Autódromo de Luanda
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 Luanda , Angola
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| Route type: | permanent race track | ||
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| Architect: | Ayrton Cornelsen | ||
| Opening: | May 28, 1972 2nd opening around 2000 |
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| Decommissioned: | 1975 | ||
| Time zone: | WAT (UTC + 1) | ||
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Coordinates: 9 ° 0 ′ 34.7 ″ S , 13 ° 5 ′ 51.1 ″ E
The Autódromo Internacional de Luanda is a racing circuit in Luanda , the capital of Angola . The route is located in the Belas district near the Bay of Mussulo , about 25 km southwest of the city center. The route was opened on May 28, 1972. With the outbreak of the Angolan civil war , racing came to a standstill for thirty years. Racing events are now being held here again.
History of the circuit
The initiative to build the racetrack went back to the Angolan company Autodel SARL and was aimed at developing a course that could be used for many sports from cycling to Formula 1. At the same time, a tourism center with holiday apartments, shops and a casino was to be built. The project has been heralded as the “largest sports tourism investment on the African continent”.
The Brazilian architect Ayrton "Lolo" Cornelsen , who was also in charge of the construction of the Circuito do Estoril race track in motherland Portugal , and the engineer Júlio Basso were responsible for the design of the entire facility . The race track in Luanda was in competition with the project in Estoril from the start; Both operators competed to see which course would be completed first and which would be the first to host a Formula 1 race. In order to accelerate the realization of the Autódromo de Luanda, Autodel granted the architect Cornelsen a share of 7 percent of all project revenues.
The Autódromo de Luanda opened on May 28, 1972, three weeks before the Estoril circuit. The first race to take place on the new circuit on the opening day was a sports car race won by Angolan racing driver Hélder de Sousa in a Ford Capri .
The circuit was only used for two and a half years; primarily sports car races such as the 3-hour race of Luanda were held here. There was no Formula 1 race in Luanda. With Angola's independence in 1974 and the Angolan Civil War that began shortly afterwards in 1975, racing at the Autódromo de Luanda initially ended. In the two and a half decades that followed, the line was used as a military and police base. Racing events have been held in Luanda again since around 2000, today mostly organized by the Angolan motorsport association FADM ( Federação Angolana de Desportos Motorizados ).
In May 2014, the owner of the Autódromo de Luanda, the entrepreneur and university professor Laurinda Hoygaard, announced investments to broaden the range for visitors. However, it sees the participation of government agencies as a prerequisite for this.
Route characteristics
The route is based on a square oval with an infield section. The Autódrom can be driven in five different routes with lap lengths of 3.208 to 6.280 km.
Web links
- History of the circuit. Retrieved November 26, 2012 (Portuguese).
- Pictures of the Autódromo de Luanda from 1972. Retrieved November 27, 2012 (Portuguese).
Individual evidence
- ^ Description of the development of the Autódromo de Luanda on the website of the architect Ayrton "Lolo" Cornelsen ( memento of December 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (accessed on November 26, 2012).
- ^ Page with events and calls for tenders ( memento of September 2, 2011 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on November 26, 2012.
- ↑ On the whole: Description of the development of the Autódromo de Luanda on the www.lolocornelsen.com.br website of the architect Ayrton "Lolo" Cornelsen ( Memento of December 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (accessed on November 26, 2012).
- ^ History of the racetrack on the website www.sportscar.com ( Memento of July 28, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (accessed on November 27, 2012).
- ↑ Article from May 26, 2014 on planned investments in the Luanda circuit , state news agency ANGOP , accessed on June 3, 2014