The original, sweeping circuit was in use from 1961 until political sanctions (due to apartheid policies) eliminated the Grand Prix after the 1985 race.[2] When the circuit was rebuilt in the early 1990s as part of a commercial development, Leeukop Bend, the Kink, Pit lane, the start/finish straight, Crowthorne Corner and Barbeque Bend were all eliminated. Jukskei Sweep was heavily modified to create the entrance into the bend before the then newly built Pit lane and start/finish straight. The remaining part of the old fast circuit, modified to a lesser degree were Sunset Bend, Clubhouse Bend and the Esses still incorporated into the current configuration, with the result that the circuit became a narrow, twisty ribbon rather than one of the fastest circuits on the calendar. Formula One abandoned the rebuilt circuit in 1993 after just two races on the new layout, caused by a bankruptcy on the part of the promoter.
Kyalami was changed again with the building of the current pit lane and start/finish straight and later again changes were made, with the addition of a chicane which in turn was removed again for the 2009 World Superbike race.[3] Kyalami came under new management and 2008 saw the 50th anniversary of the 9-hour revival being held at Kyalami with golden oldies like David Piper and others.[4] On 6 June 2014, it was announced that Kyalami would be auctioned off on 24 July without reserve.[5] On 24 July 2014, it was auctioned off for R205 million. The winning bidder was Toby Venter, owner of Porsche South Africa.[6] R100 million was invested to upgrade the circuit, allowing it to successfully obtain an FIA Grade 2 status.[7]
On 12 December 2019, the provisional calendar for the 2020–21 FIA World Endurance Championship was announced, containing a six-hour race at Kyalami scheduled for 6 February 2021.[8] However, after the calendar was revised due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kyalami was removed.[9][10]
Layout historyEdit
The original layout in red built in 1961, 26 feet wide and measuring 4094m
The widened layout in red built in 1968, 36 feet wide and 40 feet from the Kink to Crowthorne and measuring 4104m
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (1968–1988)
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (1988–1991)
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (1992–1993, 2009–2015)
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (1994–2008)
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (2015–present)
A lap in a GT3 carEdit
A few hundred metres after the start/finish line, the first corner The Kink, a full throttle right handed kink, awaits. Barrelling further down the straight at full throttle, the second corner, named Crowthorne awaits. The typical braking point is around the 100 m (330 ft) board. A second gear left-handed corner, it tightens before opening up on exit, setting the driver up for turns 3 and 4. The Jukskei Sweep as these corners were dubbed after the re-design, are a flat-out right-hander followed by a flat-out left handed kink throwing the driver into the braking zone for turn 5. Barbeque is a second gear left-handed corner which takes the driver onto the line of the classic circuit layout. Utilising the kerb on the exit of Barbeque is necessary as the driver has a short straight to prepare for turn 6. The driver would wait until after the 50 m (160 ft) board before lifting off the throttle and dipping on the brakes through the quick right-hander known as Sunset, one of only four corners left as they were in the first layout. A short burst of throttle is followed by braking at the 50 m (160 ft) board for turn 7, Clubhouse, a slow left-hander typically taken in second gear. Once again utilising the exit kerb, the driver barrels down a short straight before braking, again at the 50 m (160 ft) board, for turn 8. Turns 8 and 9, known as The Esses, are the final corners left over from the first layout. 8 is a medium-speed left hander typically taken in third gear, dipping the driver downhill before the car is flicked right into turn 9. Acceleration is key as the driver rejoins the new layout, going uphill before having to brake roughly 50 m (160 ft) for the blind tenth corner, known as Leeukop. The driver typically decelerates and shifts down the gears to second or first gear, meeting the apex of the corner before accelerating through turn 11. The back straight lasts for a few hundred metres before the driver approaches turn 12, a flat-out left hander known as Mineshaft. Spotting a braking point for turn 13, the first corner of The Crocodiles, can be hard, as it is an off-camber right handed turn which can be taken with several different lines. Turn 14 is little more than the full throttle exit of turn 13, and sets the driver up for turn 15. Cheetah is a tight right hander which the driver typically only needs to lift off the throttle for. It's important to carry speed through it, before spotting a braking point for the final corner. Ingwe is a slow left-hander which sends the driver back onto the start–finish straight to complete the lap.[11]
Niki Lauda became the most successful driver at Kyalami, taking his third victory at the circuit in 1984. Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Jackie Stewart are the joint second-most successful drivers at the circuit, with two wins each. Jody Scheckter became the first and only South African driver to win their home race during the 1975 edition. Ferrari and Williams are the most successful constructors at the circuit, with four wins each.
In June 2022 it was reported that Stefano Domenicali, the President of Formula One, had flown to South Africa to meet representatives of the circuit about a possible return for F1 in 2023, but was not included in the 2023 provisional calendar.[12]
Lap recordsEdit
As of February 2023, the fastest official race lap records of the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit are listed as:
Category
Time
Driver
Vehicle
Date
Grand Prix Circuit (5th Configuration): 4.529 km (2015–present)
^"Kyalami". Racing Circuits. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
^"Monza and Kyalami on 2020–2021 WEC calendar". GrandPrix247. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
^"WEC shelves winter calendar format for 2021". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
^"2021 FIA WEC provisional calendar revealed". www.fiawec.com. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
^"One lap at Kyalami in the Aston GT3". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
^"F1 closes in on deal for South African GP". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
^"2020 Kyalami 9 Hour Classification" (PDF). 12 December 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
^"2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9 Hour Mobil1 V8 Series Race 2 - Classification - Amended" (PDF). 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
^ ab"2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9 Hour Wild Rose Gin Sports & GT Race 2 - Classification" (PDF). 23 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
^ ab"2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami BMW M Performance Parts Race Series Race 2 - Classification - Amended" (PDF). 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
^ ab"2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami Global Touring Car and SupaCup Championships Race 1 - Classification" (PDF). 24 February 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
^"2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9 Hour Investchem F1600 & FF Kent Race 2 - Classification" (PDF). 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
^"Speedhive". 24 August 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
^"Kyalami 9 Hours 1971". Retrieved 5 February 2023.
^"Group C2 Kyalami 1987". Retrieved 22 November 2022.
^"Kyalami 1000 Kilometres 1979". Retrieved 5 February 2023.
External linksEdit
Map and circuit history at RacingCircuits.info 15 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine
Kyalami Marshals Association
Satellite picture by Google Maps
Kyalami Kart Circuit
October 14, 2023
kyalami, this, article, about, motor, racing, circuit, gauteng, south, africa, other, uses, disambiguation, grand, prix, circuit, from, khaya, lami, home, zulu, motor, racing, circuit, located, midrand, gauteng, south, africa, just, north, johannesburg, circui. This article is about the motor racing circuit in Gauteng South Africa For other uses see Kyalami disambiguation Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit from Khaya lami My home in Zulu is a 4 529 km 2 814 mi motor racing circuit located in Midrand Gauteng South Africa just north of Johannesburg The circuit has been used for Grand Prix and Formula One races and has hosted the South African Grand Prix twenty times Among the Formula One races held at the track the 1977 South African Grand Prix stands out as it is principally remembered for the fatal accident that claimed the lives of race marshal Frederick Jansen van Vuuren and driver Tom Pryce In recent years the area surrounding the circuit has developed into a residential and commercial suburb of Johannesburg More recently Kyalami has played host to five rounds of the Superbike World Championship from 1998 to 2002 and later in 2009 and 2010 the season finale of the Superstars Series in 2009 and 2010 and the South African round of the 2008 09 A1 Grand Prix season International racing returned to the circuit in November 2019 when it hosted the 2019 Kyalami 9 Hours serving as the season finale of the 2019 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami Grand Prix CircuitGrand Prix Circuit 2015 present LocationMidrand Gauteng South AfricaTime zoneSAST UTC 02 00 Coordinates25 59 53 S 28 4 08 E 25 99806 S 28 06889 E 25 99806 28 06889Capacity100 000FIA Grade2OwnerToby Venter 2014 present Broke ground1961Opened4 November 1961 61 years ago 1961 11 04 1 Major eventsCurrent Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9 Hours 2019 2020 2022 present Former Formula OneSouth African Grand Prix 1967 1985 1992 1993 Grand Prix motorcycle racingSouth African motorcycle Grand Prix 1983 1985 1992 World SBK 1998 2002 2009 2010 Sidecar World Championship 2000 2002 A1 Grand Prix 2009 Superstars Series 2009 2010 Grand Prix Masters 2005 World Sportscar Championship 1974 1983 1984 Websitekyalamigrandprixcircuit comGrand Prix Circuit 2015 present SurfaceAsphaltLength4 529 km 2 814 miles Turns16Race lap record1 42 021 Matt Campbell Porsche 911 GT3 R 2020 GT3 Grand Prix Circuit 1992 1993 and 2009 2015 SurfaceAsphaltLength4 261 km 2 648 miles Turns13Race lap record1 17 578 Nigel Mansell Williams FW14B 1992 F1 Grand Prix Circuit 1994 2009 SurfaceAsphaltLength4 2606 km 2 647 miles Turns13Race lap record1 28 306 Fairuz Fauzy A1GP Ferrari 2009 A1 GP Grand Prix Circuit 1989 1991 SurfaceAsphaltLength3 888 km 2 416 miles Turns11Race lap record1 30 660 Roland Asch Mercedes 190E 2 5 16 Evo2 1990 Group A Original Grand Prix Circuit 1961 1988 SurfaceAsphaltLength4 104 km 2 550 miles Turns9Race lap record1 08 149 Keke Rosberg Williams FW10 1985 F1 Contents 1 History 2 Layout history 3 A lap in a GT3 car 4 South African Grand Prix 5 Lap records 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksHistory EditThe original sweeping circuit was in use from 1961 until political sanctions due to apartheid policies eliminated the Grand Prix after the 1985 race 2 When the circuit was rebuilt in the early 1990s as part of a commercial development Leeukop Bend the Kink Pit lane the start finish straight Crowthorne Corner and Barbeque Bend were all eliminated Jukskei Sweep was heavily modified to create the entrance into the bend before the then newly built Pit lane and start finish straight The remaining part of the old fast circuit modified to a lesser degree were Sunset Bend Clubhouse Bend and the Esses still incorporated into the current configuration with the result that the circuit became a narrow twisty ribbon rather than one of the fastest circuits on the calendar Formula One abandoned the rebuilt circuit in 1993 after just two races on the new layout caused by a bankruptcy on the part of the promoter It hosted the South African motorcycle Grand Prix until 1992 Kyalami was changed again with the building of the current pit lane and start finish straight and later again changes were made with the addition of a chicane which in turn was removed again for the 2009 World Superbike race 3 Kyalami came under new management and 2008 saw the 50th anniversary of the 9 hour revival being held at Kyalami with golden oldies like David Piper and others 4 On 6 June 2014 it was announced that Kyalami would be auctioned off on 24 July without reserve 5 On 24 July 2014 it was auctioned off for R205 million The winning bidder was Toby Venter owner of Porsche South Africa 6 R100 million was invested to upgrade the circuit allowing it to successfully obtain an FIA Grade 2 status 7 On 12 December 2019 the provisional calendar for the 2020 21 FIA World Endurance Championship was announced containing a six hour race at Kyalami scheduled for 6 February 2021 8 However after the calendar was revised due to the COVID 19 pandemic Kyalami was removed 9 10 Layout history Edit nbsp The original layout in red built in 1961 26 feet wide and measuring 4094m nbsp The widened layout in red built in 1968 36 feet wide and 40 feet from the Kink to Crowthorne and measuring 4104m nbsp Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit 1968 1988 nbsp Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit 1988 1991 nbsp Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit 1992 1993 2009 2015 nbsp Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit 1994 2008 nbsp Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit 2015 present A lap in a GT3 car EditA few hundred metres after the start finish line the first corner The Kink a full throttle right handed kink awaits Barrelling further down the straight at full throttle the second corner named Crowthorne awaits The typical braking point is around the 100 m 330 ft board A second gear left handed corner it tightens before opening up on exit setting the driver up for turns 3 and 4 The Jukskei Sweep as these corners were dubbed after the re design are a flat out right hander followed by a flat out left handed kink throwing the driver into the braking zone for turn 5 Barbeque is a second gear left handed corner which takes the driver onto the line of the classic circuit layout Utilising the kerb on the exit of Barbeque is necessary as the driver has a short straight to prepare for turn 6 The driver would wait until after the 50 m 160 ft board before lifting off the throttle and dipping on the brakes through the quick right hander known as Sunset one of only four corners left as they were in the first layout A short burst of throttle is followed by braking at the 50 m 160 ft board for turn 7 Clubhouse a slow left hander typically taken in second gear Once again utilising the exit kerb the driver barrels down a short straight before braking again at the 50 m 160 ft board for turn 8 Turns 8 and 9 known as The Esses are the final corners left over from the first layout 8 is a medium speed left hander typically taken in third gear dipping the driver downhill before the car is flicked right into turn 9 Acceleration is key as the driver rejoins the new layout going uphill before having to brake roughly 50 m 160 ft for the blind tenth corner known as Leeukop The driver typically decelerates and shifts down the gears to second or first gear meeting the apex of the corner before accelerating through turn 11 The back straight lasts for a few hundred metres before the driver approaches turn 12 a flat out left hander known as Mineshaft Spotting a braking point for turn 13 the first corner of The Crocodiles can be hard as it is an off camber right handed turn which can be taken with several different lines Turn 14 is little more than the full throttle exit of turn 13 and sets the driver up for turn 15 Cheetah is a tight right hander which the driver typically only needs to lift off the throttle for It s important to carry speed through it before spotting a braking point for the final corner Ingwe is a slow left hander which sends the driver back onto the start finish straight to complete the lap 11 South African Grand Prix EditFrom 1967 to 1993 Kyalami hosted 21 editions of the South African Grand Prix Perhaps the most infamous of these was the 1982 edition when the Grand Prix Drivers Association staged a strike in protest of new superlicence conditions imposed by FISA Niki Lauda became the most successful driver at Kyalami taking his third victory at the circuit in 1984 Alain Prost Nigel Mansell and Jackie Stewart are the joint second most successful drivers at the circuit with two wins each Jody Scheckter became the first and only South African driver to win their home race during the 1975 edition Ferrari and Williams are the most successful constructors at the circuit with four wins each In June 2022 it was reported that Stefano Domenicali the President of Formula One had flown to South Africa to meet representatives of the circuit about a possible return for F1 in 2023 but was not included in the 2023 provisional calendar 12 Lap records EditAs of February 2023 the fastest official race lap records of the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit are listed as Category Time Driver Vehicle DateGrand Prix Circuit 5th Configuration 4 529 km 2015 present Audi R8 LMS 1 41 425 Michael Stephen Audi R8 LMS Ultimate Outlaws 2023 Kyalami Festival of MotoringGT3 1 42 021 13 Matt Campbell Porsche 911 991 II GT3 R 2020 Kyalami 9 HoursSports car racing 1 47 167 14 Julian Fameliaris Chevrolet Corvette C8 2023 Kyalami Mobil1 V8 Series roundGroup CN 1 47 188 15 Mikaeel Pitamber Ligier JS53 2023 Kyalami Wild Rose Gin Sports amp GT roundTouring car racing 1 48 495 16 Paulo Loureiro BMW 335i 2023 Kyalami BMW M Performance Parts Race Series roundGTC 1 51 091 17 Saood Wariawa Toyota Corolla E210 2023 Kyalami Global Touring Car Championship roundPorsche Carrera Cup 1 51 774 15 Nicky Dicks Porsche 911 991 II GT3 Cup 2023 Kyalami Wild Rose Gin Sports amp GT roundFormula Ford 1 53 152 18 Troy Dolinschek Mygale M13 SJ 2023 Kyalami Investchem F1600 roundGT4 1 52 127 19 Joseph Ellerine Audi R8 LMS GT4 2023 Kyalami Festival of MotoringSupaCup 1 54 958 17 Jonathan Mogotsi Volkswagen Polo VI 2023 Kyalami Global Touring Car Championship roundSuper Touring 1 57 480 16 Andreas Meier BMW E36 STC 2023 Kyalami BMW M Performance Parts Race Series roundZX10 Masters Cup 1 50 026 Trevor Westman 2022 Kawasaki zx10R 2022 Festival of Motoring Round 7 Grand Prix Circuit 3rd Configuration 4 261 km 1992 1993 and 2009 2015 Formula One 1 17 578 Nigel Mansell Williams FW14B 1992 South African Grand PrixWorld SBK 1 38 170 Michel Fabrizio Ducati 1098R 2010 Kyalami World SBK round500cc 1 39 952 Wayne Gardner Honda NSR500 1992 South African motorcycle Grand PrixWorld SSP 1 41 053 Eugene Laverty Honda CBR600RR 2009 Kyalami World SSP round250cc 1 42 094 Max Biaggi Aprilia RSV 250 1992 South African motorcycle Grand Prix125cc 1 48 687 Carlos Giro Jr Aprilia RS125R 1992 South African motorcycle Grand PrixGrand Prix Circuit 4th Configuration 4 2606 km 1994 2009 A1GP 1 28 306 Fairuz Fauzy A1GP Powered by Ferrari car 2008 09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations South AfricaF3000 1 29 855 20 Kenny Brack Reynard 94D 1995 Birkin Cars TVR Invitational RaceWSC 1 34 776 21 Mauro Baldi Ferrari 333 SP 1998 2 h 30 min KyalamiGP Masters 1 36 390 22 Nigel Mansell Delta Motorsport GP Masters car 23 24 2005 Kyalami Grand Prix MastersLMP900 1 36 756 25 Eric Bernard Lola B98 10 1999 SportsRacing World Cup KyalamiWorld SBK 1 42 178 26 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia RSV 1000 2002 Kyalami World SBK roundLMP675 1 43 070 27 Mark Smithson Pilbeam MP84 2000 Vodacom Speed Festival KyalamiWesBank V8 Challenge 1 46 230 27 Sarel van der Merwe Chevrolet Camaro 2000 Vodacom Speed Festival KyalamiWorld SSP 1 46 975 28 James Whitham Yamaha YZF R6 2002 Kyalami World SSP roundGrand Prix Circuit 2nd Configuration 3 888 km 1989 1991 Group A 1 46 975 29 Roland Asch Mercedes 190E 2 5 16 Evo2 1990 Yellow Pages 200Grand Prix Circuit 1st Configuration 4 104 km 1961 1988 Formula One 1 08 149 Keke Rosberg Williams FW10 1985 South African Grand PrixGroup C1 1 11 170 30 Jochen Mass Porsche 956 1986 Southern Sun 500Group 5 1 19 300 31 Gerard Larrousse Matra Simca MS670C 1974 Kyalami 6 HoursGroup 6 1 20 100 32 Mario Andretti Ferrari 312 PB 1971 Kyalami 9 HoursGroup C2 1 20 680 33 Wayne Taylor Tiga GC287 1987 Kyalami Group C2 race500cc 1 24 910 Freddie Spencer Honda NSR500 1985 South African motorcycle Grand PrixGroup 4 1 25 340 34 Jochen Mass BMW M1 1979 1000 km of Kyalami250cc 1 28 140 Mario Rademeyer Yamaha TZ 250 1985 South African motorcycle Grand PrixSee also Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kyalami Francis Tucker List of Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit fatalitiesNotes EditReferences Edit Circuit Facts Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit Retrieved 1 December 2019 service Grandprix com First amp fastest The original online F1 news Grandprix com grandprix com de Carli Guido TRACKS KYALAMI gdecarli it THREE HOUR ENDURANCE RACE FOR HISTORIC CARS Independent Online 20 November 2008 Retrieved 23 February 2009 Ackroyd Bianca Kyalami race track to go under the hammer enca com TimesLIVE Sunday Times Johannesburg Kyalami Racing Circuits Retrieved 11 December 2019 Monza and Kyalami on 2020 2021 WEC calendar GrandPrix247 12 December 2019 Retrieved 12 December 2019 WEC shelves winter calendar format for 2021 www motorsport com Retrieved 19 March 2021 2021 FIA WEC provisional calendar revealed www fiawec com Retrieved 19 March 2021 One lap at Kyalami in the Aston GT3 YouTube Archived from the original on 12 December 2021 Retrieved 11 December 2019 F1 closes in on deal for South African GP BBC Sport Retrieved 13 June 2022 2020 Kyalami 9 Hour Classification PDF 12 December 2020 Retrieved 18 March 2021 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9 Hour Mobil1 V8 Series Race 2 Classification Amended PDF 25 February 2023 Retrieved 26 February 2023 a b 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9 Hour Wild Rose Gin Sports amp GT Race 2 Classification PDF 23 February 2023 Retrieved 26 February 2023 a b 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami BMW M Performance Parts Race Series Race 2 Classification Amended PDF 25 February 2023 Retrieved 26 February 2023 a b 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami Global Touring Car and SupaCup Championships Race 1 Classification PDF 24 February 2023 Retrieved 6 August 2023 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9 Hour Investchem F1600 amp FF Kent Race 2 Classification PDF 25 February 2023 Retrieved 26 February 2023 Speedhive 24 August 2023 Retrieved 6 February 2022 1995 Kyalami F3000 Retrieved 1 May 2022 2 h 30 min Kyalami 1998 Retrieved 7 August 2021 2005 Kyalami Grand Prix Masters Retrieved 20 April 2022 THE HOTTEST SEAT IN MOTORSPORT Grand Prix Masters launches 2 seater like no other automobilsport com www automobilsport com 2005 Reynard 2KI Grand Prix Masters Monaco 2022 2 h 30 min Kyalami 1999 Retrieved 29 January 2023 Superbike Kyalami 5 6 7 April 2002 Results Race 2 PDF World Superbike Dorna 7 April 2002 Retrieved 29 January 2023 a b Vodacom Speed Festival Kyalami Retrieved 19 May 2022 Supersport Kyalami 5 6 7 April 2002 Results Race PDF World Superbike Dorna 7 April 2002 Retrieved 7 August 2021 1990 Yellow Pages 200 Retrieved 20 May 2022 Kyalami 500 Kilometres 1986 Retrieved 7 August 2021 Kyalami 6 Hours 1974 Retrieved 19 May 2022 Kyalami 9 Hours 1971 Retrieved 5 February 2023 Group C2 Kyalami 1987 Retrieved 22 November 2022 Kyalami 1000 Kilometres 1979 Retrieved 5 February 2023 External links EditMap and circuit history at RacingCircuits info Archived 15 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine Kyalami Marshals Association Satellite picture by Google Maps Kyalami Kart Circuit Shelby Can Am Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kyalami amp oldid 1178699104, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
