race in July 2006 Brands Hatch offers two layout configurations. The "Indy Circuit" layout is located entirely within a natural amphitheatre offering spectators views of almost all of the shorter configurations from wherever they watch. The "Grand Prix" layout has played host to several
Formula One Grands Prix, including those with moments such as
Jo Siffert's duel with
Chris Amon in and 1992 World Driver's Champion
Nigel Mansell's first win in . Noise restrictions and the proximity of the Grand Prix loop to local residents mean that the number of race meetings held on the extended circuit is limited to just a few per year (usually for higher-profile series such as the
BTCC and the
BSB). The full Grand Prix circuit begins on the
Brabham Straight, an
off-camber, slightly curved stretch, before plunging into the right-hander at Paddock Hill Bend, with gradients of 8%. Despite the difficulty of the curve, due to the straight that precedes it, it is one of the track's few overtaking spots. The next corner, Druids, is a hairpin bend, taken after an uphill braking zone at
Hailwood Hill. The track then curves around the south bank spectator area into the downhill, off-camber
Graham Hill Bend, and another, slightly bent stretch at the
Cooper Straight, which runs parallel to the pit lane. After the straight, the circuit climbs uphill though the decreasing-radius
Surtees turn, before moving onto the back straight where the track's top speeds can be reached. The most significant elevation changes on the circuit occur here at Pilgrim's Drop and
Hawthorn Hill, which leads into Hawthorn Bend (with some parts approaching 7%). The track then loops around the woodland with a series of mid-speed corners, most notably the dip at Westfield and Dingle Dell and the blind
Sheene curve. From there the track then emerges from the left hand and cambered
Stirlings Bend onto the short straight to Clearways and rejoins the Indy Circuit for
Clark Curve with its uphill off-camber approach to the pit straight and the start/finish line. The British
Rallycross Circuit at Brands Hatch was designed and constructed by Trevor Hopkins, a four-times British Rallycross Champion. Completed around 1981, the circuit spans approximately . A notable feature is the starting point on the startline, followed by a right turn and descent on loose terrain at Paddock Hill Bend. After navigating the left-right Esses at the bottom, the circuit rejoins the Indy Circuit, leading up and around Druids hairpin. A 90-degree left turn through Langley's Gap and across the knife-edge connects back to the Indy Circuit, but in an anti-clockwise direction. Subsequently, cars proceed from Cooper Straight, swooping up the old link road and returning to Paddock. ==History==