Circuito de Navarra

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

Circuito de Navarra opened in June 2010 beside the A-12 near Los Arcos, between Pamplona and Logroño. It was a government-backed project, and in November 2022 it was taken over by MotorSport Vision, the company behind Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Snetterton. MSV has spent heavily on the place since. In 2024 the track was resurfaced, Turn 6 was rebuilt, and a 650-metre extension took the full lap from 3.9 km to 4.313 km with 16 corners. WorldSBK raced here once, in 2021, on the old layout.

For British visitors it's the most familiar foreign circuit going. MSV runs it like its UK venues, with car and bike track days on one weekend day a month each, plus UK-run bike events, and there are novice, intermediate and advanced groups for bikes. The lap mixes a fast, flowing first half with a tight, technical second half, so it rewards precision as much as horsepower. Northern Spain is cooler and wetter than Andalusia in deep winter, so spring and autumn are the best bets for warm weather.

A lap of Circuito de Navarra

Layout: Full Circuit, 4.313 km (2.68 miles)

The lap starts with one of the most unusual first corners anywhere. Turn 1 is very fast and keeps tightening the further round you go. Jonathan Rea took it in sixth with a little tip-in on a superbike and compared it to Misano's Curvone. The 2024 resurfacing took the bumps out of the start line area, and riders now say it feels much safer and less likely to snap the bike sideways. The tricky bit on a bike is that you're still leaned over from Turn 1 when it's time to brake for Turn 2, so be careful with the front.

Turn 3 is a quick, sweeping curve where you need to be precise to keep the speed up. The approach to Turn 5 was resurfaced too, and Turn 6, once a slow left, is now a fast corner that runs straight on from Turn 5. Treat the two as one long corner and focus on the exit, not the entry. The track tightens up from here, and Turn 9 is a slow hairpin that's a good place to pass.

Turn 10 now takes you onto the new straight built in 2024, which ends in Turn 11, a banked hairpin designed for overtaking. The banking lets you carry more speed than you'd expect, but don't overdo it on the way in. Turns 12 and 13 are a fast right-left with new elevation changes, and the run-off at 13 has been extended, a clue that people find the limit there.

The final section is tight and technical, the part of the lap where WorldSBK riders said they were in first gear several times. Rea likened its kink-kink-hairpin rhythm to Portimão. Gearing and drive out of the slow corners count for a lot here, because the last corner leads onto the main straight. A smooth, tidy final sector is worth more than heroics in Turn 1.

Track day tips

• MSV runs track days here one weekend day a month for cars and one for bikes, with 20 or 25-minute sessions on the hour. Book ahead for spring and autumn dates.
• Turn 1 gets tighter as you go. Build up your speed over a few laps rather than charging in, and watch the braking for Turn 2.
• Turns 5 and 6 are now one long, fast corner since the 2024 rebuild. If you rode the old layout, forget your old braking point for Turn 6.
• Winter in Navarra can be cold and wet. If you want guaranteed warmth in December or January, look further south, and keep Navarra for spring and autumn.
• Spectators get in free and there's free parking on site, so it's easy to bring a mate along to help in the pit.
• Los Arcos is a small town, so stock up on food and fuel in Logroño or Estella before the day.

Getting there

The circuit is right next to the A-12 between Pamplona and Logroño. Leave at junction 58 and follow the signs. For UK drivers, the Brittany Ferries crossings to Bilbao and Santander are the obvious route, with Bilbao about a two-hour drive away. Bilbao is also the most useful airport, and Biarritz in France is about 90 minutes north. Logroño, about 30 km away, is the nearest big town with plenty of hotels, and Estella and Pamplona are close too. Ask your organiser whether bike transport from the UK is on offer.