Autodromo del Levante (Binetto), Racing Circuit

The Autodromo del Levante, widely known as Binetto after a nearby village, is one of Italy's smaller circuits, set among olive groves near Grumo Appula in the Apulia region of southern Italy, around 20 km from Bari. It was the realisation of a long-held ambition to bring permanent racing to Italy's south-east, after a string of earlier abandoned projects; the track grew from a motocross venue and was developed over years of bureaucratic delay before its inauguration on 10 June 1989. The 1.577 km, nine-turn course is tight and technical, built with a control tower, pit buildings and a small grandstand. It is unusual for adopting a pink-and-purple colour scheme for its kerbs and infrastructure. In its early years Binetto featured on the top national calendars, hosting the Italian Formula Three, Italian Superturismo and Italian GT championships, with grids that included future stars such as Jacques Villeneuve, Emanuele Pirro and Giancarlo Fisichella. Its Trofeo Inverno motorcycle races launched the careers of riders including Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi and Valentino Rossi. When the Italian federation set a 2 km minimum lap length for national races, the major championships moved away, leaving Binetto to host club and regional racing. Proposed extensions to recover the top events have never materialised.

Operated by: Autodromo del Levante S.p.A.