Tenerife circuit awaiting homologation for F1 testing to start construction

The ongoing saga of the Tenerife Racing Circuit has taken a positive turn this week, as simulations of the proposed track are being carried out by the governing bodies of F1 and MotoGP, the FIA and FIM, who are expected to give their approval to the Tenerife circuit. Track inspectors Beppe Muscioni and Franco Uncini will carry out simulations for entry speeds to corners and impacts of crashes.

“It is a question of waiting for both federations to finish the simulations,” Muscioni was quoted saying by gazzeta.it. “With Uncini we have proposed a series of already agreed solutions. If after the checks all is ok without a hitch, as I think it will be, we can start preparing.”

To help matters for Tenerife, the incumbent Barcelona circuit doesn’t have a future permanent agreement with the FIA. The Circuito de Barcelona-Catalunya is anything but a fan favourite, due to a lack of overtakes during races, and this currently the main pre-season testing ground for all teams.

Muscioni confirmed the circuit is being readied to Formula 1 standards. It is being built covering over 4km, with 16 corners (11 to the left and five to the right), an 819m main straight, a width of between 12 and 15 metres, with a minimum speed of 180.19 kilometres per hour and a maximum of 310.59 kilometres per hour, costing around £20million to build.

“For Formula 1 we have made the circuit at a safety level of Grade 1. This means that if in the future the managers want to ask for the maximum homologation for their track because they wanted to host testing or even a Grand Prix one day, from the track perspective, they could easily do so.”

Tenerife has been dreaming of building its own racing circuit for more than 30 years. Now the project has been reactivated under the name of 'Insular Motor Circuit'. "This idea originally comes from the year 1990 and has taken many turns", said Enrique Arriaga, first vice president and insular councillor of the Department of ​​Roads, Mobility, Innovation and Culture of the Tenerife Cabildo.

The project should have been inaugurated in spring 2018. However, in 2015 a construction contract was signed with local company Onda Rossa, which had to be terminated. "This contract was not formulated well due to problems with the company, there was a problem with the guarantees and we had to go to court to terminate it. In 2015 it was cancelled, but the Cabildo has followed working on the development of the project," Arriaga said.

Since this was resolved, the Cabildo resumed the project. Last October, the next step was taken: awarding a four-year consultancy-advisory contract to obtain the official homologation of the circuit by the FIA ​​and the FIM. "The first phase was to exchange the project data to make the appropriate modifications to the circuit design. This exchange has already taken place", he commented.

"The FIA ​​and the FIM have made the corresponding observations of modification of the curvature of some of the corners, they have modified the entrance to the pits, and some other things. We have now modified the projects and sent them to them. Once construction begins, a follow-up and on-site visits by the inspector will begin", Arriaga added. From there, in September, the first part of the circuit works would be tendered in order to begin construction on the track in 2022. In the meantime, work is already underway on the access works to the circuit complex.

The intention is to obtain the FIA + 1T Grade 2 homologation, which circuits like Portimao had until last year, which would allow them to hold Formula 1 testing.

"The homologation we want for the circuit is FIA ​​grade 2 + 1T and in motorcycling grade B + AT, which is necessary for MotoGP and F1 training and testing, but not for races themselves. To pass to grade 1 or Grade A, you have to make some small modifications and you have to have a contract with Formula 1 and Dorna. The circuit will have the maximum homologation possible," said Arriaga.

Tenerife is a place with a great love of motorsport, enjoys sunshine and good weather throughout the year, which makes it an attractive destination for drivers and teams.