Beijing Street Circuit

Circuit History

The Beijing Street Circuit represents a bold new chapter in Chinese motorsport, conceived as the culmination of GT World Challenge Asia's ambitious expansion into street racing. The project was officially revealed in October 2024 at the Beijing Smart Esports Event Center, where GT World Challenge Asia General Manager Benjamin Franassovici joined circuit founder Zou Sirui on stage to unveil the ambitious plans.

The circuit's development comes as part of a broader renaissance in Chinese street racing, building upon SRO Motorsports Group's pioneering heritage in the region. SRO previously organised street races in China during the 1990s, when Zhuhai's public roads hosted the BPR Global GT Series in 1994 and 1995, before the championship relocated to the city's purpose-built permanent circuit. The FIA GT1 World Championship also staged a demonstration event outside Beijing's iconic Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium in 2011, providing a tantalising preview of what motorsport could achieve in China's capital.

Zou Sirui, the circuit's visionary founder, described the project as destined to "become a beacon for Chinese motorsport and jewel in GT World Challenge Asia's crown", whilst SRO founder Stéphane Ratel emphasised the fitting nature of returning to China for the championship's first street circuit venture, stating that "Beijing E-Town and the Beijing Street Circuit promise to provide a spectacular setting for GT3 racing, not just in China and Asia but globally as well".

Engineering excellence and safety innovation

Apex Circuit Design, the British motorsport consultancy responsible for projects including the Miami Grand Prix venue, was entrusted with creating this groundbreaking circuit. Managing Director Dafydd Broom explained that his team "worked closely with event organisers to plan an exciting motorsport event, centred around a state-of-the-art circuit" combining "innovative design and a focus on driver experience".

Safety considerations formed the cornerstone of the design philosophy from the project's inception. Several strategically positioned run-off areas allow drivers of all abilities to explore their limits, whilst the track dimensions significantly exceed those of established street circuits in Singapore and Baku at both its narrowest and widest sections. This generous approach to circuit dimensions reflects modern safety standards whilst maintaining the challenge and spectacle essential to world-class GT3 racing.

E-Town: The perfect setting

The circuit's location within Beijing's Economic-Technological Development Area provides a uniquely contemporary backdrop for motorsport. E-Town represents a highland of high-end manufacturing in Beijing, serving as an innovation-driven platform with four pillar industry clusters: next-generation IT, new energy intelligent vehicles, biotechnology and big health, and robotics and intelligent manufacturing. Established in 1994 and covering 225 square kilometres, E-Town hosts more than 26,000 corporations from over 40 countries with total investment exceeding $100 billion.

Kong Lei, Director of the Administrative Committee for Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, articulated the synergy between motorsport and the region's technological focus: "Motorsport is the experimental field for the evolution of technology. Beijing E-Town will combine high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone and new energy vehicle industry chains to promote its research, production and application through racing".