Ciudad del Motor de Aragón GP Circuit CCW
The raceway of Ciudad del Motor de Aragon, also known as MotorLand Aragon, is an FIA Grade 1 racing circuit designed by the famous German track architect Hermann Tilke receiving input from the Spanish Formula 1 racer Pedro de La Rosa and completed in 2009 in Alcañiz, 92 km away from Zaragoza, Spain. The race track uses the natural terrain of the location to create an exciting trajectory that features vertiginous downslopes full of blind corners and highly technical segments. The Mediterranean climate Alcañiz is optimal for racing, with scarce rainfall and plenty of sunshine year-round.
There are 18 corners in the 3.31-mile (5.32-km) FIA Circuit of Ciudad del Motor de Aragon. The road course starts in the front straight, going counterclockwise at top speed. A 90-degree left-hander at turn one starts the most technically demanding segment of the circuit, with 15 corners of varying degrees and visibility, given the elevation changes and topography of the field. When entering turn eight, drivers face a drastic dive that worsens as they advance into the long, downhill combination of corners ten, eleven, and twelve. Turns 13, 14, and 15 continue going down, leading racers into the back straight where they are free to go full throttle until turn 16, the heaviest braking segment in the track. The last two turns take racers into the final stretch for another exciting lap into this hidden jewel of a road course.
The counterclockwise Grand Prix Circuit at Ciudad del Motor de Aragón (MotorLand Aragón) flows through 5.344 kilometers (3.321 miles) of Hermann Tilke-designed asphalt featuring 18 corners across the Teruel province countryside near Alcañiz, 92 kilometers from Zaragoza in Spain's northeastern region. Running in the counterclockwise direction from the front straight at top speed, this FIA Grade 1 facility opened in 2009 with technical consultation from Formula One driver Pedro de la Rosa, combining Tilke's characteristic blend of high-speed sections and tight technical complexes. The CCW flow showcases the circuit's collaboration between German architectural precision (Tilke) and British design aesthetics (Foster and Partners), creating a modern venue that has hosted MotoGP since 2010 and World Superbike Championship events, with the counterclockwise direction proving particularly demanding for motorcycle racers navigating left-right combinations.
Operating counterclockwise at MotorLand Aragón emphasizes the circuit's elevation changes and blind-entry corners that become more challenging when approached from this direction compared to any potential reversed layout. The 18-turn configuration includes several signature sections where the CCW flow creates specific technical demands—heavy braking zones entering tight hairpins, fast directional changes through esses, and long acceleration zones rewarding horsepower. Spain's continental climate at this inland location creates dramatic temperature variations between scorching summer race weekends (track temperatures exceeding 55°C) and cool spring/autumn events where morning sessions begin in single-digit Celsius conditions. The circuit's remote location in Teruel province—one of Spain's least populated regions—creates a unique atmosphere compared to urban circuits, with the facility serving as an economic anchor for the rural area while providing world-class racing infrastructure. MotoGP and WorldSBK competitors have established the CCW direction as the definitive MotorLand experience, with lap records and racing lines optimized for this counterclockwise flow across Aragón's challenging 5.344-kilometer layout.
