Assen · Profile

TT Circuit Assen is a racing circuit in Assen, in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It has staged the Dutch motorcycle Grand Prix, the Dutch TT, since the world championship began in 1949, and the Superbike World Championship since 1992. The venue is owned by the Stichting Circuit van Drenthe foundation. The Grand Prix layout is 4.555 kilometres long with 18 corners; the motorcycle variant, used since 2010, measures 4.542 kilometres. Fans know it as “the Cathedral of Speed”.

Racing on public roads (1925-1954)

The first Dutch TT was held on 11 July 1925, organised by the Assen & Omstreken motorcycle club. There was no circuit: the race ran over country roads linking the villages of Rolde, Borger, Schoonloo and Grolloo, on a triangular route of roughly 28.4 kilometres. In 1926 the event moved to a rectangular course of 16.536 kilometres, known as the Van Drenthe circuit, which remained in use until 1954. It was there that the Dutch TT gained world championship status in 1949, as part of the first FIM Grand Prix season. The 500cc lap record on that course was set by Geoff Duke on a Gilera in 1954: 5 minutes 49.4 seconds.

The 1955 circuit

The modern circuit opened on 16 July 1955, built from a third of the old road course plus purpose-built sections. Its first version measured 7.705 kilometres and changed little over two decades: 7.717 kilometres from 1976 to 1980 and 7.685 from 1981 to 1983. The major cut came in 1984, when the track was reduced to 6.049 kilometres. Work carried out between 1999 and 2002 brought it to 6.027, and by 2005 it measured 5.997. In 1992 Assen had become a permanent closed circuit.

The 2006 redesign

In 2006 the circuit was rebuilt to the so-called “A-Style” layout. The northern loop was removed and the length fell to 4.555 kilometres. Only one section of the previous configuration survived, and the finish line never moved. The longest straight is 560 metres. The venue holds 110,000 spectators, 60,000 of them seated, and one of its grandstands is named after Geert Timmer. It carries FIA Grade 2 approval. Since 2010 motorcycles have used a slightly shorter variant of 4.542 kilometres.

The Dutch TT in the world championship

Assen has hosted a world championship race every year since 1949, the only exception being 2020, when the event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic; it returned to the calendar in 2021. For decades the Dutch TT was run on the last Saturday of June, a custom that ended in 2016, when the race moved to Sunday to bring it in line with the rest of the championship. The rider with most wins at the event is Ángel Nieto, with 15, ahead of Giacomo Agostini on 14. Valentino Rossi won 10: the 125cc race in 1997, the 250cc race in 1998 and eight in the premier class. The lap record on the motorcycle layout belongs to Francesco Bagnaia, who set 1:31.866 on the Ducati Desmosedici GP24 at the 2024 Dutch TT.

Superbikes, car racing and other series

The Superbike World Championship has raced at Assen since 1992, again with the exception of 2020. The track has also hosted the Sidecar World Championship and the British Superbike Championship (BSB). Car racing has had its turn too: on 2 September 2007 the Champ Car World Series held the Bavaria Champ Car Grand Prix there, with Sébastien Bourdais on pole and Justin Wilson taking the win. Superleague Formula raced at Assen in 2010 and 2011, and the DTM between 2019 and 2021. The outright record on the 4.555-kilometre layout belongs to Ingo Gerstl, who lapped in 1:17.109 in a Toro Rosso STR1 during a BOSS GP round in 2023.