The track encircles Pergusa lake almost entirely, giving it an unusual oval-like appearance in plan view, though the racing line involves a series of fast curves rather than straights and hairpins. At its current configuration, introduced for the 1995 season, the circuit measures 4.950 km and incorporates a chicane widely known as the Schumacher chicane, inserted to reduce speeds through what had been a particularly fast section. Earlier versions of the track varied between 4.800 km (the original 1951 layout) and 4.846 km used through most of the 1970s before a modification produced the 4.950 km configuration used from 1975 to 1994 without the chicane. The circuit holds an FIA Grade 3 licence and has a nominal spectator capacity of 35,500.
The surface has long been considered among the most abrasive and dust-prone in Italian motorsport. The proximity of the lake and the arid Sicilian interior creates a fine silica residue on the tarmac that makes the track notoriously slippery, particularly at the start of practice sessions.
Pergusa is most closely associated with the Mediterranean Grand Prix, which it hosted between 1962 and 1998, with gaps in the calendar in 1966 and 1971. During the 1960s the event formed part of the European Formula One non-championship calendar and attracted works entries from the major constructors. Jim Clark set the circuit's Formula One lap record of 1:15.800 in a Lotus 25 at the 1965 Mediterranean Grand Prix, a benchmark that was never beaten in subsequent Formula One-grade events at the circuit.
The circuit also hosted significant Formula Two competition. Jochen Rindt set the Formula Two lap record at 1:12.800 in a Brabham BT23C at the 1968 event. The Mediterranean Grand Prix later served as a round of the European Formula 3000 Championship in the late 1980s and 1990s, though the circuit's reputation suffered from incidents linked to dust-related visibility and marshalling concerns.
The Coppa Florio, an Italian touring and sports car race with deep historical roots in Sicilian motorsport, was held at Pergusa from 1974 to 1979 and again in 1981. In 2020 the name was revived by series organiser Creventic as part of the 24H GT Series, which ran the Coppa Florio as a 12-hour race at Pergusa in October.
In 1989 the circuit hosted a round of the Superbike World Championship, one of the early years of that series. The FIA GT Championship visited Pergusa for rounds in 2002 and 2003, when the series ran GT2 and GT1 classes. The European Touring Car Championship, European Touring Car Cup, Italian GT Championship, and TCR Italian Series have also featured Pergusa at various points. The European Touring Car Cup visited in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
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