European Grand Prix
| Baku City Circuit | |
 | |
| Race information | |
|---|---|
| Number of times held |
23 Nürburgring (12) Valencia Street Circuit (5) Brands Hatch (2) Circuito de Jerez (2) Donington Park (1) Baku City Circuit (1) |
| First held | 1983 |
| Last held | 2016 |
| Most wins (drivers) |
Michael Schumacher (6) |
| Most wins (constructors) |
 Ferrari (7) |
| Circuit length | 6.003 km (3.73 mi) |
| Race length | 306.049 km (190.170 mi) |
| Laps | 51 |
| Last race (2016) | |
| Pole position | |
| |
| Podium | |
| |
| Fastest lap | |
| |
The European Grand Prix (also known as the Grand Prix of Europe) was a Formula One event that was introduced during the mid-1980s and was held regularly from 1999 until 2012. A recent host venue for this event was the Valencia Street Circuit in Valencia, Spain, hosting the race from 2008 until 2012. The race was removed from the calendar in 2013. In 2016, the race returned, being run on a street circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan, but was subsequently discontinued as the event was renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
In earlier years, the European Grand Prix was not a race in its own right but just an honorific title; one of the national Grands Prix was also designated as the European Grand Prix. The first race to be so named was the 1923 Italian Grand Prix, held at Monza and won by Carlo Salamano in a Fiat and the last one was the 1977 British Grand Prix.
Since its reintroduction, the European Grand Prix has usually been held in a country in Europe that also holds a national Grand Prix in that same year.
Pre- and post-war years
Honorific title
The European Grand Prix was created as an honorific title by the AIACR, the FIA's predecessor in the organisation of motor racing events. The first race to receive the title was the Italian Grand Prix, in 1923, and it was followed by the French Grand Prix and Belgian Grand Prix. After a hiatus in 1929, Spa received the last honorific title of the pre-WWII years, in 1930.
The title was revived by the FIA after World War II, and was first given to the Belgian Grand Prix in 1947, and was distributed across several countries until the 1977 British Grand Prix, the last race to receive the honorific title. All post-war honorific European Grands Prix were Formula One races except for the 1952 event, which was run to Formula Two regulations.
The Italian Grand Prix was named the European Grand Prix seven times, which was more than any other race. It received the title three times in the 1920s.
As a round of the World Championship
Brands Hatch
The event was initially created as a stop-gap. In 1983, the Formula One schedule originally featured a race near Flushing Meadows Park in New York City. When the race was cancelled three months before the event, track organizers at Brands Hatch were able to create a European Grand Prix at the track in its place. The success of the event, buoyed by a spirited battle for the World Championship, led to the event returning on the schedule the following year.
Brands Hatch was unable to host the European Grand Prix in 1984, as it was hosting the British Grand Prix in even numbered years (alternating with Silverstone) so the European GP went to a redesigned and shorter Nürburgring circuit in 1984.
Brands Hatch returned to host the European Grand Prix in 1985, but the race was replaced in 1986 by the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Donington Park
In 1990, a wealthy Japanese businessman, Tomonori Tsurumaki, built the Nippon Autopolis with the idea of hosting a Formula One race. In 1992, plans were made to have an Asian Grand Prix in 1993 to replace the Mexican Grand Prix on the schedule. However, these plans failed to materialize. Instead, Bernie Ecclestone added a race at Donington Park to the schedule, which brought back the European Grand Prix moniker. The race was the brainchild of Tom Wheatcroft, who had been trying to bring F1 to the track since an abortive attempt to host the British Grand Prix in 1988. The first and so far only Formula One Grand Prix at Donington Park resulted in Ayrton Senna's victory in mixed wet and dry conditions.
Jerez
The European race would go the following season to Jerez in Spain. Jerez hosted round 14 of 16 in 1994 and the season finale in 1997, and it was the site of the famous collision between Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve which saw Schumacher get disqualified from the championship and it was also the scene of Mika Häkkinen's first Formula One victory.
Nürburgring
Brands Hatch was unable to host the European Grand Prix in 1984, so the European GP went to a redesigned and shorter Nürburgring circuit in 1984. It was a far cry from the 14 mile Nürburgring that most were used to seeing, and was initially unpopular during Formula One's return.
The race returned to Nürburgring in 1995, which was now popular again with drivers. But after complaints that no other countries were to get the race, the Nürburgring race was renamed the Luxembourg Grand Prix. Jerez got the race back in 1997 as a replacement for the Portuguese Grand Prix.
In 1998, the European Grand Prix was dropped from the schedule, but returned in 1999 when the race at Nürburgring re-adopted the European Grand Prix name.
The 1999 race saw torrential rain conditions which caused numerous retirements, presenting Johnny Herbert with the opportunity to take Stewart Grand Prix's first and only victory in its final season before being sold to Ford.
The race continued to be held at the Nürburgring until 2007. On 29 August 2006 it was announced that it had been removed from the F1 calendar for the 2007 season. From then there would only be one GP hosted in Germany each year, alternating between Hockenheimring and Nürburgring. However, what the name of this Grand Prix would be was uncertain for a time; while originally intended to be the German Grand Prix from 2007,[1] the Nürburgring race of 2007 was renamed "Großer Preis von Europa" (European Grand Prix)[2] due to a dispute over the ownership of the title "German Grand Prix".[3]
Valencia
From 2008 to 2012 the European Grand Prix took place in Valencia, Spain. During the 2009 event, Valencia signed a deal for a further 5 races, which put Valencia on the calendar until 2014. Despite this, in March 2012, it was announced that the European Grand Prix was to be discontinued in 2013, with the Spanish Grand Prix planned to alternate between Barcelona and Valencia.[4] However, Barcelona has retained the race since 2013, and the Valencia circuit was removed from the calendar.
Baku
The European Grand Prix returned to the Formula One World Championship in 2016, being held on the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan. The race was renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the 2017 season. This means that the European Grand Prix would be discontinued starting in 2017.
Winners of the European Grand Prix
Repeat winners (drivers)
Only includes standalone events. Bold indicates a driver active in the current season.
| # of wins | Driver | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Michael Schumacher |
1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006 |
| 3 | Fernando Alonso |
2005, 2007, 2012 |
| 2 |  Rubens Barrichello |
2002, 2009 |
| Sebastian Vettel |
2010, 2011 |
Repeat winners (constructors)
Only includes standalone events. Bold indicates a constructor active in the current season.
| # of wins | Constructor | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Ferrari |
2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012 |
| 4 | McLaren |
1984, 1993, 1997, 2007 |
| 3 | Williams |
1985, 1996, 2003 |
| 2 | Benetton |
1994, 1995 |
 Red Bull |
2010, 2011 | |
By year: the European Grand Prix as a standalone event
By year: the European Grand Prix as an honorary designation
A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.
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References
- ↑ Official FIA press release. "2007 FIA Formula One championship circuit and lap information, published on February 14, 2007". Official FIA press release. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
- ↑ "Nürburgring". Official Homepage of the Nürburgring. Retrieved 14 April 2007.
- ↑ The race held at Nürburgring in 2007 was originally going to be called the German Grand Prix but the title was changed to European Grand Prix due to the dispute over the ownership of the German Grand Prix name. See Autosport: Name row leads to return of European GP
- ↑ "Valencia pays 2012 fee, Spain to alternate from 2013". MSN Sport. MSN Sport. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to European Grand Prix. |
- Formula 1 European Grand Prix in Valencia Official website.
- Nürburgring F1 statistics