# Ordos

**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.<sup>[1](https://www.racingcircuits.info/asia/china/ordos.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.0477oic.com/)</sup> 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.<sup>[2](https://www.0477oic.com/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Kangbashi District, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China; coordinates 39°37′N, 109°52′E<sup>[1](https://www.racingcircuits.info/asia/china/ordos.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/)</sup>  |
| Opened | September 2010; FIA Grade 2 certification in the same month<sup>[2](https://www.0477oic.com/)</sup> |
| Track | 3.751 km, clockwise, 18 corners, longest straight 638 m, width 12–15 m, elevation change 32 m<sup>[2](https://www.0477oic.com/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/circuits_fia20250603.pdf)</sup>  |
| FIA license | Grade 2, pole position on the left, license expiry 7 March 2026<sup>[4](https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/circuits_fia20250603.pdf)</sup> |
| First international race | Superleague Formula, 3 October 2010, won by Ben Hanley for Olympiacos<sup>[5](https://www.autosport.com/general/news/olympiacos-hanley-wins-at-ordos-4441171/4441171/)</sup> |
| Current main event | TCR China Championship and CTCC China Touring Car Championship rounds<sup>[6](https://unitesi.unive.it/retrieve/c5e401f0-3c41-4fee-a582-01558d9d4a18/Final_Thesis_Lera_Gianmaria%20%281%29.pdf)</sup> |
| Capacity | Main grandstand seats 10,160 spectators<sup>[2](https://www.0477oic.com/)</sup> |

## Design and construction

The 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.<sup>[2](https://www.0477oic.com/)</sup> 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.<sup>[7](https://www.themotorsportnetwork.com/circuits/ordos-international-circuit)</sup>

The layout draws on local culture: the track outline represents a galloping horse, and the main grandstand roof resembles a descending eagle.<sup>[1](https://www.racingcircuits.info/asia/china/ordos.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/)</sup> 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.<sup>[2](https://www.0477oic.com/)</sup> 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).<sup>[7](https://www.themotorsportnetwork.com/circuits/ordos-international-circuit)</sup>

The 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.<sup>[2](https://www.0477oic.com/)</sup> 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.<sup>[4](https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/circuits_fia20250603.pdf)</sup>

## Early international racing

Superleague 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.<sup>[8](https://autosport.nl/klasse/nieuws/14072/superleague-formula-sf-slaat-vleugels-uit-naar-china)</sup> 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.<sup>[5](https://www.autosport.com/general/news/olympiacos-hanley-wins-at-ordos-4441171/4441171/)</sup> 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.<sup>[3](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/)</sup>

Motor Sport Magazine records that the circuit's appearance on the world stage was as short-lived as those two championships themselves.<sup>[3](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/)</sup>

## National racing and later use

**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.<sup>[9](https://international.tcr-series.com/index.php/news/item/tcr-china-series-launched-in-shanghai)</sup> 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.<sup>[10](https://51gt3.com/en/track/the-ordos-international-circuit)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[11](https://teamworkms.com/en/battle-in-ordos-lynk-co-teamwork-motorsport-extends-strong-run-with-victory-and-runner-up-finish/)</sup> Across CTCC history Ordos ranks eighth among circuits by total rounds hosted, with seven.<sup>[12](https://51gt3.com/en/race/ctcc/calendar)</sup>

The 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.<sup>[13](https://wlj.ordos.gov.cn/xwdt_138767/wlzx_138768/202605/t20260522_1787865.html)</sup> 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.<sup>[2](https://www.0477oic.com/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[13](https://wlj.ordos.gov.cn/xwdt_138767/wlzx_138768/202605/t20260522_1787865.html)</sup>

## References

1. [Ordos, RacingCircuits.info](https://www.racingcircuits.info/asia/china/ordos.html)
2. [鄂尔多斯国际赛车场 official site (OIC)](https://www.0477oic.com/)
3. [Ordos map, history and latest races, Motor Sport Magazine Database](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/circuits/ordos/)
4. [List of FIA Licensed Circuits, updated 3 June 2025, FIA](https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/circuits_fia20250603.pdf)
5. [Olympiacos' Hanley wins at Ordos, Autosport, 3 October 2010](https://www.autosport.com/general/news/olympiacos-hanley-wins-at-ordos-4441171/4441171/)
6. [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)
7. [Ordos International Circuit, The Motorsport Network](https://www.themotorsportnetwork.com/circuits/ordos-international-circuit)
8. [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)
9. [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)
10. [Ordos International Circuit, 51GT3 Racing Circuits Database](https://51gt3.com/en/track/the-ordos-international-circuit)
11. [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/)
12. [CTCC Race Calendar, 51GT3](https://51gt3.com/en/race/ctcc/calendar)
13. [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)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Cycling and motor sport › Cycling and motor racing — overview › Circuits in Asia*

*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license