F1 icon urged to save circuit as FIA track closure confirmed

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FIA track to CLOSE as fans call for F1 icon to save circuit

The track is the only FIA-graded track in its country

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 16 April 2026 11:55

An FIA Grade 3 circuit will be closed with fans calling for a former F1 driver and national icon to intervene.

Grades are issued to tracks by the FIA (Grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6), with each grade marking how suitable the track is for a type of car. For example, Formula 1 can only race on Grade 1 tracks, while Grade 6 relates to off-road competitions such as rallycross and even ice racing.

Poland's only FIA-graded track, the Poznan Circuit, was resurfaced and renovated in 2006 and thus achieved the status of a Grade 3 track, which typically hosts races such as GT, Formula Regional and Formula E and with a weight/power ratio of between 2 and 3 kg/hp.

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Being Grade 3, F1 has never raced at the Poznan Circuit, although the track has hosted events such as the Porsche Sprint Challenge Central Europe, TCR Eastern European (touring cars) and Central European Zone Formula 3.

In 2023 however, a decision was made to close the circuit after an inspection from the Polish Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection deemed there to be a violation of noise regulations.

It has now been recently announced that the Poznan circuit will close, after an appeal from the track's owners has been rejected. The track also lost its FIA homologation 10 days before the announcement was made.

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FIA Poznan circuit to be closed

President of the Wielkopolska Automobile Club, Bartosz Bielinski, told Polish publication Glos Wielkopolski: "The decision was issued in 2023 due to neighbours complaining about noise coming from the track. Studies were conducted, and we did indeed have exceedances on two streets near the track.

"The decision of the mayor of Poznan from 2009, which was somewhat unfair to us, reduced the noise to 50 decibels, while other streets have 55 decibels. We appealed this decision, but the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection upheld it today.

"As of today, the Poznan track must be closed as an installation. Thus, the only homologated facility in Poland has been closed."

He added: "Today, motorsport in Poland is no longer a thing of the past. The government is tightening regulations, banning drifting, and where are these young people supposed to learn to drive fast if not on tracks that are being closed? That's the painful truth."

Jakub Przygonski, the ambassador of the Polish Drifting Championships also spoke passionately about the closing of the Poznan circuit, and said: "I hope it's temporary, because we don't have any regulations or laws in Poland that protect such facilities.

"Of course, a motorsports track will generate noise, but the noise is still less than at airports where airplanes fly...So I disagree with this and believe we need to return to a situation where this track is reopened.

"We have more and more young, eager drivers who want to race, but we're not giving them the chance. The regulations on the streets are becoming increasingly restrictive, so let's create opportunities for real racers on the track, so that drivers and riders can learn to drive fast, but in safe conditions. That's what the Poznan track offers, so this is very sad news."

"I would like to point out that we are discriminating a little against the entire range of automotive and motorsport in Poland, and it is simply very unfair, because we have great sporting results around the world, we promote Poland as competitors, we have a lot of good drivers, but they need the opportunity to race somewhere, so I can't imagine such a situation here."

Kubica called upon

Seeing the news on social media, one fan called for support from racing icon and the only Polish F1 star Robert Kubica.

Kubica has 12 F1 podiums, which included his first and only win at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. Often referred to as a 'lost F1 champion', Fernando Alonso described Kubica as 'a legend of our sport' after the Polish driver's win at Le Mans in 2025.

In 2011 - having just signed with Ferrari for the next season - Kubica suffered a rallying accident and was injured during the first stage of the Ronde di Andora rally. He was trapped in his Skoda Fabia for more than one hour and underwent a sub-amputation of his right forearm after losing a significant amount of blood.

Kubica pulled off an incredible return to F1 with Williams in 2019 and has since switched his attention to endurance racing, firmly cementing himself as a legend of motorsport.

Now, he's been called upon to support the Poznan circuit - and Polish motorsport - having himself first started by winning Polish karting championships in the 1990s.

One fan wrote on X: "You'd have to be a celebrity to change this absurdity. I'd suggest, for example, the help of Mr. Robert."

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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F1 FIA Robert Kubica