Now that the F1 2025 calendar has been announced, we have put our heads together here at PlanetF1.com to see where each track layout ranks in our affections.
But instead of an outright number one, we have grouped the circuits into tiers and looked at which ones are the cream of the crop, down to the ones which are tough to love. We’re looking solely at the circuit layouts themselves here, but feel free to disagree with our assessment of where each circuit ranks.
Ranked: Circuits on the F1 2025 calendar
Elite
Silverstone, Great Britain
Silverstone has undergone plenty of layout changes over time to keep up with how the sport has developed over the years, the last coming in 2010, but its most iconic corners have remained throughout – and seeing a Formula 1 car work its way through Copse, Maggotts, Becketts and Stowe in qualifying trim is a wonderful sight of both driver and machine working at full capacity to this day.
It remains one of the fastest and most popular F1 tracks out there and with the majority of the teams being based in the UK, it’s a ‘home’ race for a significant portion of the paddock as an added bonus.
Monza, Italy
The Temple of Speed has the double whammy of being Formula 1’s fastest circuit, and hosting one of the sport’s most passionate fanbases as the tifosi show their colours for Ferrari every year.
Up there with winning at Monaco on any driver’s bucket list would also be winning the Italian Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver, and only 11 people have managed to do so – Charles Leclerc being the last in 2019. Lewis Hamilton has won five times around Monza already, but doing so in Ferrari colours would be even more special.
With an iconic blend of high-speed corners such as the Ascari Chicane, Parabolica [now named in honour of Michele Alboreto] and the two Lesmo corners broken up with chicanes and hard-braking zones, overtaking is always possible and, as should always be the aim in Formula 1, simply being fast is key.
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Along with the circuit next on this list, Spa often shows up as being at the top of the drivers’ favourite tracks in Formula 1.
It’s the longest track on the calendar but it also plays host to some of the sport’s best-loved corners, with the plunge down from La Source followed by the flat-out rise through Eau Rouge and Raidillon to kick-start the lap.
G-forces are significant through the entry of left-handers of Pouhon and Blanchimont, with the drivers working hard through some of the fastest corners on the calendar in search of the best lap time.
Suzuka, Japan
Sebastian Vettel said Suzuka “must have been designed by the Gods” after his final practice session at the circuit in 2022 and it is easy to understand why.
The uphill Esses of the first sector are followed by a high-speed mix of brilliance as the downforce of Formula 1 cars are truly put to the test and how brave drivers are feeling.
How late dare they brake into Spoon Curve? How much speed can they carry through the Degners? Do you try a pass at the final chicane? (Though the 1989 season finale may not be the best example of how to do that).
A mainstay on the modern Formula 1 calendar and a host to one of the all-time great individual drives from Kimi Raikkonen in 2005, and one of the sport’s seminal overtakes as Fernando Alonso passed Michael Schumacher around the outside at 130R in the same race.
Interlagos, Brazil
Being roared on by a packed crowd at Interlagos, still one of the finest F1 tracks around, will be an exhilarating feeling and despite it being more than 80 years old as a circuit, modern Formula 1 cars do not look out of place and the layout continually produces great races, year after year.
Of course, the title deciders held at Interlagos will be at the forefront of people’s minds, but let us not forget that the track itself is still superb.
The downhill plunge of the Senna S, round and down to Descida do Lago presents a great overtaking opportunity, the rise uphill through the high-speed right-hander of Ferradura is a neck killer for the drivers and nailing the exit of Juncao is key to finishing the lap properly. A true driver’s circuit and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Where Monaco is placed will always be divisive, but we come down on the side of the challenge of a lap around the historic twisting streets, as a one-off challenge, as being one of the highlights of the season.
Nailing a qualifying lap around Monaco, particularly in the ever-growing Formula 1 cars of today, must still be up there with the best feeling any driver can have.
Yes, overtaking action relies on a sprinkling of rain and strategic differences, but for its unique challenge and history, we are prepared to die on this hill!
Great
Baku, Azerbaijan
Baku might have only been on the calendar since 2016, but it has already established itself as both a daunting challenge for the drivers and a circuit which produces very good races. A great combination for F1 tracks.
The layout is the third-longest on the calendar and features a flat-out final sector which sees drivers at full throttle for around 2.2km from the left-hander of Turn 17, right the way up to Turn 1.
The middle sector twists through Baku’s Old City, with Turns 8 and 9 seeing the cars squirrel uphill at the narrowest point of the Formula 1 calendar – even tighter than Monaco – along the city’s Fortress Wall, before opening out again.
With solid overtaking opportunities and a big challenge for both driver and car, as one Daniel Ricciardo might say: “Well done, Baku.”
Imola, Italy [Emilia Romagna]
“We need more tracks like this in F1, because this is ****ing awesome” was George Russell’s assessment after his first laps around Imola upon its return to the calendar, and it’s hard to disagree with him.
The 1994 season will have Imola forever etched into Formula 1 history for the tragedies of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger and while changes were subsequently made to make the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari safer, particularly in the first sector, it still retains the characteristics which makes it such a challenge for the drivers.
The high-speed run from Tosa up to Piratella, plunging down to the braking zone at Acqua Minerale remains a glorious piece of racetrack, and Imola’s elevation changes along with its myriad challenges make it a firm favourite.
Montreal, Canada
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of the most popular on the Formula 1 calendar for a reason, and it has produced some of the sport’s best ever races (Jenson Button’s last-gasp win in 2011, anyone?), but every great circuit needs a bit of notoriety – and it got that in 1999.
Four drivers, three of which were World Champions, crashed into the wall coming out of the final chicane, and thus the Wall of Champions was born.
It remains a challenging circuit for the drivers to navigate, but with good overtaking opportunities down the back straight and entertaining races more often than not, Montreal is onto a winner.
Red Bull Ring, Austria
On paper, this looks like the easiest track layout the drivers have all year – and the official Formula 1 game lists the Red Bull Ring as ‘Very Easy’ on its difficulty rankings, but that is not necessarily a barrier to great racing.
In fact, the simplicity of the layout, only 10 turns, has offered up some extremely entertaining racing since it returned to the sport in 2014.
The climb up to Turn 3 and plunge down to Turn 4, and downhill finish to the lap in Turns 9 and 10 make it trickier than meets the eye, and a thrill ride for the drivers as well. The location of the track is also absolutely stunning. What’s not to like?
Circuit of The Americas, Austin
Austin’s Formula 1 track was circuit designer Hermann Tilke’s attempt at recreating some of the best parts of other circuits from around the world, and putting them together into one super-design.
Turns 3, 4 and 5 are a nod to Silverstone’s Maggotts and Becketts, with Turns 16 to 18 a right-handed reversal of Istanbul Park’s fearsome four-apex Turn 8, and the final corner, Turn 20, named in honour of the great Mario Andretti.
With a decade on the calendar and COTA having thrown up some excellent racing, it has earned a place high on our rankings.
Good
Albert Park, Melbourne
Formula 1’s opening round for so long, the sport heading to Australia always brings back happy thoughts of the season being on in earnest, and that will be the case again in 2025.
A unique four DRS zones were in use around the circuit to try and spice up the racing action however, with overtaking having often been an issue around Melbourne.
The drivers often speak highly of Albert Park as a circuit however, and that’s what we’re judging here, and the changes to make the track quicker appear to have had the desired effect.
Hungaroring, Hungary
A fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since 1986, the Hungaroring is possibly the layout among today’s F1 tracks which you could argue most resembles a karting circuit.
Short, sharp bursts of throttle between medium-speed corners make up the second and third sectors, with the long final right-hander onto the pit straight giving the best overtaking opportunity of the lap, before another short straight to the second braking zone gives any car being passed the chance to get their opponents back straight away.
Lewis Hamilton is very much the Hungaroring specialist in the field, with eight wins to his name in Budapest, but with surprise wins for Daniel Ricciardo in 2014 and Esteban Ocon in 2021, it’s capable of throwing up the odd unexpected result too.
Sakhir International, Bahrain
Bahrain has thrown up some solid races since its arrival in Formula 1, perhaps most notably in 2014 with the ‘Duel in the Desert’ between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
With a mixture of corner types, elevation changes and good overtaking opportunities, Sakhir is perhaps one of Tilke’s more underappreciated designs used in F1.
The past two years have seen the drivers use the circuit for pre-season testing, making it a much more familiar destination all round.
Shanghai, China
Back on the calendar for 2024 after an enforced absence for Covid-19, China’s unique layout had been a popular one among the drivers.
Based on the shape for the Chinese character ‘shang’, meaning ‘above’, the layout sees Turns 1 and 2 start very fast and get progressively slower as the right-hander bends back in on itself – a corner type you rarely see on the calendar.
Multiple overtaking opportunities on the lap are there, the sweeps of Turns 7 and 8 providing high G-forces and a 1.2km back straight a good chance to drive at top speed.
Marina Bay, Singapore
Formula 1’s biggest physical challenge? Given the humidity, low average speed and 23 tough corners, Singapore is the track the drivers train hardest for all year, and there’s good reason for it.
Singapore is already enshrined among F1 tracks as the sport’s original night race, and the twists and turns around the streets of Marina Bay are a true test of a driver’s talent and fitness.
Wet weather is always a possibility too, and we have seen some decent racing around Singapore in the past, and it really can separate the good from the great.
Zandvoort, Netherlands
Formula 1 returned to the Netherlands after a 36-year absence in 2021 and Zandvoort quickly became a sea of orange in honour of home hero Max Verstappen, but while the re-profiled track has been brought up to Formula 1 standards, it has been a popular addition to the calendar thus far.
The banking around Turns 3 and 14 in particular give Zandvoort something of a ‘rollercoaster’ feel among its narrow twists and high-speed turns.
Like the Hungaroring, the narrow width of the circuit does not lend itself well to constant wheel-to-wheel racing, but the challenge of the track and its layout makes up for what it can sometimes lack in action.
Lusail, Qatar
Lusail was constructed with motorcycle racing in mind but the long, open-angled corners appeared to work quite well with Formula 1 cars, and has received compliments from the drivers for its early races.
The middle sector is extremely tough on tyres, as evidenced by maximum stint limits being put in place by Pirelli as a result of the wear they caused.
The move to a winter race will make life slightly easier for the drivers this time around, but the high-speed circuit has made a decent impression so far.
Las Vegas, USA
Teething problems surrounding manhole covers aside, the streets of Las Vegas made an encouraging debut in 2023.
While the layout looks simple enough on paper, it generated good racing and the high-speed sections followed by heavy braking zones set up overtaking opportunities throughout the race.
A small sample size, but a solid start to life on the F1 calendar.
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Hard to love
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia arrived in Formula 1 with its hope of creating the world’s fastest street circuit in Jeddah. It did so, but with the caveat of the track being very dangerous.
The close walls and high speeds around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit led to multiple moments of squinting in Formula 1’s first two visits, not least at the 140mph unsighted entry to the Turn 22/23 chicane, and similar speeds at Turn 10/11, where Mick Schumacher was sent flying backwards into a concrete wall in qualifying in 2022, leaving him requiring a trip to hospital and with a wrecked Haas chassis.
Jeddah has the second-highest average speed on the calendar behind Monza, but with Monaco-like walls around some of its 27 corners, the most on any of the 2025 F1 tracks.
Steps have been taken to improve track safety at Jeddah and opinions of the layout have improved now a few races have taken place there, but it remains in the ‘hard to love’ category for now.
Barcelona, Spain
There has been some good racing around Barcelona in the past – not every year, granted – but given how much testing there has also been at the circuit and how well the drivers know it, it just seems to lack an excitement factor.
It’s a good all-rounder of a circuit, with low, medium and high-speed corners to negotiate – hence why it makes such a good test track – but barring the home support for Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, it is seemingly difficult for the drivers to summon up much enthusiasm for racing at the circuit.
The removal of the chicane in the final sector to reintroduce the final sweeping right-hander of years gone by went some way to repairing that, making the lap significantly quicker and more challenging – and circuit officials are doing all they can to extend their time in the sport after Madrid’s upcoming arrival in 2026.
Miami, USA
While the spectacle of racing around Florida brought out the stars (and not-at-all fake marinas) in Miami, on-track impressions haven’t been fantastic in the first two races at the circuit.
The track surface was subject to driver complaints in 2022, and there were concerns over safety in the second sector – particularly at the narrow Turn 14/15 chicane which goes over a crest and fires drivers towards a wall upon exit, which even left the track’s designer with “embarrassment” after the race was run.
Tweaks were made to try and improve it for 2023, but the right-left-right-left-right-left first sector, technical middle sector and long back straight that makes up the majority of the third hasn’t quite captured the imagination yet – despite the spectacular backdrop of the Hard Rock Stadium.
Mexico City, Mexico
Now, there is a big disclaimer attached regarding why the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez ranks towards the bottom of our rankings – because we’re taking the layout into account on its own merits.
The Mexico City Grand Prix and the support for Sergio Perez is absolutely second to none. It lays claim to possibly being the best atmosphere at a race weekend of the whole season, but thinking purely in terms of a track layout, does it inspire the same kind of awe and racing as some of the others on this list?
We would argue, sadly not. Bar the enormous 1.2km pit straight which has seen the cars reach Monza levels of top speed, the rest of the lap itself is quite slow and technical, with some medium-speed corners in the middle sector, and the amount of wheel-to-wheel racing usually lacks.
The re-profiled, twisty final sector through the Foro Sol Stadium is spectacular to look at, but you get the feeling the former sweeping final right-hander of Peraltada would be the drivers’ choice of layout, if they were given the option.
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
The circuit changes made for 2021 certainly helped the racing at the Yas Marina Circuit, replacing the slow chicane in the first sector with a longer run to Turn 5, as well as removing the three-apex chicane in the middle sector in favour of a long left-hander.
Opening up the apex to the penultimate corner has also made the track an overall faster layout and more of a rollercoaster ride for the drivers, but bar the title drama of 2021 and 2010, it is hard to remember too many standout races from Yas Marina.
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