Plans to build a modern racing circuit Croatia Ring in Croatia are becoming more advanced. The planned facility is set to obtain the highest FIA category, but there are no real chances for it to compete for a place on the F1 calendar. It will work well in lower series and during private events.
Several years of efforts related to building a modern racing circuit in Croatia are approaching a positive conclusion. Investors obtained important permits this year, and their project was included on the national list of strategic projects. If all goes well, construction of the Croatia Ring circuit will begin in 2027, and the new complex will be ready in 2029. Construction will proceed in three stages: the racing circuit, then a hotel, and finally the rest of the facilities (Source).
Details about the Croatia Ring circuit in Croatia
The circuit was designed by an architectural office belonging to Hermann Tilke, with Jacques Villeneuve as a consultant. I saw two different descriptions and layouts of this circuit online, but if it is to meet the requirements for the highest FIA category, the following description is correct. The main track length is 4.226 km, with the possibility of using shorter configurations, including two short ones simultaneously. The elevation difference is 34 meters, and the circuit is to have 12 corners (in my opinion more, judging by the available layout). From the information describing this project that I have seen in the media, they want to organize one or two major events per year at the circuit.
Of course, as with similar projects, the circuit is everywhere described as a potential venue for F1 races. It is to meet the requirements for the highest FIA category, but I would not count on a Croatian GP at all. The circuit is to be built far from large cities, will have grandstands with only 15,000 seats and parking for 1,000 cars. Additionally, there will be 3,000 places for VIP guests and circuit staff. The location and scale of the project do not fit Liberty Media’s plans at all. However, if the circuit is built, it has a chance to enter the calendars of smaller racing series, and it will also be a great place for testing and various types of events. Croatia has a warm climate, so the circuit could be used for most of the year.
The project description reveals not so much a typical racing circuit as a tourist complex, with the circuit as the main attraction. On 50 hectares, a racing circuit with full facilities and an entertainment-tourist zone will be built. A hotel with a pool, 23 apartments, and six luxury houses are planned. An exhibition center, restaurants, warehouses, and other recreational facilities will also be built. Most of the area is to remain green – according to the obtained permits. The circuit will be built on currently undeveloped and forested land near a river. It must fit into the surroundings, not be a concrete desert. The land needed for the investment is reportedly already purchased, and existing holiday cottages will be demolished. An existing gas station will remain. You can see the future circuit location on Google Maps here. There are no large cities nearby; the closest is Slunj, with just over 5,000 inhabitants. In short, the area is dominated by agricultural and forest lands.
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Who is behind the Croatia Ring circuit project?
The main initiator and investor of the circuit is Davorin Štetner. He is a very interesting figure in Croatia. He became famous when in 2011 he bought the rights to broadcast Formula 1, becoming the youngest (he was 29) holder of F1 broadcast rights in the world. He founded the GP1 TV channel, where these broadcasts were available. Building a racing circuit is his next goal, which he has been planning since 2021. He gathered a group of private investors and they are gradually preparing to start construction. A major investor is also Automotodrom Plitvice.
Summary
Every year there is news about new planned racing circuits, but only some of them actually get built. In the case of Croatia Ring, in my opinion, there is a good chance of success because it is a private project in a country where it would have no competition. It would be a very good business because such a complex with a circuit can generate income in many ways. However, I do not think it will appear in the major racing series calendars because it is located peripherally, with no large cities nearby. It will be a circuit aimed at small events.
P.S. I am surprised that investors in Poland have not emerged to build a facility of similar scale. It would have no competition in the country, as the other circuits are of lower class. It would be possible to make money on such a circuit, as many cases from Europe show.
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