggest races in the world of auto-moto sports in the future.