The circuit was designed in 1969, constructed between 1970 and 1972, and opened at an initial length of 3.488 km with modest pit facilities. Its first major international moment came in the 1980s when it hosted three editions of the San Marino motorcycle Grand Prix from 1985 to 1987. A significant expansion in 1993 raised the track length to 4.060 km and added new grandstands and pit garages.
A pivotal moment in circuit history came during the 1993 Italian Grand Prix when defending 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey suffered a broken spine following a fall, ending his career as a top-level competitor. Between 1996 and 2001, facilities were progressively upgraded to accommodate growing event calendars.
The most transformative reconstruction came in 2006, when the circuit underwent a comprehensive overhaul to re-qualify for MotoGP hosting. The direction of racing was reversed to clockwise, the track length was extended to 4.180 km, width was broadened to 14 metres, and all safety standards were modernised. The first MotoGP race after the rebuild, the 2007 San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix, was won by Ducati on home soil.
A tragic event occurred during the 2010 Moto2 race, when Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa was killed after a crash involving Scott Redding and Alex de Angelis — seventeen years to the day after Wayne Rainey's accident at the same venue. In November 2011, circuit owners announced the renaming to honour Marco Simoncelli, who had died at the Malaysian Grand Prix that month. Simoncelli had been born in nearby Cattolica and grew up in Coriano. The new name was officially confirmed in June 2012 during the Superbike World Championship round.
The track's clockwise layout features a varied rhythm of medium-speed corners, technical chicanes, and braking zones that strongly reward corner exit traction. It sits on essentially flat terrain near the Adriatic coast, which means ambient temperatures and track surfaces can behave differently in spring and autumn conditions. The relatively compact lap length at just over four kilometres ensures close racing and high lap counts across both motorcycle and car events.
Misano featured as a venue in the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR), the successor series to the World Touring Car Championship. The circuit's combination of tight technical sections and medium-speed flowing passages made it well-suited to the touring car formula, with multiple race formats typical of WTCR events playing out across its layout. Italian rounds at Misano carried particular significance given the track's proximity to enthusiastic local motorsport audiences along the Adriatic Riviera.
The circuit has hosted a substantial range of series throughout its history. Superbike World Championship rounds have been a regular feature, as have the Supersport and Supersport 300 championships. On the car racing side, notable past visitors include the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, the European Touring Car Championship, Eurocup Formula Renault events, and Formula E's Misano ePrix in 2024. The circuit also ran double-header Italian Grand Prix weekend support roles for various national championships.
Currently the circuit is a regular host of MotoGP's San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix, the Superbike World Championship, GT World Challenge Europe, and several Italian national series. The Italian Formula Three Championship used Misano as a venue for decades, from 1972 through 2012.
Misano's association with tragedy — Rainey, Tomizawa, and Simoncelli all connected to the circuit either through incidents or through local identity — gives it an emotional weight uncommon among Italian venues. The renaming to honour Simoncelli transformed the facility into a lasting tribute to one of the sport's most beloved riders. The venue remains active and well-maintained, regularly upgraded to meet FIM and FIA standards, and continues to attract major international championships to the Adriatic coast.