Autodromo Riccardo Paletti (Varano de' Melegari), Racing Circuit

The Autodromo Riccardo Paletti lies at Varano de' Melegari in the Province of Parma, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, roughly 30 km southwest of Parma. It began in 1969 as a rudimentary loop of around 600 metres laid out by local racing enthusiasts, among them engineer Giampaolo Dallara, who later founded the Dallara constructor across the water from the track. A swift expansion produced a 1.8 km, 11-turn course inaugurated in March 1972 as the Autodromo San Cristoforo. The venue was renamed in 1983 in memory of Italian Formula One driver Riccardo Paletti, who began his career at Varano and was killed at the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix. After decades of stalled extension plans, a major expansion completed in 2002 took the circuit to its present length, with further refinements to the Jacky Ickx corner and hairpin in 2010 and 2011. Today the full circuit measures 2.350 km over 14 turns. Varano has long hosted Italian national racing including Italian Formula Three, Formula Renault and Formula Abarth, and is renowned for its busy driving-safety school, founded in 1991 by ex-F1 driver Andrea de Adamich, through which thousands of drivers pass each year. Its proximity to Dallara also makes it a frequent road- and race-car test venue.

Operated by: Associazione Sportiva Automobilistica Varano