Calafat, Racing Circuit

The Circuit de Calafat is a permanent road course on the Mediterranean coast at Calafat, in the municipality of L'Ametlla de Mar in Tarragona, Catalonia, around 80 minutes from Barcelona. Designed by Jordi Xiol and built as an entirely privately funded venture, it opened on 29 September 1974, making it Spain's second permanent racing circuit after Jarama. Among those involved in its creation was Carmelo Ezpeleta, later the boss of MotoGP rights holder Dorna, who took his first steps in circuit organisation here. Sitting close to the sea, the largely flat track is exposed to sandy coastal winds, and it became a cradle for early Spanish motorcycle talent including Ángel Nieto, Sito Pons and Àlex Crivillé, while Carlos Sainz and Pedro de la Rosa also raced cars there. Financial and legal difficulties closed the circuit in 1982 before it passed to public ownership and reopened in 1983 with revised, safer corners. A major remodelling around the end of the 1990s added an infield loop, extending the lap beyond two miles to its current 3.25 km, 19-turn form. Always focused primarily on motorcycles, it has continued to host regional Catalan car and motorcycle championships, track days and private testing. From the mid-2010s a series of modifications, including new chicanes and Inner, Outer and Formula E variants, reinvented Calafat as an off-season Formula E testing base, attracting teams such as Mahindra, NextEV and Porsche.

Operated by: Calafat, S.A.