Pescara Circuit – F1 Track Layout, Records & Winners

Where in the world

Every circuit that has hosted a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Marker size shows how many, and green marks the circuits on this year’s calendar.

1957
First Grand Prix
1
Grand Prix
1
Most Driver Wins
1
Most Constructor Wins

The Pescara Circuit, a 25.579 km road circuit threading through the Abruzzo countryside between Pescara and the Adriatic coast, Italy, was the longest layout ever to host a Formula 1 World Championship round — its one and only appearance in 1957. The 16-lap race, won by Stirling Moss in a Vanwall over more than three hours, remains the longest F1 race in distance and confirmed the impossibility of F1 ever returning to that scale of road circuit.

Layout & Facts

Track Geometry

Lap distance25.579 km / 15.894 mi
Circuit typeStreet circuit
Elevation change180 meters / 591 feet
Driving directionClockwise ↻
Corners19 corners
(3 low / 10 medium / 6 high speed)

Driving Demands

Performance

Wins by grid positionP2100%based on 1 race
Pole position sideLeft side
Top speed285 km/h (177 mph)
Pit lane time loss22.0 seconds

Race Strategy

Heritage

Opened1924 (102 years ago)
Local timezoneEurope/Rome (CET, UTC+01)

Surface & Tyres

History

Key corners

01 Cappelle Curve

A high-speed right through the village of Cappelle sul Tavo. One of dozens of village transits that defined the rural Italian road-circuit experience.

02 Mulino Curve

A medium-fast left near a roadside mill, taken at full lean by 1950s machinery. The kind of nondescript corner that contributed to the layout's legend.

03 Long Straight

The fastest section ran along the Adriatic coast road for over 3 km. Top speeds and slipstreaming defined the high-speed character of this section.

Winners & Podiums

F1 winners & podiums

No.YearPodiumTeamFastest LapLapsResults
119571 United Kingdom Stirling Moss 2:59:22.700
2 Argentina Juan-Manuel Fangio +3:13.900
3 United States Harry Schell +6:46.800
United Kingdom Vanwall
Italy Maserati
Italy Maserati
181957 Race Report & Results
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Drivers Ranking

All-time driver ranking

NODriverGP  1st  2nd  3rd  Pod  Pole  FL  Avg GridAvg PosPointsLead  
1United KingdomStirling Moss11001012.01.0917
2Juan-Manuel FangioJuan-Manuel Fangio10101101.02.060
3United StatesHarry Schell10011005.03.040
4United StatesMasten Gregory10000007.04.030
5United KingdomStuart Lewis-Evans10000008.05.020
6SwedenJo Bonnier10000009.011.000
7SpainPaco Godia100000012.09.000
8ItalyLuigi Piotti100000013.016.000
9Jack BrabhamJack Brabham100000016.07.000
10United KingdomTony Brooks10000006.014.000
11FranceJean Behra10000004.012.000
12United KingdomBruce Halford100000014.010.000
13ItalyLuigi Musso10000003.08.001
14United KingdomHorace Gould100000011.015.000
15ItalyGiorgio Scarlatti100000010.06.000
16United KingdomRoy Salvadori100000015.013.000
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Constructors Ranking

All-time constructor ranking

NOTeamGP  1st  2nd  3rd  Pod  Pole  FL  Avg GridAvg PosPoints
1United KingdomVanwall11001015.36.711
2Maserati10112108.68.813
3Ferrari10000003.08.00
4United KingdomCooper-Climax100000015.510.00
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Pescara Circuit — Frequently Asked Questions

How many F1 Grands Prix have been held at Pescara Circuit?
Pescara Circuit has hosted 1 Formula 1 Grands Prix since the first edition in 1957.
Who has the most F1 wins at Pescara Circuit?
Stirling Moss holds the record at Pescara Circuit with 1 victories.
Which constructor has won most often at Pescara Circuit?
Vanwall is the most successful constructor at Pescara Circuit with 1 wins.
Where is Pescara Circuit located?
Pescara Circuit is located in Pescara.
When was Pescara Circuit built?
Pescara Circuit opened in 1924.
In which direction is Pescara Circuit driven?
Pescara Circuit is driven clockwise.
How many corners does Pescara Circuit have?
Pescara Circuit has 19 corners.
Is Pescara Circuit a street or permanent circuit?
Pescara Circuit is a street circuit.

History

Pescara Circuit History


Pescara's fearsome road course achieved a footnote in history as the longest circuit to ever be used for a World Championship Grand Prix.

Winding its way through the Abruzzi mountains, the circuit incorporated a four-mile (!) straight next to the sea. It also featured level crossings, stray animals and crowds lining the circuit...

As well as the Grand Prix, it held a 12 hour sportscar race and was home to the Coppa Acerbo. Enzo Ferrari won the first race held at the circuit, in an Alfa Romeo.

Pescara became one of the first circuits to employ a chicane, when a 'bus stop' type affair was installed in 1934 to slow drivers before the pits.

The mad 15-mile blast through villages, along the sea-front and up and down mountain passes was given a world championship Grand Prix for the only time in 1957. Stirling Moss won for Vanwall.

By the early 1960s even the racing-mad Italians had concluded that the circuit was suicidal dangerous, and Pescara was quietly abandoned, with facilities little changed from when cars first lined up on the grid some 40 years before.


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