How is a circuit deemed suitable to hold a Grand Prix?
Each circuit must be homologated by the FIA Circuits and Safety Commission following a series of inspections which are carried out from the start of the work right up until the inauguration of the circuit. The homologation criteria are less strict for circuits hosting events for slower formulae. In addition to the initial procedure, the circuits sometimes have to carry out maintenance work or update their facilities so that their homologation may be renewed. In the past, with the exception of the Monaco Grand Prix, which is the only event to take place within a town itself, circuits tended to be very fast with long straights. The increase in the cars’ performances has meant that these straights have had to give way to series of bends, which are the only means of preventing excessive speeds. Similarly, very long tracks, like that at the old Nürburgring (22.835 km), have had to be abandoned, since the costs involved in providing the safety facilities and personnel required by the regulat
