Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, Racing Circuit

The Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello sits in a valley at Scarperia, in the Tuscan hills north of Florence, and is the second circuit to carry the Mugello name — the first was a 38-mile road course through the Futa Pass that ran from 1914 until a fatal crash ended it in 1970. With the authorities already seeking a permanent venue, land at Barberino di Mugello was chosen for its natural sweeps and elevation, and the new circuit opened in June 1974 with a Formula 5000 round, quickly winning over drivers and the motorcycle world alike. Financial troubles in the 1980s — including rumours the valley would be flooded for a reservoir — were resolved when Ferrari bought the circuit in 1988 to use as a test track, then carried out extensive renovations for 1991, rebuilding the pits, replacing Armco with walls and enlarging the run-off areas. Those works secured the return of the motorcycle Grand Prix, and Mugello has since become the long-standing home of the Italian MotoGP round. The lap is famously fast and flowing: a long main straight of well over a kilometre drops into the heavy braking zone of San Donato, before the track rises and falls through the hillside via the Luco and Poggio Secco curves, the Casanova-Savelli complex, the flat-out Arrabbiata sweepers and the downhill run through Correntaio and the Biondetti corners to the final Bucine bend. It hosted an unexpected Formula One debut in 2020, when the pandemic-rescheduled 'Gran Premio della Toscana Ferrari 1000' marked Ferrari's 1000th grand prix and was won by Lewis Hamilton after two red flags. Beyond grand prix racing it has staged the World Sportscar Championship, FIA GT, Formula 3000 and national series, and is widely used for private testing. In 2021 it was rated the most sustainable racing circuit in the world, running on 100% renewable energy and generating a quarter of its demand on site through photovoltaics.

Operated by: Ferrari S.p.A.