Exploring 5 oldest race tracks on 2023 F1 calendar

F1 is hosting its longest season with 23 races this year. The calendar has a mix of street circuits, purpose-built tracks and historical tracks. Some tracks like Spa, Silverstone and Monza have been on the calendar since the sport's inception in 1950.

The sport has raced on many historic tracks. Here is a look at the five oldest ones on the current calendar:

#1 Autodromo Nazionale di Monza

As per F1.com, the track is currently the oldest on the calendar, as it turned 100 years old in 2022 and has been hosting F1 races since 1950. The superfast 5.8 km layout, named 'The Temple of Speed', retains many of the original corners from earlier, but the banked oval section hasn’t been used since 1961.

#2 Silverstone

The iconic British track was built on the World War II airstrip and hosted the first race of the official World Championship in 1950. It's considered 'The Home of F1', as the sport is originally British. Silverstone has established itself as the sole host of the British Grand Prix since the late 1980s.

#3 Circuit de Monaco

Opened in 1929, Monaco is arguably the most famous race on the calendar and is aptly titled the 'crown jewel' of the sport.

The short, twisty nature of the track is a challenge for drivers. Drivers' skills behind the wheel and the track's lavish location attract many celebrities for the race weekend.

#4 Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

The ultimate test of a driver’s skills and nerves, the original Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps comprised 15 km of hilly public roads in the Ardennes mountains.

The circuit hosted the Belgian Grand Prix for the first time in 1925 and has remained a part of the calendar since the advent of the modern World Championship in 1950. The track is currently the longest of the year, with a length of 7.007 km.

#5 Circuit Zandvoort F1

Zandvoort staged the Dutch Grand Prix 30 times between 1952 and 1985 but fell off the calendar in the mid-80s.

It made a comeback to the grid in 2021 in rapturous fashion. It created one of the best atmospheres of the season when the crowd got behind its local hero and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

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With the sport adding more races across the globe, it will be fascinating to see which of these iconic and historic tracks stay on the calendar in the coming years.