Aragon Experience

The facility was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke in collaboration with British firm Foster + Partners, with Spanish ex-F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa as technical and sporting consultant — built to replace the defunct Alcañiz street circuit and revive the region's motorsport heritage. Construction was completed in July 2009, and on 18 March 2010 the circuit was announced as the replacement venue for the cancelled Balatonring round on the MotoGP calendar. MotorLand's very first MotoGP race won the FIM's "Best Grand Prix of the Year" award, and the Aragón Grand Prix quickly became a permanent fixture. The 5.344 km layout is one of Tilke's most successful designs: it rises around 50 m from the start straight to the highest point of the lap, before descending sharply through the famous corkscrew sequence at Turns 8 and 9 — a 7.2% drop that is the closest a modern Tilke circuit gets to Laguna Seca's legendary Corkscrew. The long 1.726 km back straight (one of the longest in MotoGP) leads into a heavy braking zone at Turn 12. MotorLand's reliably warm, dry Aragón climate (with minimal rainfall outside winter) and varied flow have also made it one of the most popular winter testing venues for European motorcycle teams and a regular WSBK round.