GridpediaPrince George Circuit
- Location
- Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Races held
- 3 (1962 to 1965)
- Most wins, drivers
- Jim Clark (2), Graham Hill (1)
- Most wins, teams
- Lotus-Climax (2), BRM (1)
- Most poles
- Jim Clark (3)
- Map
- OpenStreetMap
What is a lap of Prince George Circuit like?
The 3.92 km circuit was built in 1959 into a seaside amphitheatre south of East London, re-using a small part of the long pre-war Prince George road course; part of the lap, from Beacon Bend to Cocobana, is public road. It hosted the 1962 title decider: Jim Clark led from pole until an oil leak stopped him 20 laps from the end, and Graham Hill won the race and the championship for BRM. After the 1966 race the South African Grand Prix moved to the new Kyalami circuit near Johannesburg and never returned to the Eastern Cape. The track is still used for national racing by the Border Motorsport Club, which agreed a 20-year lease with Buffalo City in 2014; its fast first corner, Potters Pass, is taken at about 220 km/h, and in 2026 it lost a national race meeting because required safety upgrades would not be finished in time.
- Lap length
- 3.920 km
- Direction
- clockwise
- Layout described
- Grand Prix circuit opened in 1959 (3.920 km), layout unchanged since; used by the F1 World Championship for the South African Grand Prix in 1962, 1963 and 1965
| Order | Name | Side | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Potters Pass | Right | fast |
| 2 | Rifle Bend | Right | fast |
| 3 | Cocobana | Right | hairpin |
| 4 | Butts Bend | Right | |
| 5 | The Esses | ||
| 6 | Cox's Corner | Left | slow |
| 7 | The Sweep | Right | |
| 8 | Beacon Bend | Right | hairpin |
Sources for the checked facts (12)
- statsf1.com/en/circuit-east-london.aspx
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_South_African_Grand_Prix
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_South_African_Grand_Prix
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_South_African_Grand_Prix
- racingcircuits.info/africa/south-africa/east-london.html
- formula1.com/en/results/1965/races/225/south-africa/race-result
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_George_Circuit
- f1.fandom.com/wiki/Prince_George_Circuit
- theracetorque.com/2020/08/wild-tracks-you-never-knew-about-east-london/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_reduction_system
- dailydispatch.co.za/news/2026-07-14-buffalo-city-loses-major-motorsport-event-due-to-track
- carmag.co.za/speed/motorsport/gr-cup-2025-east-london-lives-up-to-its-reputation-in-round-
Does pole position win at Prince George Circuit?
The pole sitter has won 2 of 3 races here (67%). Across all circuits since 1950 the pole sitter wins 44% of races. The winner started from the front row (P1 or P2) in 3 of 3 races (100%) and from the top three in 3 (100%). Lowest grid position to win: 2nd, Graham Hill in 1962.
| Winner started from | Wins | Share |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 2 | 67% |
| P2 | 1 | 33% |
Where the winner started, every race at this circuit. Pole sitter means the driver who set the fastest qualifying time (first on the grid where no qualifying data exists); a grid penalty can move the pole sitter back, and that race still counts for them. Compare every circuit.