If you are racing at Donington Park or any other circuit this year, you will want to get some testing in to tweak your vehicle setup and fine-tune its performance. This articles lists the 2023 Donington Park testing dates, prices, and all the information you need to know.
Contents
what is testing?
Testing, whether at Donington Park or any other circuit, is an opportunity for motorsport competitors to tune, tweak and perfect their race car (or bike) setup prior to competing in a race event at Donington or elsewhere.
At Donington testing events can take place on either the National circuit or the slightly longer GP circuit.
Donington Park testing or a track day?
When competing in motorsport it is obviously very important to compare your performance to the stopwatch. Faster lap times mean better qualifying positions and race results. To know how your vehicle setup affects your lap time you need to be allowed to time you laps when you’re on track. On test days you are allowed to do this, on track days at Donington you are not.
Testing feels much more like an official practice session before a race weekend. You are generally allowed to overtake either side and you don’t have to wait for consent from the slower car ahead to pass. These rules mean test days flow much more easily and you will spend almost no time sat behind slower cars.
There will usually be no safety briefing and no sighting laps at the start of a test day.
There are some additional rules surrounding type of vehicle and the license you need to attend a testing session, see the sections below. But if you are just looking to have some fun laps in your road car on track with your friends then testing is not for you, track days are.
If you are heading to Donington as a spectator, driver or team member, make sure you check out our complete guide to Donington Park circuit before you go.
what cars can be used for Donington Park testing?
To take part in a test day your car must comply with the Motorsport UK (MSUK) Blue Book regulations for safety and preparation of your type of racing vehicle. There will be no scrutineering at the start of a test day, but your car should ideally be up to the standard of a race day.
Standard road cars are not allowed on test days. However if your vehicle meets the blue book preparation standards and is also road legal then this is ok.
Each Donington testing event specifies which type of vehicle is allowed on any given date. These are usually categorised as closed wheel, open wheel, trucks, juniors and karts. The list below shows these.
If you have an electric race car you must get in touch with the track prior to booking a test day to confirm your eligibility.
drivers and passengers
Multiple drivers can drive the same vehicle during a test day, as long as they all meet the license requirements. On the semi-exclusive days there is no extra cost for additional drivers.
You are not normally allowed passengers on test days. Only specific days will allow passengers and normally these have to be ARDS qualified instructors of a certain grade. It’s always worth checking the exact details of the testing event with the circuit before booking to clarify this.
Donington Park testing for motorbikes
Currently there are no test days planned for motorbikes at Donington Park with MSVT in 2023. Contact your race club for details of any testing dates they may be arranging.
what license do I need for testing?
To participate in a Donington Park testing event you must have a valid MSUK racing license, or a suitable level of FIA license for cars.
Any drivers under the age of 16 must have a Junior MSUK racing license, applicable to the car they are driving. The same applies to 16 and 17 year olds. Get in touch with the circuit before booking to confirm your young star of tomorrow’s eligibility to take part.
For bikes you will need an ACU license or a suitable equivalent FIM license.
noise limits on test days
There are still noise limits on test days. These vary from each event, and occasionally there are unsilenced days. As the list below shows there are a good number of unsilenced test days at Donington.
If you vehicle runs in a championship which has a higher noise limit than that on the testing day, it is worth getting in touch with Donington Park before booking to check how to proceed. You may be required to put extra silencers on your car to meet the test day noise limit.
The noise limit on Donington Park testing days is listed alongside each of the test dates below.
Donington Park testing dates for 2023
Below are all the testing dates listed at Donington for 2023, accurate at the time of publishing this article.
Each of these listings will include the date, the type of vehicle allowed to participate, the format of the day, the static (unless otherwise stated) noise limit and the price range (depending on whether you can only buy a full day slot or a morning or afternoon session).
Stand-out feautures such as days which allow special car types are highlighted in bold and underlined below.
Full list of MSV testing dates and booking information can be found here.
february
- Thu 2 – GP circuit – closed wheel – semi exclusive (16 cars max) – Unsilenced – £755
- Thu 9 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – semi exclusive (16 cars max) – Unsilenced – £755
- Thu 16 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £595
- Thu 23 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £595
march
- Thu 2 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £675
- Thu 9 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £675
- Thu 23 – GP circuit – closed wheel, British F4, GB3, GB4 – sessions – Unsilenced – £675 (closed wheel & F4), Free for GB3 & GB4
- Thu 30 – National circuit – closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £245 to £420 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 31 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £220 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
april
- Wed 5 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £245 to £420 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Sun 9 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thu 13 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £755
- Fri 14 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
may
- Tue 9 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £755
june
- Thu 15 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £755
- Fri 16 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thu 22 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £245 to £420 (morning, afternoon or full day)
july
- Fri 7 – National circuit – open wheel – sessions – 98dB(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thu 13 – National circuit – open & closed wheel, karting – sessions – Unsilenced – £195 to £420 (karting session, morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 14 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thu 20 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £245 to £420 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 21 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thu 27 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £755
august
- Fri 4 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thu 10 – National circuit – open & closed wheel, trucks – sessions – Unsilenced – £245 to £420 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 11 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thu 31 – GP circuit – closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £420
september
- Fri 1 – GP circuit – closed wheel – sessions – 98dB(A) driveby – £410
- Thu 7 – Natonal circuit – closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £420
- Fri 8 – National circuit – closed wheel, Juniors – sessions – 98dB(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thu 14 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £245 to £420 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 15 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thu 21 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £755
- Fri 22 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
october
- Thu 12 – GP circuit – closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £245 to £420 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Fri 13 – GP circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – 98db(A) driveby – £240 to £410 (morning, afternoon or full day)
- Thu 26 – National circuit – open & closed wheel – sessions – Unsilenced – £755
