{ "id": "ep9zvxjmzh", "slug": "ordos", "title": "Ordos", "updated": "2026-10-25", "topic_path": [ { "id": "play", "label": "Sports, games, and recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play" }, { "id": "play.individual", "label": "Individual sports and outdoor recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual" }, { "id": "play.individual.racing", "label": "Cycling and motor sport", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.racing" }, { "id": "play.individual.racing.racing.overview", "label": "Cycling and motor racing — overview", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.racing.racing.overview" }, { "id": "play.individual.racing.racing.overview.circuits-in-asia", "label": "Circuits in Asia", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.racing.racing.overview.circuits-in-asia" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.play.individual", "label": "China · 2001 to 2020: Individual sports and outdoor recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.play.individual", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001", "label": "China · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.play", "label": "Sports, games, and recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.play" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2001.play.individual", "label": "Individual sports and outdoor recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2001.play.individual" } ] }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.play.individual", "label": "China · 2021 and later: Individual sports and outdoor recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.play.individual", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021", "label": "China · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.play", "label": "Sports, games, and recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.play" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t2021.play.individual", "label": "Individual sports and outdoor recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t2021.play.individual" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Ordos is a permanent FIA Grade 2 motor racing circuit in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China, opened in 2010 and laid out in the shape of a running horse.", "snippet": "Ordos is a permanent FIA Grade 2 motor racing circuit in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China, opened in 2010 and laid out in the shape of a running horse.", "node": "play.individual.racing.racing.overview.circuits-in-asia", "markdown": "# Ordos\n\n**Ordos International Circuit** (鄂尔多斯国际赛车场) is a permanent FIA Grade 2 motor racing circuit in Kangbashi District, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China, opened in September 2010 and laid out in the shape of a running horse.[1](https://www.racingcircuits.info/asia/china/ordos.html) • [2](https://www.0477oic.com/) It was the first circuit designed and developed entirely by Chinese designers, with the track drawn by Dr. Yao Qiming, and its main grandstand roof takes the form of a swooping eagle.[2](https://www.0477oic.com/) • [3](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Location | Kangbashi District, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China; coordinates 39°37′N, 109°52′E[1](https://www.racingcircuits.info/asia/china/ordos.html) • [3](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/) |\n| Opened | September 2010; FIA Grade 2 certification in the same month[2](https://www.0477oic.com/) |\n| Track | 3.751 km, clockwise, 18 corners, longest straight 638 m, width 12–15 m, elevation change 32 m[2](https://www.0477oic.com/) • [4](https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/circuits_fia20250603.pdf) |\n| FIA license | Grade 2, pole position on the left, license expiry 7 March 2026[4](https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/circuits_fia20250603.pdf) |\n| First international race | Superleague Formula, 3 October 2010, won by Ben Hanley for Olympiacos[5](https://www.autosport.com/general/news/olympiacos-hanley-wins-at-ordos-4441171/4441171/) |\n| Current main event | TCR China Championship and CTCC China Touring Car Championship rounds[6](https://unitesi.unive.it/retrieve/c5e401f0-3c41-4fee-a582-01558d9d4a18/Final_Thesis_Lera_Gianmaria%20%281%29.pdf) |\n| Capacity | Main grandstand seats 10,160 spectators[2](https://www.0477oic.com/) |\n\n## Design and construction\n\nThe circuit was built as part of a motorsport and tourism complex in Kangbashi, on the [Inner Mongolia](https://www.edgepedia.org/inner-mongolia) plateau. Construction of the surrounding racing town began in September 2009; the complex covers 3.91 km² with a total investment of 1.86 billion yuan, and the circuit itself occupies 106 hectares.[2](https://www.0477oic.com/) The venue received government funding and support, and an area was set aside so the track could be expanded to Formula 1 standard if desired.[7](https://www.themotorsportnetwork.com/circuits/ordos-international-circuit)\n\nThe layout draws on local culture: the track outline represents a galloping horse, and the main grandstand roof resembles a descending eagle.[1](https://www.racingcircuits.info/asia/china/ordos.html) • [3](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/) The circuit's 32 meters of elevation change across the lap have earned it the description of an international mountain circuit, and the operator's published simulation figures are a top speed of 296 km/h and a simulated lap of 1 minute 26.697 seconds.[2](https://www.0477oic.com/) Turn 1, a long right-hander followed by a sharp left, resembles Turn 1 at the [Shanghai International Circuit](https://www.edgepedia.org/shanghai-international-circuit).[7](https://www.themotorsportnetwork.com/circuits/ordos-international-circuit)\n\nThe FIA licensed the circuit at Grade 2 in September 2010, a level that permits racing by single-seaters below current Formula 1 machinery and by prototype racing cars.[2](https://www.0477oic.com/) The circuit has remained on the FIA's list of licensed circuits since, with a 3.751 km lap distance, left-side pole position, and a license expiry date of 7 March 2026.[4](https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/circuits_fia20250603.pdf)\n\n## Early international racing\n\nSuperleague Formula, a series fielding single-seater cars entered by football clubs, was the first international championship to race at Ordos, in October 2010, with two rounds on consecutive weekends.[8](https://autosport.nl/klasse/nieuws/14072/superleague-formula-sf-slaat-vleugels-uit-naar-china) Ben Hanley won the first-ever international motor race at the new circuit on Sunday 3 October 2010, leading the opening race from start to finish for the Olympiacos club after a first-corner accident eliminated three cars.[5](https://www.autosport.com/general/news/olympiacos-hanley-wins-at-ordos-4441171/4441171/) Hanley's Panoz DP09B-Menard set both the fastest race lap and the fastest qualifying lap at the circuit, at 1m30.021 and 1m30.347 respectively.[3](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/)\n\nMotor Sport Magazine records that the circuit's appearance on the world stage was as short-lived as those two championships themselves.[3](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/)\n\n## National racing and later use\n\n**TCR China** has used the circuit since the series began: the 2017 TCR China calendar opened at Ordos on 7 May, and the 2025 TCR China Challenge scheduled its fourth round there on 8 to 10 August, a combined touring car meeting with the CTCC China Cup.[9](https://international.tcr-series.com/index.php/news/item/tcr-china-series-launched-in-shanghai) In 2026 the CTCC again scheduled its third round at Ordos on 7 to 9 August, with TCR China, the CTCC China Cup, and Lynk & Co City Racing on the same weekend.[10](https://51gt3.com/en/track/the-ordos-international-circuit) • [11](https://teamworkms.com/en/battle-in-ordos-lynk-co-teamwork-motorsport-extends-strong-run-with-victory-and-runner-up-finish/) Across CTCC history Ordos ranks eighth among circuits by total rounds hosted, with seven.[12](https://51gt3.com/en/race/ctcc/calendar)\n\nThe circuit remains active with national events and manufacturer test days. In 2024 it hosted the Warm City Cup China New Energy Vehicle Challenge, providing high-altitude test data for car manufacturers, and the 45th Derong Cup Warm City race meeting in May 2026 drew more than 300 professional drivers and about 6,500 spectators.[13](https://wlj.ordos.gov.cn/xwdt_138767/wlzx_138768/202605/t20260522_1787865.html) The surrounding racing town was rated a national 4A-level tourist attraction in 2022 and includes a karting track, an off-road course, and a theme hotel.[2](https://www.0477oic.com/) • [13](https://wlj.ordos.gov.cn/xwdt_138767/wlzx_138768/202605/t20260522_1787865.html)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Ordos, RacingCircuits.info](https://www.racingcircuits.info/asia/china/ordos.html)\n2. [鄂尔多斯国际赛车场 official site (OIC)](https://www.0477oic.com/)\n3. [Ordos map, history and latest races, Motor Sport Magazine Database](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/)\n4. [List of FIA Licensed Circuits, updated 3 June 2025, FIA](https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/circuits_fia20250603.pdf)\n5. [Olympiacos' Hanley wins at Ordos, Autosport, 3 October 2010](https://www.autosport.com/general/news/olympiacos-hanley-wins-at-ordos-4441171/4441171/)\n6. [Exhibit 1.1 List of FIA-licensed circuits in China as of 3 June 2025](https://unitesi.unive.it/retrieve/c5e401f0-3c41-4fee-a582-01558d9d4a18/Final_Thesis_Lera_Gianmaria%20%281%29.pdf)\n7. [Ordos International Circuit, The Motorsport Network](https://www.themotorsportnetwork.com/circuits/ordos-international-circuit)\n8. [Superleague Formula: SF slaat vleugels uit naar China, Autosport.nl, 28 July 2010](https://autosport.nl/klasse/nieuws/14072/superleague-formula-sf-slaat-vleugels-uit-naar-china)\n9. [TCR China series launched in Shanghai, TCR Series, 18 December 2016](https://international.tcr-series.com/index.php/news/item/tcr-china-series-launched-in-shanghai)\n10. [Ordos International Circuit, 51GT3 Racing Circuits Database](https://51gt3.com/en/track/the-ordos-international-circuit)\n11. [Battle in Ordos, Teamwork Motorsport](https://teamworkms.com/en/battle-in-ordos-lynk-co-teamwork-motorsport-extends-strong-run-with-victory-and-runner-up-finish/)\n12. [CTCC Race Calendar, 51GT3](https://51gt3.com/en/race/ctcc/calendar)\n13. [暖城大赛车, Ordos Culture and Tourism Bureau, 22 May 2026](https://wlj.ordos.gov.cn/xwdt_138767/wlzx_138768/202605/t20260522_1787865.html)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Cycling and motor sport › Cycling and motor racing — overview › Circuits in Asia*\n\n*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/ordos", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/ordos.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Ordos\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/ordos. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Ordos](https://www.edgepedia.org/ordos)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/ordos](https://www.edgepedia.org/ordos). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Ordos\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/ordos. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Ordos is a permanent FIA Grade 2 motor racing circuit in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China, opened in 2010 and laid out in the shape of a running horse." }