Donington Park

Turn 1, is a medium-speed right-hander that kicks off the lap, approached at high speed from the pit straight. The corner invites late braking, but the downhill exit punishes over-commitment with understeer that will bleed speed through the critical Craner Curves. Precision here sets the tone for the entire first sector.

Turn 2, is a gentle, high-speed right-hand kink that acts as the gateway into the Craner Curves. It’s flat-out in a GT3, but your positioning here is critical, the way you exit Hollywood dictates your line and stability for the downhill plunge into T3.

Turn 3, the second part of Craner Curves is a fast, downhill left-hander that demands precision and bravery. The track drops away, lightening the car and making it easy to run wide. Any instability here will cost you dearly into Old Hairpin.

Turn 4, is one of Donington Park’s most deceptive corners. Despite the name, it’s not a tight hairpin at all, but a fast, flowing right-hander taken downhill in compression. The approach from T3 is blind and rapid, and the camber at the bottom of the hill offers more grip than you expect., rewarding commitment and precision. 

Turn 5, is more of a short, uphill kink than a full corner, but it’s a key transition point. You’re accelerating hard out of Old Hairpin, climbing the hill, and the road subtly bends right under the bridge. The goal here is to keep the car stable and positioned perfectly for the fast left of Schwantz Curve.

Turn 6, is a fast, uphill left-hander that crests before dropping slightly toward the braking zone for McLeans. In most GT3 cars it’s flat or near-flat, but the camber change and elevation mean you must keep the car balanced. The priority is a clean, stable exit that leaves you perfectly placed for the heavy braking into T7.

Turn 7, is a medium-speed, slightly uphill right-hander that’s one of Donington Park’s most technical and easy-to-misjudge corners. The braking zone is short and subtly curved. A late apex is essential, it opens up the exit and maximizes your run toward Coppice. Turn in too early and you’ll push wide, killing your speed for the long straight that follows.

Turn 8, is one of Donington Park’s most important corners for lap time. It’s a blind, uphill right-hander with a late apex that feeds directly onto the long back straight. Because you can’t see the apex on turn-in, commitment and reference points are everything. Nail this corner and you’ll carry maximum speed all the way to the Fogarty Esses, get it wrong and you’ll lose time for the rest of the lap.

Turn 9, the first part of the Fogarty Esses is a heavy-braking, downhill left-hander at the end of the long back straight from Coppice. It’s one of the prime overtaking spots on the lap, but the downhill braking zone can easily cause lockups if you’re too aggressive. The goal is to brake late but under control, clip the inside curb, and straighten the car quickly for the right-hand flick of T10.

Turn 10, the second part of the Fogarty Esses is a sharper right-hand flick that rewards aggressive but controlled curb usage. You’re still carrying the weight transfer from T9, so the key is to keep the car balanced while opening the steering early to get a strong drive toward Melbourne Hairpin.

Turn 11, is the slowest corner on the circuit, a tight, downhill right-hander that demands heavy braking and precise rotation. It’s a prime overtaking spot, but the downhill approach makes it easy to lock the fronts if you’re too aggressive. A clean, late apex is essential to get the car rotated for the short run to Goddards.

Turn 12, is the final corner on the Donington Park GP layout: a tight, downhill left-hander that leads directly onto the start/finish straight. The braking zone is downhill and can be tricky to judge, especially on worn tyres or in low grip conditions. A late apex is essential to get the car rotated and on the throttle early for maximum speed across the line.