The Zhuhai International Circuit was the first permanent racing facility to be built on mainland China. Nominated as the reserve Grand Prix for the 1999 season, it was soon surpassed by Shanghai as Bernie Ecclestone’s preferred venue for the inaugural Formula 1 Chinese GP. Situated in a Special Economic Zone, it was a collaboration between Malaysian businessman Stewart Tan Seng Teong and the local government. Plans for the new facility were first published in 1993 and Zhuhai City held a round of the International GT Series on a temporary 2.61-mile street circuit in 1994 and 1995. ZIC opened a year later but, despite its state-of-the-art facilities, the track proved less than challenging. The FIA GT Championship continued to visit until 2007 with a round of the A1GP series also held that December. It was also venue for the final round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in 2010 and 2011 but was not included on the calendar when the FIA restored the World Endurance Championship a year later. Although international focus switched to Shanghai, ZIC has thrived as national motor racing has expanded in the country.
