When was the track built?

Londrina's circuit was built in 1992 after years of local pressure to give the city a serious permanent home for motorsport. Construction moved quickly and the track was inaugurated in August of that year as part of a wider sports complex beside the Estádio do Café. In its earliest form the circuit was already recognisably Londrina - compact, narrow, busy and packed into a relatively small piece of land. That has always been part of its charm. It was not built as a sprawling high-speed parkland course, but as a tight, punchy venue where crowd proximity and constant action matter. After Ayrton Senna's death in 1994, the track was renamed in his honour, and later revisions - especially from 2004 onward - reshaped the stadium section, widened key areas and created the shorter modified layout used by several major categories.

When was its first race?

The circuit's first race took place on December 13, 1992, when the brand-new venue hosted the inaugural 500 Milhas de Londrina. The winners were Ariel Barranco and Javier Perez, and the choice of event told you exactly what Londrina wanted to be - not just another regional track, but a place with a signature race. That endurance tradition stuck. Over the years the venue became a regular stop for Stock Car, Formula 3, GT, truck racing and major bike meetings, giving the circuit a history that feels much richer than its modest size suggests.

What's the circuit like?

• Short lap, busy workload: Londrina is one of those tracks where the lap time looks simple on paper but the cockpit never really settles down. There is always another braking point, another rotation phase or another exit that matters more than it first appears.
• The opening sector is all about position: Curva do Estádio and the run toward the Caixa d'Água and Esses can reward a brave move, but they also punish over-optimism because the lap stays narrow and the pack compresses fast.
• Curvão is the signature corner: The downhill Curvão is the part everyone remembers. It is quick, loaded and slightly intimidating, especially when the car is moving around underneath you. In faster machinery it is the place that separates committed drivers from careful ones.
• Traction matters everywhere: Londrina has several corners where the exit is more important than the entry. That is especially true in touring cars, trucks and GT machinery, where a poor launch kills the whole next straight.
• Overtaking is possible, but never easy: The main passing chances usually come into the heavier stops and in the stadium section, but this is not a circuit where wide asphalt gives you endless options. Drivers have to set moves up properly.
• Heat, rubber and grip evolution: Brazilian race weekends here can be hot, and the track changes noticeably as rubber goes down. Early sessions can feel green, then the racing line grips up quickly and rewards those who trust it.
• The layout quirk: Since the modified layout arrived, top categories have often bypassed the old tighter stadium section for a safer and more overtaking-friendly version. That means Londrina has two legitimate competitive personalities, not just one.

Lap records and benchmarks

• Formula 3 - official race lap, modified layout (3.055 km): 1:04.653 - Matheus Iorio - Dallara F309 - 2016.
• Stock Car - official race lap, modified layout: 1:11.197 - Thiago Camilo - Chevrolet Cruze Stock Car - 2019.
• GT3 - official race lap, modified layout: 1:13.330 - Daniel Serra - Ferrari F430 GT3 - 2009.
• Super Touring - official race lap, original layout (3.145 km): 1:18.642 - Cacá Bueno - Peugeot 406 - 1998.
• Stock Car - official race lap, original layout: 1:23.469 - Xandy Negrão - Chevrolet Vectra - 2002.
• Context: Londrina's records need layout context. The shorter post-2004 version is quicker and better suited to modern national categories, while the original full course keeps the more old-school stadium character.

This is a classic case of stopwatch numbers only telling part of the story. Londrina rewards drivers who are tidy through the technical sections and brave through Curvão, so the quickest laps usually look smooth rather than dramatic.

Why go?

Londrina is brilliant if you like race weekends that still feel close to the action. The circuit is compact, the atmosphere is more intimate than at giant national venues, and the best events put you right on top of the noise, the braking and the tension. That matters for fans planning a trip. You are not watching cars disappear into the distance here. You are watching them work hard every few seconds. The city itself is easy to use as a race base, and the circuit's programme has enough variety - cars, trucks, bikes, endurance and classics - to make the calendar feel lively. When the 500 Milhas, trucks or major bike meetings roll in, Londrina has the kind of old-school Brazilian crowd energy that suits the place perfectly.

Where's the best place to watch?

• Curva do Estádio and the opening complex: A strong all-round choice for starts, restarts and early-lap sorting out. Cars arrive busy and packed together, so this area often gives you the first real drama.
• The Esses: Great for seeing rhythm and precision. This is where drivers who are too aggressive start losing time, and where lighter single-seaters and bikes can look especially sharp.
• Curvão: The signature spectator spot. It is fast, visually dramatic and one of the best places to appreciate how much confidence a quick lap really needs.
• Curva do Box: A smart place to watch overtaking attempts being set up, especially in touring cars and trucks where a clean line here can create the next move.
• Curva da Vitória and the pit straight: Ideal if you want pit lane activity, the run to the line and a proper feel for how important the final exit is around this circuit.

Not just one series - headline events at Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna

500 Milhas de Londrina: The track's defining endurance race is still the event that gives the place its own identity. It is a genuine Brazilian long-distance tradition, not just a support attraction.

Stock Car, Formula 3 and GT history: Londrina built much of its reputation by hosting major national car categories, and drivers such as Cacá Bueno, Daniel Serra and Thiago Camilo all helped shape its record book.

Truck racing: Formula Truck and later truck-based national events have always suited Londrina's stop-start aggression, heavy braking and compact viewing. The place works brilliantly for big machinery.

Motorcycles: SuperBike Brasil and other national bike meetings bring a different rhythm to the circuit, with the Esses and Curvão becoming even more spectacular when riders are fully committed.

Current variety: The venue's calendar remains broad, with endurance specials, classic and tourism categories, truck meetings and motorcycle championships keeping the place active far beyond one headline weekend.