As a fan of motorsports and automotive racing more broadly, there are no shortages of wonderful and captivating places to visit. Around the world, in almost any large country you go to, the odds are that there may be some racing history buried beneath the surface.
For sports like F1, however, the pedigree and heritage is put to the forefront of important destinations. This includes, but is not limited to, tracks, old street circuits, and even entire cities.
Regardless of where you live in the world, if you love F1 then there are so many places you should mark off your bucket list.
10 Circuit Of The Americas
The circuit was created in 2012 for the singular purpose of Formula 1 races. Before the building of the Circuit of the Americas (also known as COTA), the only track to have recently had a F1 race was at Indianapolis in 2007.
It’s great to have an American Formula One track on the calendar after five years and mixed results with the previous ones. Now, fans in the U.S. can easily travel to Austin for a newly constructed and well-designed circuit, often with an exciting show.
9 Yas Marina In Abu Dhabi
Like COTA, the Yas Marina Circuit is a fairly new one in the context of Formula One and other popular tracks. After joining the F1 calendar in 2009, it launched with mixed results from drivers. Kimi Raikkonen even went as far as to say the track was ‘boring,’ but there have still been a handful of legendary scraps between drivers.
Regardless of this, Abu Dhabi is a beautiful city with plenty of amenities to go along with a good racing experience. To follow up, the Ferrari World theme park (self-declared “The Most Thrilling Theme Park") is more than worth a visit for all F1 lovers.
8 Suzuka, Japan G.P.
Japan itself is a wonderful place and should be experienced by anyone who wants to travel. To add to this, Japan (like a lot of Europe) loves motorsports with some of the most enthusiastic and die-hard fans. Suzuka is one such track with all of the culture of Japan and the spirit of F1.
Suzuka has bore witness to incredible drama like the Senna and Prost crash in 1989 and nail-biting overtakes in the modern Hybrid Era. Watching F1 and wearing a crazy Formula One car hat surrounded by thousands doing the same can only be done in one place: Suzuka.
7 Monza
Like Japan, Italy is also home to some very dedicated F1 fans. This is a result of the cultural love for racing and the fact that legendary teams like Ferrari and Alfa Romeo originated there.
Monza has been the location for the Italian Grand Prix for decades and appears to continue with the trend for the foreseeable future. As mentioned previously, the Italian fans are very energetic, especially when it comes to rooting for the home name: Ferrari.
6 Hockenheimring
Hockenheim is another amazing destination for F1 and motorsports fans alike. Recently, Hockenheim has undergone some changes to better accommodate the new F1 cars but still has remnants of a violent and crazy past.
As featured on a WTF1 YouTube video, the Hockenheimring was once much larger than what it is now. Visitors can still see the old oval-style rear section that weaves through the thick German forest.
This same spot was also the places where the world-renowned Jim Clark tragically lost his life during a high-speed crash in 1968.
5 Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola)
Although Imola is still an active track in many racing series, it no longer remains on the F1 calendar. The decision was made for good reason as Imola (more formally known as Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari) has been the site of more than one tragedy.
Ayrton Senna, arguably the most skilled F1 driver to ever live, lost his life at Imola during a mechanical malfunction. This was on the day after an Austrian driver named Roland Ratzenberger also died. Needless to say, these events aren't the happiest ones but deserve some recognition due to the shock it sent through the sport. Even after multiple years, there still exist several memorials at Imola where you can pay your respects to the racers.
4 Ferrari Factory (Maranello)
Whether you're a Ferrari fan or just a run-of-the-mill Formula One enthusiast, the Ferrari factory is the epitome of Formula One history and Ferrari success. The factory is specially built to build new road cars, race cars, test vehicles, and even accommodate large groups of tourist and soon-to-be Ferrari owners.
When in the factory, make sure to check out the museum full of classic race cars and information on the company's story. Afterward, try not to get lost in the litany of tourist attractions, merchandise, and (of course) artworks pretending to be 'just' cars.
3 Silverstone
There's a reason why so many current and former F1 drivers absolutely adore Silverstone. Often called the "Home of Formula 1," since the first race was held there in the '50s, a lot of drivers see it as their home too due to their rookie years in Britain.
The current World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, is one of the most successful drivers at this track (and in general). Seeing someone like Hamilton trying their hardest to push an F1 car to its limits on their favorite circuit is quite the sight to behold.
Although Lewis Hamilton calls all of his fans "The greatest fans in the world," there's a clear bias for his hometown. Which, subsequently, are up there with Japan and Italy for the wildest admirers.
2 Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps, known simply as 'Spa,' is a fan and driver favorite like Silverstone. Not only is it situated in the middle of the beautiful Ardennes Forest, but it also has one of the coolest and most unique track designs of all during the season.
The highlight is Eau Rouge and Raidillon, a long sweeping right-left-right that can be taken by modern F1 cars at full throttle. It's an incredibly difficult spot to overtake, but brave drivers try nonetheless; resulting in some of the more intense battles during the year.
Once again, the fans can be a huge bonus to a good race experience, and Belgium is not short on any of those either.
1 Monaco/Monte-Carlo
For true Formula One fans, Monaco needs no introduction. After being in service for a whopping 90 years, Monaco is one of the most visually pleasing and historical locations in all of F1.
Monaco has seen everything: intense battles, horrid crashes, wins, loses, and everything in-between. Aside from the track itself, Monaco is a bustling city-state in the South of France with a very wealthy populous. Even if you're not trying to see nice cars and high-class living, it will be virtually impossible to avoid.