The track was built on marshlands in 1968. It has a long straight (called Flight Straight, which is also used as an aircraft runway), as well as several banked corners, making car setup an engineering compromise. The pit lane is located halfway round the lap. The main straight was designed to double as a 1,000-meter (3,300 ft) runway for small aircraft, known as the Flight Straight. This section remains an active airfield (ICAO: ESMP) as of 2022. The facility also includes a helipad intended for ambulance helicopters in the event of racing accidents.
The raceway hosted six Formula One Swedish Grand Prix events in the 1970s. When Ronnie Peterson and Gunnar Nilsson died during the 1978 Formula One season, public support for the event dried up and the Swedish Grand Prix came to an end. The circuit is also noteworthy because it was the site of the first and only win of two unconventional F1 cars: the six-wheeled Tyrrell P34 car in 1976 and the infamous Brabham 'fan car' in 1978.
Anderstorp also hosted the Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix in 1971β1977 and 1981β1990, the European Touring Car Championship in 1985β1987, the Superbike World Championship in 1991 and 1993, and the FIA GT Championship in 2002 and 2003.
In 1993, the circuit along with FIM organized a 24-hour motorcycle race. Just one week ahead of the race, an appeal was lodged against the permit for the competition, due to noise concerns. Although the organizers obtained permission to race on the morning of the event, media had trumpeted that the competition was canceled. At the ferry berths in SkΓ₯ne, passport staff turned away visitors from Denmark and the continent. During the race itself a heavy thunderstorm occurred, with torrential rain drowning the circuit. Although racing continued, no local or international audience showed up, and the circuit was forced to declare bankruptcy after the event.
Current events include:
May: Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia, Formula Nordic, Anderstorp Race Festival
September: SM-Final
Former events include:
BPR Global GT Series (1995β1996)
EuroBOSS Series (2009)
European Formula 5000 Championship (1970)
European Touring Car Championship (1985β1987, 2002β2003)
FIA European Formula 3 Cup (1975)
FIA GT Championship (2002β2003)
FIA Sportscar Championship (1998)
FIM Endurance World Championship (1993)
Formula 750 (1973, 1975)
- Swedish Grand Prix (1973β1978)
Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002)
Formula Renault V6 Eurocup (2003)
- Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix (1971β1977, 1981β1990)
GT4 Scandinavia (2019, 2021β2023)
International Formula Master (2007)
Nordic 4 Championship (2023, 2025)
Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (1997β2000, 2005β2007, 2015β2022)
Sidecar World Championship (1981β1990, 1993, 1997)
SMP F4 Championship (2016)
Superbike World Championship (1991, 1993)
TTA β Racing Elite League (2012)
World Touring Car Championship
- FIA WTCC Race of Sweden (2007)
The circuit has been modified at least 4 times in its history.
The chicane in Norra corner has been added sometime in 1975 before the 1975 Swedish Grand Prix.
The chicane has been re-aligned and tightened in time for the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix.
It had been modified again before the final Formula One Grand Prix run on the circuit (1978 Swedish Grand Prix), with modifications to the penultimate Norra corner and slight re-orientation of the following straight, which resulted in the length increase from 4.018 km (2.497 mi) to 4.031 km (2.505 mi).
It remained in that configuration through the 1980s until sometime between 1997 and 1998 it was modified again and slightly shortened to its present-day length of 4.025 km (2.501 mi).
As of May 2025, the fastest official race lap records at the Anderstorp Raceway are listed.
The long straight was adopted as a 1,000 m (3,300 ft) runway for small aircraft (ICAO: ESMP). It is as of 2022 open for aircraft operations. There is also a helipad, planned for ambulance helicopters at racing accidents.
Gallery Β· 1 related image
