A1 Motor Park: The Balkans Finally Has Its First FIA Grade 3 Racing Circuit

And it was worth the wait.

For decades, anyone serious about circuit driving in Southeast Europe had only one option: drive west. Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburgring, Hockenheim, Red Bull Ring — the circuits that define the sport were all a long flight or an even longer drive away. The Balkan Peninsula, home to millions of motorsport enthusiasts, had no answer.

That changed on 21 March 2026.

What Just Opened

A1 Motor Park is a permanent racing circuit located in Samokov, Bulgaria — 60 kilometres south of Sofia, set in the Rila mountain range at 585 metres above sea level.

The numbers:

• 3.91 km circuit length
• 15 turns — a mix of technical corners, high-speed commitments and elevation changes
• FIA Grade 3 certification — eligible for Formula 3 and national championships
• FIM Grade B certification — approved for national motorcycle racing
• Up to 20,000 spectator capacity

It is the first circuit on the Balkan Peninsula to hold both FIA and FIM homologation simultaneously. That distinction matters — it means A1 Motor Park isn’t just a track day venue. It is a certified international racing facility.

Why This Matters

The significance of A1 Motor Park goes beyond the lap times and corner names.

Bulgaria has had motorsport culture for years — enthusiasts, clubs, Porsche owners, track day regulars — but nowhere to properly express it at home. The Dragon Race Track in Kaloyanovo, a 2.04 km circuit built in 2005, has served the community for two decades. But it was never a full FIA-homologated facility.

A1 Motor Park changes the equation entirely.

For Bulgarian drivers, it means no more travelling abroad just to experience a proper circuit. For international drivers, it opens up a genuinely new destination — a technical, elevation-rich layout in a mountain setting that has no direct equivalent in the region.

The circuit sits at 585 metres. The surrounding Rila landscape — pine forests, clean mountain air, dramatic ridgelines — creates a driving environment that feels nothing like the flat industrial perimeters of many modern circuits. If you’ve driven Bilster Berg or the upper sections of the Nordschleife, you’ll recognise the feeling. Altitude, gradient, atmosphere.

The Circuit Layout

A1 Motor Park runs clockwise across three sectors with significant elevation change throughout.

Sector 1 covers the middle and upper eastern section — two 180° hairpins at the lower level feed into a climb toward the East Lobe, where Turn 5, a wide carousel at the highest northeastern point, is the circuit’s premier braking zone and overtaking opportunity.

Sector 2 handles the western section — the circuit crosses a central bridge straight between the two high lobes, with Turn 8 at the northwest peak mirroring the elevation drama of Turn 5. Turn 11, a massive 180° sweeper at the furthest western point, is the slowest corner on the circuit and feeds the longest straight.

Sector 3 brings the speed — after Turn 12’s big braking event at the eastern boundary, a sharp S-sequence through Turns 13 and 14 leads to Turn 15, the final gentle left that exits onto the start/finish straight. Exit speed here defines your next lap.

Predicted lap times for GT3-class cars: approximately 1:28–1:35 depending on conditions. Official lap records will be set as the 2026 season unfolds.

Already on the Calendar

Multiple track day organisers have already committed to A1 Motor Park for 2026:

• SR Track Days — three rounds confirmed (June, July, September)
• CR Moto — motorcycle track days confirmed for June
• Premium Rally — event confirmed for May

The events calendar is growing. The circuit has the infrastructure to host up to 111 sessions per month at full capacity.

Who Is Covering It

I run CIRCUIT.INSIDER - independent motorsport media focused exclusively on A1 Motor Park. The site covers the circuit in English, Bulgarian and German, with a full track guide, interactive corner-by-corner analysis, events calendar, and weather data live from the circuit at 585 metres altitude.

If you’re planning to visit, drive, or just follow what’s happening at the newest FIA circuit in Europe, this is where to start: circuit-insider**.com**

Instagram: **@circuit.insider**

The Bigger Picture

A1 Motor Park didn’t appear in a vacuum. It is the product of significant private investment — backed by Glavbolgarstroy and Divela Investments — with a clear vision: create a world-class facility where the motorsport community of Southeast Europe can finally stay home.

For European drivers looking for something genuinely new in 2026 — a fast, technical, mountain circuit with no queues, no crowds, and a landscape unlike anything in Western Europe — A1 Motor Park deserves serious attention.

The Balkans just got a racing circuit worth the trip.

CIRCUIT.INSIDER covers A1 Motor Park in English, Bulgarian and German. Full track guide, events calendar and circuit data at circuit-insider.com.

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