Bira Circuit

The Bira Circuit is a 1.5-mile (2.41-km) raceway named after the first Thai racer of Formula 1, Prince Bira of Siam, who participated in 19 Grand Prix races from 1950 to 1954. The circuit is part of a motorsports complex in Pattaya, Thailand, a tourist destination on an hour and a half ride south of Bangkok. The Bira Circuit includes a road racing course, a kart-racing course, an off-road track, and a rally stage, combining to form the most comprehensive motorsports location in Southeast Asia. The climate in Pattaya is tropical, humid, and hot all year-round, with a dry season from December to April and a rainy season from May to mid-November.  

There are 12 turns on the Bira Circuit trajectory, which looks like a hook when seen from above. Races start at the middle of the front straightaway, a short and narrow road where drivers develop up to 150 km/h (93 mph). Corners one and two combine to form a tight-angle left-hander, where the screeching sound of race car tires fills up the air. Turn number three is even tighter and requires drivers to down speed to about 50 km/h (31 mph). A heavy acceleration sector starts right after this point, including sweeping turns four, five, and six, where racers increase their speed up to 150 km/h (93 mph) again. Chicane-like sectors in turns seven, eight, nine, and ten keep velocity under check before reaching the last tight corners eleven and twelve.