The Formula 1 calendar is as big as it's ever been with 24 circuits to visit for drivers, team staff and media - where no one track is the same.
So for a bit of off-season fun, we have rated all current venues - except Madrid, which is due to debut this year - based on four criteria: layout, history/atmosphere, location and facilities.
Here is what our F1 writers said, having judged each track based on the entire experience.
1. Best circuit layout
The first, and perhaps most difficult one to judge, is the layout itself. Does the circuit provide great racing, or is it at least one of F1's most challenging tracks which puts driver skill to the ultimate test? As we have seen in recent years, those two objectives don't always align with each other. But by judging each circuit on both, we have come to a balanced outcome.
| Oleg Karpov | Stuart Codling | Jake Boxall-Legge | Ronald Vording | Filip Cleeren | Roberto Chinchero | Overall top 10 | |
| 1 | Bahrain | Spa | Spielberg | Silverstone | Sao Paulo | Spa | Silverstone |
| 2 | Spielberg | Silverstone | Montreal | Spa | Monza | Suzuka | Sao Paulo |
| 3 | Montreal | Sao Paulo | Sao Paulo | Sao Paulo | Suzuka | Silverstone | Spa |
| 4 | Baku | Montreal | Silverstone | Suzuka | Spa | Austin | Spielberg |
| 5 | Sao Paulo | Austin | Monza | Spielberg | Silverstone | Monza | Montreal |
| 6 | Silverstone | Bahrain | Melbourne | Austin | Spielberg | Montreal | Suzuka |
| 7 | Shanghai | Monza | Austin | Bahrain | Montreal | Spielberg | Monza |
| 8 | Suzuka | Shanghai | Bahrain | Monza | Austin | Sao Paulo | Austin |
| 9 | Melbourne | Zandvoort | Suzuka | Shanghai | Zandvoort | Baku | Bahrain |
| 10 | Austin | Spielberg | Budapest | Montreal | Las Vegas | Shanghai | Shanghai |
Filip Cleeren - Interlagos has it all
This has been an interesting category to judge because of the reasons outlined above. Yes, Suzuka and Monaco are outstanding as a challenge, but combining those thrills with action-packed racing and overtaking has become a lot rarer in modern day F1, largely down to the cars. Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit is one of a few that manages to do both, thanks to its bowl-shaped design that features plenty of camber, making several racing lines possible. Add in a long main straight and a sprinkle of rain, the end result provides an entertaining cocktail that seldom disappoints - long may it continue!
Monza is a close second and although Suzuka's racing isn't great, I felt the layout is just too good to dismiss. I do value the challenge and beauty of a circuit, so compared to my peers, I'm the only to leave Bahrain out of my top 10, though I'll admit including Las Vegas is somewhat contradictory. For all of its pomp, it hasn't failed to entertain yet.
Oleg Karpov - Good racing matters
I am no racing driver, so I cannot honestly rank circuits based on how enjoyable they are to drive – like about 99.9 percent of the world’s population. For me, what matters far more is whether a track provides good racing to watch. And, coincidence or not, the simpler the layout, the better the racing. I guarantee that if F1 raced at the Norisring, those would be the best races you’d ever see.
Chicanes and hairpins after long straights, multiple overtaking opportunities around the lap, and the possibility to relaunch attacks are simple, but very efficient tools to provide a good spectacle. For me, in this category nothing beats the Bahrain International Circuit, where the whole first sector provides a perfect arena for proper wheel-to-wheel battles, with different lines and opportunities to retake the position. Austria is similar in that regard, and Canada, with its famous hairpin and long back straight, is also a great place for good racing.
Stuart Codling - Spa delivers often enough
Great driver circuits don’t always make for compelling racing, as evinced by the fact that the 20th anniversary of the last truly memorable Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka (Kimi Raikkonen’s charge from 17th to victory in 2005) has now passed. So with a heavy heart I downgraded that venue.
Majestic Spa-Francorchamps doesn’t always deliver, but it does so often enough – usually with the assistance of the fickle Ardennes microclimate – for me to give it top marks. Plus more of its challenging sections are open to spectators than Suzuka’s.
For a drab, windy old airfield in the middle of nowhere (with apologies to the sturdy burghers of Towcester), Silverstone delivers in both challenge and spectacle. Interlagos completes my top three for the same reasons adumbrated by Fil, followed closely by the US and Canadian GP venues, for different reasons; Montreal’s actual track layout is a bit ho-hum but it has a way of making things happen.
Bahrain has a compact, clever layout, and has come into its own with the shift to a night-race format and the abrasive surface’s habit of ruining Pirellis. But still, I feel Oleg must have been sniffing glue before placing it at number one...!
Ronald Vording - Silverstone ticks both boxes
An iconic layout and good racing have proven to be two (completely) different things, especially with the dirty air problems that we have seen in 2025. Silverstone, however, ticks both boxes: the venue of F1’s first world championship race remains iconic and has produced plenty of good races in recent history.
The same applies to Sao Paulo, while Spa-Francorchamps and Suzuka should, in my opinion, still rank very highly based on their spectacular layouts. Finally, the opposite is true for Bahrain: not an iconic layout as such, but it does have enough ingredients for good racing – just think about that Leclerc versus Verstappen battle in 2022.
2. History and atmosphere
The second category is history, atmosphere and fan experience. F1 is nothing without its rich 75-year history, so venues that are deeply rooted in F1 culture should be valued. At the same time, some of F1's newer races have also provided a great vibe and fan experience to become instant classics, so the two can and should coexist.
| Oleg Karpov | Stuart Codling | Jake Boxall-Legge | Ronald Vording | Filip Cleeren | Roberto Chinchero | Overall top 10 | |
| 1 | Monza | Monza | Suzuka | Suzuka | Sao Paulo | Monza | Monza |
| 2 | Spielberg | Sao Paulo | Monza | Monaco | Suzuka | Suzuka | Sao Paulo |
| 3 | Melbourne | Spa | Spa | Monza | Monza | Monza | Suzuka |
| 4 | Monaco | Zandvoort | Sao Paulo | Silverstone | Mexico | Mexico | Spa |
| 5 | Mexico | Mexico | Mexico | Spa | Silverstone | Silverstone | Mexico |
| 6 | Sao Paulo | Suzuka | Silverstone | Sao Paulo | Melbourne | Melbourne | Silverstone |
| 7 | Zandvoort | Silverstone | Zandvoort | Zandvoort | Spa | Spa | Zandvoort |
| 8 | Silverstone | Melbourne | Spielberg | Mexico | Zandvoort | Zandvoort | Melbourne |
| 9 | Spa | Austin | Melbourne | Montreal | Austin | Austin | Monaco |
| 10 | Miami | Montreal | Monaco | Budapest | Spielberg | Spielberg | Spielberg |
Oleg Karpov - Nothing beats Monza and its tifosi
There are places on the F1 calendar where you just feel the vibe and fully embrace it. And it comes in different flavours. To witness Monaco, with its harbour, road closures and just the sheer logistics of a grand prix weekend, is something truly unique. Then there is the music-festival atmosphere of Zandvoort or Silverstone, and the craziness of the Mexican GP paddock.
All of these races are unique and unlike any others, and it’s a bloody difficult task to rank them. But to me, nothing beats the Italian GP, with the charm of the Parco di Monza and the passion of the tifosi, with Austria right up there as well – a place that has become completely different in recent years, with all the Max Verstappen fans turning it into a Dutch province for a week. Add to that the beautiful Styrian mountains and the local Gasthofs and restaurants, and it makes for an incredible experience.
Ronald Vording - Japan's fans are unmatched
In terms of experience and fan enthusiasm, Japan is unmatched for me. The fans are extremely respectful and dress up in the most creative ways. It is an experience in its own right. Elsewhere, you can really feel the history and the passion of the tifosi in Monza, while Monaco remains unique in terms of setting. With a photographer’s tabard, you can watch the action right behind the barriers, which makes the trackside experience absolutely unique – a personal highlight of the F1 season every single year. You simply can't get any closer to the action than that.
Stuart Codling - Monza is an utterly magnificent venue
With its parkland setting, whispering trees, crumbling concrete banking, elderly timing towers and supremely passionate fans, Monza simply cannot be surpassed for either history or atmosphere. Walk behind the grandstands and it’s easy to imagine the likes of Fangio, Farina and Ascari roaring past on the other side. It’s an utterly magnificent venue.
Atmosphere must be inclusive, which is why I left Austria out of my top 10 on account of safeguarding issues and general boorishness in recent seasons.
Jake Boxall-Legge - There's just something special about Suzuka
Most of my colleagues have gone for Monza, but I'm uniting with Ronald and picking Suzuka for this. Monza has an exceptional atmosphere and over a century's worth of history going for it - and yet, there's just something special about Suzuka. Monza is synonymous with Ferrari, and the sheen of Rosso Corsa throughout the grandstands is reflective of that; Suzuka feels more like a celebration of Formula 1 as a whole, rather than just one team or driver. Even safety car driver Bernd Maylander gets a banner.
Further down my order, Spa-Francorchamps is a popular pilgrimage for fans all over the world, and Sao Paulo has a Senna-influenced magic to it - one that hit new peaks this year with wide Latam support for Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, plus honorary citizen Lewis Hamilton.
3. Location
The third criterion is the circuit's wider location and its appeal, which is an integral part of the experience for fans and staff alike. What else does the grand prix host have to offer off the track?
| Oleg Karpov | Stuart Codling | Jake Boxall-Legge | Ronald Vording | Filip Cleeren | Roberto Chinchero | Overall top 10 | |
| 1 | Spielberg | Austin | Melbourne | Miami | Melbourne | Melbourne | Melbourne |
| 2 | Monza | Melbourne | Suzuka | Monaco | Sao Paulo | Montreal | Singapore |
| 3 | Melbourne | Mexico | Singapore | Las Vegas | Singapore | Suzuka | Suzuka |
| 4 | Sao Paulo | Montreal | Montreal | Singapore | Suzuka | Spielberg | Sao Paulo |
| 5 | Mexico | Singapore | Sao Paulo | Suzuka | Mexico | Budapest | Montreal |
| 6 | Singapore | Monza | Budapest | Budapest | Montreal | Austin | Mexico |
| 7 | Las Vegas | Monaco | Spielberg | Abu Dhabi | Barcelona | Miami | Spielberg |
| 8 | Miami | Spielberg | Silverstone | Baku | Spa | Abu Dhabi | Monza |
| 9 | Austin | Budapest | Monza | Montreal | Budapest | Bahrain | Austin |
| 10 | Baku | Suzuka | Baku | Spielberg | Austin | Barcelona | Miami |
Filip Cleeren - Melbourne just edges Sao Paulo and Singapore
We are extremely privileged to travel to some of the world's great cities, and Melbourne just edges Sao Paulo and Singapore for me with its combination of city life and nature, its diverse food scene and relaxed lifestyle. I moved to Barcelona after attending a Spanish Grand Prix way back when, and of all the other places on the list, Melbourne is probably the other city I could see myself relocate to.
What also helps is that Albert Park is right in the middle of the city, so fans can just hop on the tram to get to the event. The buzz is even bigger when Australia hosts the season opener, and F1 really takes over the town during race week in a way it does in few other cities. It's important to preserve traditional road courses, but it's also not hard to see why Liberty Media is keen on these destination cities. The key is finding the right balance.
Stuart Codling - Austin hits the right notes
Out of town but close enough for that not to be a problem, COTA has a distinct sense of place as well as being in close proximity to Austin's fun and bohemian city. There’s probably a touch of recency bias in me placing it above Melbourne since I haven’t attended the Australian GP in ages.
One hallmark of Bernie Ecclestone’s reign was the migration towards white-elephant venues miles from anywhere. But if Formula 1 really wants to grow its audience, it needs to embrace the great world cities: that way attending a grand prix can become part of a holiday and have a broader appeal. The Mexico GP is a great example of a destination race in a place which is fascinating to visit.
Ronald Vording - Why I'm enjoying the US races
I’m the only one with two American cities in my top three, and I feel that requires some (or maybe a lot of) explanation. I admit: in terms of pure F1 experiences and with an old-school racing heart, those venues certainly don’t belong at the top. But when it comes to the wider region, I personally love spending some extra time in Florida, exploring the Florida Keys, or to go hiking in the national parks of California and Nevada – or indeed, even the Grand Canyon. It makes these destinations worth visiting, just like Japan, thanks to a couple of extra days in Tokyo, or Singapore, due to the versatility of that city.
But this part of the ranking is probably the most difficult one because what about Budapest, Baku or Austria? If the past few years have taught me anything, it's that all F1 destinations (well, almost all...) have their own charm.
Jake Boxall-Legge - Everybody loves Melbourne
This was the easiest to pick - everybody loves Melbourne; a city of sport, culture, great coffee, and lovely people. The circuit's location in the middle of the city makes travelling to work a joy, with walks through Albert Park en route. And, since the timetable is generally amenable to those at the track, there are chances to enjoy the city's offerings of live entertainment and stellar culinary offerings at night.
Suzuka is also fun; since it's a long trip out, it's sensible to go a few days early to explore Tokyo or Osaka before shinkansen-ing it to Nagoya. Singapore and Montreal were high on my list too, largely for food-based reasons; both trips I prepared for by watching the respective episodes of Anthony Bourdain's The Layover. Montreal's yearly traffic nonsense just put it behind Singapore. Plus, one needs to give a shout out to Budapest too - go for the race, stay for the plethora of restaurants and palatial architecture.
4. Circuit facilities
Our fourth category is the circuit's facilities. How enjoyable is it to spend time, watch the action and work at the race track? Is it easy to get in and out? A clear trend emerges in which F1's newest venues are leaving Europe's heartland in the dust...
| Oleg Karpov | Stuart Codling | Jake Boxall-Legge | Ronald Vording | Filip Cleeren | Roberto Chinchero | Overall top 10 | |
| 1 | Spielberg | Austin | Abu Dhabi | Spielberg | Spielberg | Spielberg | Spielberg |
| 2 | Bahrain | Spielberg | Qatar | Bahrain | Austin | Melbourne | Bahrain |
| 3 | Abu Dhabi | Mexico | Bahrain | Austin | Singapore | Austin | Abu Dhabi |
| 4 | Baku | Bahrain | Miami | Abu Dhabi | Miami | Bahrain | Miami |
| 5 | Miami | Baku | Jeddah | Miami | Mexico | Silverstone | Austin |
| 6 | Qatar | Silverstone | Spielberg | Singapore | Abu Dhabi | Montreal | Singapore |
| 7 | Monaco | Singapore | Silverstone | Zandvoort | Silverstone | Singapore | Mexico |
| 8 | Shanghai | Miami | Melbourne | Shanghai | Melbourne | Budapest | Baku |
| 9 | Silverstone | Sao Paulo | Baku | Mexico | Bahrain | Abu Dhabi | Silverstone |
| 10 | Jeddah | Montreal | Budapest | Qatar | Baku | Barcelona | Qatar |
Filip Cleeren - Red Bull Ring is a European oasis
This is a ranking from a journalist's perspective, so you'll have to indulge is for valuing creature comforts like a spacious and conveniently located media centre that actually overlooks the main straight. That used to be a given, but the media are gradually being elbowed out to make room for VIP areas. On a European continent that generally lags behind the flyaway races, Spielberg's impressive Red Bull Ring is a welcome oasis. Austin is second due to its excellent all-round facilities, while I'm a big fan of being able to walk into the circuit in Singapore.
Oleg Karpov - Austria is in a league of its own
Hermann Tilke and his company may get some criticism for track designs – more often than not, completely unjustified, in my humble opinion – but the Aachen firm definitely knows how to take care of circuit infrastructure. And the facilities at modern tracks are just a night-and-day difference compared to the good old Barcelonas and Spas, although some of the historical tracks have been refurbished in recent years – and the new pit buildings at Silverstone or the most recent one at the Hungaroring are definitely great. Still, the luxurious conditions at the likes of Abu Dhabi or Qatar beat refurbished historical tracks.
But even in that category, the Red Bull Ring is almost in a league of its own – with journalists’ opinions probably being biased simply because the media centre at the Austrian track is a paradise, with a gigantic panoramic view of the entire track from an excellent working space.
Jake Boxall-Legge - This is where the Middle Eastern races shine
Although there are legitimate criticisms to be made about the value of some of the Middle Eastern circuits - although these can be carried over towards many other venues on the F1 calendar - one cannot deny that the facilities are generally great.
Bahrain kicked off the high-spend infrastructure with a big paddock and a villa for each team, but I think Abu Dhabi tweaked it slightly more successfully. The massive screens mean you don't need to injure your neck to look up for two hours, the media centre is right in the thick of the paddock, there's a harbour for quiet contemplation, and the teams can all stay next to the track as Yas Island hosts a plethora of hotels.
Stuart Codling - Austin edges Mexico
I see Jake has joined Oleg’s glue-sniffing club in putting Abu Dhabi top of this list! Every year it feels as if this venue is hosting a grand prix for the first time, such is the litany of rookie errors. You can’t even get to the place where you’re supposed to pick up your credentials without being screamed at by a security guard. I’ll pass, thanks.
I’m not wedded to the need for a big window in the media centre overlooking the main straight, hence I rate Austin and Mexico above several venues which have better views. Both are super-convenient for paddock access, offer convivial environments, and serve up excellent local cuisine (those of vegetarian persuasion may take a different view).
In previous years Mexico would have ranked above Austin for me on account of its superior coffee offering, but in 2025 they dropped the baristas in favour of three machines, only one of which was working at any given time. Yes, yes, first world problems…
Our overall top 10
| Ranking | Race |
| 1 | Spielberg |
| 2 | Suzuka |
| 3 | Silverstone |
| 4 | Sao Paulo |
| 5 | Monza |
| 6 | Melbourne |
| 7 | Bahrain |
| 8 | Austin |
| 9 | Spa |
| 10= | Mexico |
| 10= | Singapore |
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