Inside Donington Park: Exploring the Forgotten Melbourne Loop

Inside Donington Park: Exploring the Forgotten Melbourne Loop 🇬🇧 Part of the 2018 Circuit Tour through England & Northern France 🇬🇧 On July 25th, 2018, I visited Donington Park, one of Britain’s most historic racing venues — and the oldest operational circuit in the UK. This visit was part of my Circuit Tour 2018, which took me across iconic circuits in Northern France and England. In this episode, we dive deep into Donington Park’s modern layout, but also explore something far more rare: the Forgotten Melbourne Loop, a section of track that has vanished from today’s racing calendars. 🏁 What’s in this Video? The day began with a visit to the Donington Grand Prix Collection, Tom Wheatcroft’s renowned motorsport museum filled with historic F1 and racing machinery. Sadly, the museum closed its doors later that same year, making this footage even more valuable. After some waiting — due to a motorcycle event occupying the track — I had the opportunity to film trackside action throughout the day. But the real adventure began in the late afternoon... I was invited for onboard laps with the Donington Park safety car driver, who took me on both the Grand Prix Circuit and the National Circuit. We did a combination of slow reconnaissance laps and high-speed runs, giving a real sense of the track’s flow, elevation, and complexity. Then came the highlight: the Old Melbourne Loop — a now-defunct section of the circuit no longer in use for modern racing. Few people today get to see this part of the track, let alone ride it. Just like on the main circuit, we did a slow lap first, followed by two high-speed laps, capturing onboard footage of this forgotten part of Donington’s history. And just when I thought the day was over, the driver surprised me with a stop at the Banger Racing Track, where he treated me to some drifting and donuts — the perfect way to end an unforgettable visit. 🏟️ About Donington Park Opened in 1931, Donington Park is located near Castle Donington, in Leicestershire, England. Though it started as a racing venue in the interwar years, it was repurposed during World War II as a military vehicle storage site. This left the track in disrepair for decades. It wasn’t until 1971 that the circuit was rescued by Tom Wheatcroft, a local construction entrepreneur and motorsport enthusiast. Under his ownership, Donington underwent major restoration and was soon hosting major events again — most notably the MotoGP British Grand Prix for many years. In 1993, Donington hosted its one and only Formula 1 Grand Prix. The race became legendary thanks to Ayrton Senna’s incredible drive in the rain, which many still regard as one of the greatest F1 performances of all time. Since 2006, Donington Park has been part of the MotorSport Vision Group (MSV), led by former Formula 1 driver Jonathan Palmer. It now hosts a wide variety of top-tier racing events, including: British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) British GT Championship World Superbike Championship (WSBK) Historic Motorsport events Track days and driving experiences 🎤 Special Thanks Huge thanks to Simon Smith for the excellent voice-over work in this video. Be sure to check out his channel for more great content: ‪@HigherPlainGames‬ 🔔 Subscribe for More Historic Circuit Tours Love racing history? Want to see legendary circuits from a new perspective? Subscribe to Circuits of the Past for more deep dives into the world’s most iconic (and forgotten) racetracks. Thanks for watching Inside Donington Park: Exploring the Forgotten Melbourne Loop — and for being part of the Circuit Tour 2018! #CircuitsOfThePast #CircuitTour2018 #DoningtonPark