The Abandoned Formula 1 Track You’re Allowed To Visit 

As a Valencian I did some of my driver's ed in what was part of sector 1 of the circuit. It felt kinda weird but also thrilling to think I was learning how to drive in the same place F1 raced all those years ago.

What's more Vandalised and destroyed the Valencia Street Circuit or the Leafield Technical Centre (former Arrows, Super Aguri and Caterham F1 Technical centre)

I've been to all but one of the races there. I have a close friend that lived on the top floor of the middle of the three apartment buildings between turn 1 and 2 Only had to pay for the trip to get there from the Netherlands. Watching the race with a nice cold cerveza and some quality food because my friend is a Chef and Dutch commentary from satellite tv. Imo opinion this was one of the best street circuits with a lot of overtaking possibilities, and I was gutted it was cancelled.

Can't believe it's been abandoned, such a great track. The last third was insane to drive.

Would be really interesting to see something similar on the Vietnam track (budget permitting!) I'm so intrigued how a whole track was built and then just....left, never raced on and the excuse was some really vague stuff about corruption but no news as to what corruption.

Nice video! I visited the circuit last month and cycled around it. I was pretty fortunate not to get a puncture with all that glass.

I remember Mark Webber literally getting his Red Bull wings here, thanks to a broken brake pedal and a Lotus

Would be nice to visit an abandoned circuit, though I Regularly drive the Albert Park Street circuit, at least once a week, Except obviously the few days before and after the Grand prix Weekend, It is still public road even when all the amenities, walls, fencing and grandstands are being put up, and pulled down. and though the speed limit is only 40 (It is a public park) one has to resist putting the foot down when the road is in track mode

1:09 That was the European Grand Prix, Maldonado won the Spanish Grand Prix that year

Even though the races weren't great, I really didn't mind the track itself. Shame to see the state it's in

Dont forget there are some other infrastructures in spain that got abandoned , an airport , a town .and F1 track .

I discovered that the Canadian GP circuit in Montreal is used as a recreational path.

Funny it is much more a street circuit now than it was back then. Back then it was the first of many awful "forget where you are" concrete-labyrinths like Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, US/Miami etc. The only one which looks similar but seems outstanding is Singapore because of the "first ever" night-race atmosphere and because people acutally remember the track. I wouldn't mind seeing the current Valencia Track reused as lower spec FIA-grade GT-Racing Circuit once or twice a year.

If i was near these type abandoned tracks may have to takes some laps on my bike hehe

Hold up, it was given the title of the European GP. As the Nurburgring would rotate now and then. It was never the Spanish GP. Barcelona, Catalunya has had that race on lock down for ages.

Cool...Now get your bike, and gear, and blitz it! FEEL THE SPEED!! @_@

Politicians destroyed the circuit...

It hurts to see it in this way. I literally felt bad that such a good circuit and and race site has been destroyed :(

You can walk around the Detroit Track.

i think they should have made it into a place where people could take there cars, And have track days, have other Race series, Instead of abandoned it to time and wasting away,

A shame it got taken off the calender.

Is that the one where mark Webber went flying? Can’t drive

2:30 Oh so basically how they run the UK :)

Bro i thought i was watching matt rober for a second

Another street circuit in Spain, which kind of gets forgotten about, is the Mont Juich Park circuit, near Barcelona. Host of 4 Spanish Grands Prix (1969, 1971, 1973 and 1975), it was one of the fastest and most challenging street circuits in F1 history. Unfortunately, this track met its end in messy circumstances. What would turn out to be the last Grand Prix staged there, in 1975, was a mix of politics, safety concerns with regards to the barriers and tragedy. Long story short, it was the first time a race was stopped and not restarted without 75% of the distance being covered, Jochen Mass took his first and only win in F1 and in 6th place was the first and so far only female driver to score points (well, half a point) in F1, Lella Lombardi

I feel Mark Rober vibes with that music, great job on video

I'm loving this Tom Scott/Mark Rober approach to F1! Keep the content coming Matt :)

Valencia never hosted the Spanish Grand Prix, because that was already held at the Circuit De Catalunya near Barcelona, so the races at Valencia used the "European Grand Prix" moniker.

Your production quality has massively improved since I first started watching you!

Valencia is an amazing and more recent example of an abandoned track, but personally I think its beaten in awesomeness by the reims-gueux circuit in france. All of the pit lane buildings, grandstands and media tower still lies along the side of what is now a public road. I visited a few months ago and you can spend hours exploring, I'd thoroughly reccomend it. Great video anyway though!

I live across the road from the forner Australian GP track in Adelaide. I ride my pushbike up it most days. Prost, Berger, Senna, Mansell, Piquet, Rosberg etc etc. A great era.

Corruption… nothing better to describe how things are done in Spain

1:09 Tiny nitpick: The race Fernando Alonso won then was the European Grand Prix, the Spanish GP was held at Barcelona as usual.

The last race there was actually the European Grand Prix (not the Spanish GP) in 2012 and it had maybe the greatest podium in history: Fernando in 1st, Kimi 2nd and Michael 3rd (his last podium).

I miss that track so much.. Hot sunny summer day, v8, cold Red Bull and enjoy 😢

The first time a felt a formula 1 kurb was on this track with my bike 😂😂 so sad that it's abandoned

When you talked about the historian aspect - coming to a track as a fan and walk on it, i had the same feeling while i was at the nürburgring for my very first time. Thinking about all these races i watched on TV and then really walked on the same soil is really mindblowing for fans like us and i think that is the most beautiful thing about beeing a fan of our beloved sport.

Sad backround story, however still quite a nostalgic track, especially for fans from the 00s and 10s. Hav been there in spring this year, back then the catchfences and kerbs were still intact, however the condition of sector 3 was absolutely atrocious. Holes, sharp edged kerbs and broken glases everywhere, but a great view towards the opera in the backround. A few homeless people were hanging around there, I'm surprised they didn't want you to leave. Rest of the track still looks quite in a good shape, especially the moveable bridge, which connects sector 1 and 2. Back in the pits you can still see the rubber marks on the ground, the old UPS sponsor paint ist still on the ground aswell. Even if It's totally unlikely due to financial concerns, a renewed track there should have potential in modern day f1. The surroundings with the bay area are way better than in Catalunya. Even thoe a lot of drivers did not enjoy the track at all, we had a couple of great race bangers there, 2010 with Webbers flip and in 2012 Alonsos great charge through the field and Schumis last Podium.

Uma pena Valência sair do calendário. Lá foi o palco da penúltima vitória de Rubens Barrichello na F1.

I'm enough of an F1 fan to have travelled to the Monza when I visited Milan to go and have a look at the race track complex without a race being held. The whole park is extremely beautiful, but the whole track is fenced off effectively so i couldn't walk on the track. I managed to get onto the iconic oval track because there is a hole in the fence.

I’m glad the last race was in 2012. They went out on a high note. One of the best races in f1 history.

Very interesting, I had no idea what happened. Just remember that this track was pretty fun in F1 2012 once you survived the first lap!

the same race where fernando kimi & michael shared the podium for the very last time.

If ever in Texas, COTA is open to the public for "bike night" were anyone can ride your bicycle on the track, local HPDE clubs host track days, and club races are held several times a year.

love your videos, Matt. you get into details about F1 that no one else does

Ouch, I went there two weeks ago and didn't find that corner where you filmed 😅 But I took a good walk around the pit lane and the corners around it!

Absolute shame. Riddled with corruption. But the old F1 regime was an expert in finding “projects” like this. I wonder what the Korean track looks like now?… or the Indian?…

I literally live next to the Valencia Street Circuit. I still remember the roaring of the F1 cars. That was what made me fall in love with cars and motorsports. It's always sad to see it in the condition it is now.

I think it's kind of funny that Hamilton didn't forget about Valencia. When Grill the Grid tested every drivers' Turn 1 knowledge, Hamilton was the only one to get Silverstone wrong, saying "that could be Valencia" before correcting himself and saying Silverstone. Which is funny to me because he DNF'd in that course because of Pastor Maldonado.

There is also the circuit of " Reims Gueux " in France which is not really a circuit but like older circuit was just based on open roads Also you can drive on the old parts of Spa when its length was over 14 km

I’m sure high school and college students in Spain would do parties or late night competition, Even for a new Fast and Furious movie

Interesting... Of course, NOBODY misses the Valencia track. And thank you for putting your sponsor at the end.

I actually liked this Valencia circuit. Shame it's gone, and I also liked Korea a lot! Wish they could've remained on the calendar somehow

Race fan heartbreak: Hopelessly watching a former race track decay before your very eyes

If you want a REAL Track rather come to Barcelona for Montjuïc Park or come to Barcelona for Terramar. Those are racetracks for real.

Never heard of this guy before, but this type of content gets an instant sub. In it’s day that was such a cool street course!

Wasn't a great track, but it's still better than Sochi.

If it wasn't for Mark Webber there would be no memories from this track.

Astonishes me why a country would pay for an F1 race. F1 should pay to come to the track.

That math about only recovering 300 mil. this year made me giggle. This is socialist level mathemathics. The amount of cash infusion into a city from an F1 tourism weekend is worth a shit load every year - hotels, stores, restaurants, transportation and so on...are maxed out on incoming cash.

Taxpayer money should NEVER be used for venues like this.

I've been to the abandoned track in Valencia, it's surreal to see all these people walk on these curbs

It should have never have hosted a race anyway when Valencia already has a Grade 1 circuit available. Circuit Ricardo Tormo. Ridiculous decision.

Its depressing when any racetrack, regardless of location is left to be abandoned and left to rot 😢

I lived in the building right beside Turn 17 from 2006-2009. Top two floors, I believe it was the 4th or 5th balcony from the end. From the front (and biggest) balcony, we were able to see 17 perfectly, and the smaller back balcony we were able to see 20 and a large grandstand. It was a fun time of the year every time we had race weekend. During qualifiers or during cup car races it got so loud that even closing the doors and windows wouldn't help one bit - it was awesome. We would always have friends (both local and international) over for race weekends, and it was some of the best times we had living there. When either the 2008 or 2009 weekend came to an end, they opened the track to the public to allow people on it to run and bike for a day, and it was a great way to get up close and personal to an active race track. After one of those weekends my father and I also ran down in the middle of the night and cut off part of the fence covering, which was a thick perforated vinyl that was used to stop onlookers from peering in and not paying for the race. Its still folded up neatly in my attic, and has been there ever since we moved back from Spain in 2009. Great memories from this area, and I'm happy to have been randomly recommended a video about the old track!

Can't wait until they finally abandone Jeddah again. And all the other arabian tracks. I mean, they did with Russia. Because "human rights"... Oh and Monaco. And Las Vegas...

Why aren't these handed over to the car community to keep going. We are always told to "take it to the track" if you get a speeding ticket. Sure, give us a track then. This would have been a perfect candidate.

think of all people that was sold the Spanish Monaco dream of buying a home near an F1 Racetrack so they could see the race from their windows or balcony's and get in the F1 spirit, but that all came crashing down around them, 500.000 euros paid for 2 bed apt now worth only 60.000 euro what a joke and now they want revamp the area

Il never forget the last time that F1 came here which was 2012 and Pastor Maldonado crashed into Lewis Hamilton on the last lap. When Lewis had been winning. I quite like this street circuit!

The most ridiculous thing is that Valencia had another circuit with better infrastructure to make an f1 grand prix and it is an half hour in car from the center of the valncia city the circuit Ricardo tormo... I was in both circuits in 2010 watching formula 1 and motogp and the street circuit was a piece of shit compared with ricardo tormo, if they spend the same money that the spend in the street circuit in expand and renew the ricardo tormo that it's half an hour of the street circuit it would be one of the best circuit in the f1 calendar Pd:Bad english, im an spanish trying to explain his opinion, an Spanish and Valencian boy that today still paying this shit of Valencia Street Circuit🤣😂🤣😂😂🤣

"The Government spent far too much money too quickly", sounds familiar?

“The government was lucky that they weren’t fined by F1”…….. Yeah I’m sure they were clenching with worry 🤔

Keep in mind thet F1 preferred the Miami GP than this classic. F1 is evolving but backwards

Valencia Street circuit isn't abandoned as I understand Formula E will use it for pre-season tests in mid-December this year.

and once again, using space that could be used for what it was built.. but no, just let us do some luxury buildings for the rich guys.. no big deal..

2:35 as a fellow Brit you should know that's not corruption that's just Conservative governance.

Oh yeah so much history! A rubbish track designed during one of the worst periods of F1 - yesterday.

Down in Sevilla the Expo 92 infrastructure is also pretty much abandoned.

Like the council of super criminals in the UK Mr Everette? Late 70s early 80s!!😂

I bet that rotating drawbridge ate a quarter of the money. Coulda just kept the track on land maybe?

Formula drift should visit this track. Drifting motorsport should be easy to use.

Sad to see the Valencia circuit like this but at least it’s still there to see

0:29 "But here in sector 3, as you can kinda see behind me..." Was that rhyme intentional?

At least the crooks were caught. Here in north america those people would just still be politicians.

Dodgy Spanish government, thought ours was a shit show, I mean it still is but daaaaamn Spain

Of course that doesn’t happen now?? Why else would you be a local councillor??😂

Such a cool video, Matt!! KEEP IT COMING!!

Finally someone said it I thought I was alone in thinking that Tokyo Drift was the best film out the FF franchise. 😅 Great informative video. 👍

Ghetto Valencia Circuit has more character than the original circuit.

My God! And I thought the tories were the crown Princes of Corruption!

Make it a drift circuit that headpins looks awesome to slid round the 👌🤙✌

I thought racetracks are generally profitable establishments.

actually love this circuit as compared to Barcelona

I suspect maybe the Eurozone crisis of 2011 had something to do with it as well...

What a .shame Amazing track abandoned . To much money to the trash

Literally just stealing mark robers background music

Vpn is also good to watch adult content on wifi that have parental control 😂

why not make the track into a commons. Why has no one made the abandoned racetrack a squat.

They do not race anymore ther because the track was really ugly

why is this track so blurry? I cant see a thing over his shoulder.