Circuito de Jerez

Circuito de Jerez, formerly known as Circuito Permanente de Jerez, is a 4.428km racing circuit located close to the city of Jerez de la Frontera, 90 km south of Seville and deep within the sherry-producing south of Spain. The project was led by the Spanish engineer Manuel Medina Lara, based on a preliminary idea from Alessandro Rocci.Circuit historyThe circuit opened on 8 December 1985. During 1986 the circuit hosted the first international motorcycle event in Spain in March and the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix in April. The circuit's relatively remote location hindered significant spectator turnout, although up to 125,000 can be accommodated. Because of this, F1 moved to Barcelona following the 1991 race.Due to the hosting of the European Grand Prix in 1994, the circuit instituted safety and layout changes from the configuration, including a new chicane (the Senna curve) at the corner where Martin Donnelly had an appalling accident during qualifying for the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix. Jerez also hosted the 1997 European Grand Prix, which was the championship decider between Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve, who collided during the race.