The Donington Park circuit has roots dating back to 1931, when it was established as the first permanent park circuit in England. The circuit was developed on the roads of the Donington Hall estate and held prestigious pre-war events including the 1937 and 1938 Donington Grand Prix, won respectively by Bernd Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari in Auto Union Silver Arrows. After wartime requisition as a military depot, the circuit fell into disrepair until acquired by local businessman Tom Wheatcroft in 1971. Under his ownership the track was rebuilt and reopened for racing in 1977.
The circuit's current primary layout of 2.498 miles (4.020 km) was established in 1985 with the addition of the Melbourne Loop, which extended the track sufficiently to meet the minimum length requirements for Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Without this addition, the shorter 1.957-mile National circuit would have been ineligible.
The British motorcycle Grand Prix was held at Silverstone from 1977 until 1986. From 1987, Donington Park became the venue for the race, establishing a long association with top-level motorcycle racing that lasted until 2009.
Over its twenty-three years as the British MotoGP venue, Donington hosted some of the sport's most memorable races and became a favourite among riders and teams for its flowing layout and enthusiastic British crowds. The 500cc era and the transition to MotoGP four-strokes in 2002 were both marked by major events at the Leicestershire circuit.
The loss of the MotoGP race came as a direct consequence of the failed effort to return Formula One to Donington. In 2007, the circuit's operating lease was sold by the Wheatcroft family to Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, which announced it had secured the British Grand Prix for seventeen years from 2010 under a deal with Formula One Management. To host F1, the circuit required major redevelopment including a new pit complex designed by Hermann Tilke. Construction began in 2009 but stalled almost immediately as DVLL ran into severe financial difficulties in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, unable to raise the £135 million required.
In this context, Dorna Sports, the MotoGP commercial rights holder, agreed a five-year deal with Silverstone from 2010, transferring the British round away from Donington. DVLL subsequently lost both the Formula One and MotoGP contracts. The company entered administration in November 2009 with debts approaching £18 million, and the partially demolished, unfinished circuit was returned to the Wheatcroft family in December 2009.
Although best known in its later years for MotoGP, Donington also hosted a single Formula One World Championship race: the 1993 European Grand Prix on 11 April 1993. That race is remembered above all for Ayrton Senna's extraordinary opening lap in wet conditions, during which he moved from fifth position to the lead, passing four rivals through the challenging Donington Park corners. Senna won the race by over a minute from Damon Hill. A memorial to Senna stands in the circuit's grounds.
Donington hosted rounds of the DTM German touring car series in 2002 and 2003. The World Touring Car Championship visited in 2011. The circuit has also been a regular on the British Touring Car Championship, British Superbike Championship, and British GT calendars.
After the failed DVLL venture, the Wheatcroft family rebuilt the circuit, with racing resuming in autumn 2010. In January 2017 the circuit business was purchased by MotorSport Vision, the organisation headed by Jonathan Palmer, on a lease running until 2038. Significant infrastructure improvements followed, including a new grandstand at Hollywood corner, resurfacing, and new facilities. The circuit now hosts the Superbike World Championship as well as BTCC, British Superbikes, and a range of other national and international events. The Donington Historic Festival is held annually. The circuit also serves as the long-running home of the Download music festival.
Donington Park's two decades as the British MotoGP home gave it a special place in motorcycle racing. The circuit was large enough to hold capacity crowds of up to 120,000, and the passionate British MotoGP audience made the event one of the most-attended rounds of the championship year after year. The forced move to Silverstone in 2010 ended an era that riders and fans had valued for its atmosphere and circuit character. Donington remains one of the defining venues of British motorcycle racing history.