Forgotten F1 track that was so dangerous it was banned is now eligible to host a Grand Prix again
A notoriously dangerous Formula 1 track, which was previously banned, is now eligible to host a Grand Prix again.
F1 is one of the biggest and most popular sports in the world, with races taking place in different corners of the globe.
Over the years, the likes of Great Britain, Monaco, Australia and America have been home to the pinnacle of motorsports.
Advert
Back in 1947, before the glamour of modern F1, the Swiss Grand Prix was held at the Circuit Bremgarten in Bern, Switzerland.
It has been suggested that the circuit didn't have a proper straight, and it was made up of multiple high-speed corners.
The track was described as one of the most dangerous tracks of all time due to its tree-lined roads, poor lighting conditions and changes in road surfaces.
In 1948, the Circuit Bremgarten claimed the life of Italian Achille Varzi, who was the winner of the 1933 Monaco Grand Prix.
After the 1955 Le Mans disaster, where 84 people were killed during the 24-hour Le Mans race held at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France, Switzerland imposed a nationwide spectator racing sports ban, with the exception of hillclimbing and rallying.
As a result, the Circuit Bremgarten was taken off the F1 calendar by force and it has never hosted a Grand Prix since.
In 2017, the ban was slightly relaxed to allow the inaugural Zurich Formula E race to happen.
As reported by Motorsport Week, the ban was lifted in 2022, meaning the Circuit Bremgarten is technically eligible to host a Grand Prix race.
However, due to the lack of improvements made since the ban was introduced, it is unlikely that it will be considered safe or big enough to host a modern F1 Grand Prix.
Very few updates on the track have been posted ever since Switzerland introduced a racing ban.
On the F1 2020 game, there was a virtual version of the Circuit Bremgarten, which can be found here.
Despite the ban, a Swiss Grand Prix was held in 1982. However, it was held in Dijon, France, instead of in Switzerland.
The race was won by Williams-Ford driver Keke Rosberg, ahead of Renault's Alain Prost and McLaren-Ford star Niki Lauda.
Marcus Chan