Action-packed timetable is revealed for the 2025 Donington Historic Festival

With the release of the timetable for the 2025 Donington Historic Festival (2, 3 & 4 May), historic motorsport fans can now decide whether to attend one, two or all three days of this hugely popular, family-friendly event.

Each day is packed with superb track action and spectators will be treated to a tremendous spectacle on the track, with the outstanding racing backed by Formula One and Super Touring car demonstrations, plus a host of other attractions in the paddock and infield.

For the first time in the event’s history, racing will take place on the Donington Park GP circuit, adding to the excitement for spectators and competitors alike as priceless racing machines battle it out through the Fogarty Esses, round the Melbourne Hairpin and through Goddards before emerging onto the Wheatcroft Straight to thunder down towards Redgate corner.

Now under the management of Motor Racing Legends, DHF 2025 features 17 races, showcasing 12 world-class historic racing grids. Competing cars will span ten decades, providing fantastic entertainment in the hands of highly competitive, skilled drivers. There is usually a fair sprinkling of past and present-day BTCC and Le Mans names on the entry lists, all having the time of their lives.

Friday 2 May sees historic Formula Junior out on track, with two races for these nimble little single-seaters from the 1950s and ‘60s. There’s race action, too, for U2TC – under-two litre touring cars of the early 1960s – while Ferrari fans will be treated to the first of three Superformance Ferrari Classic Series races taking place over the weekend. Qualifying sessions are no less entertaining at DHF, and Friday’s visitors can enjoy the vintage joys of Pre-War Sports Cars, echoing the races of the earliest days of racing at Donington Park. Saturday’s race will celebrate the 90^th anniversary of Richard ‘Mad Jack’ Shuttleworth’s victory in the 1935 Donington GP. There are qualifying sessions too from the sleek GT cars of the HMRN Pre ‘63 GT grid and the wonderful mix of pre-’66 GT and touring cars and pre-’61 sports cars that is the Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup. Bringing things (almost) up to date will be the monsters of the 2010s from Motor Racing Legends’ new GT3 Legends series.

Saturday 3 May opens with a lively qualifying session for the crowd-pleasing 1970s and ‘80s machines of the Historic Touring Car Challenge with Tony Dron Trophy. There’s qualifying, too, for the beautiful pre-‘56 and pre-‘61 sportscars of the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy and Stirling Moss Trophy grid. Saturday’s race action features the ‘Mad Jack’ for Pre-War Sports Cars, HMRN Pre ‘63 GT and the first of two GT3 Legends battles, along with second outings for the Superformance Ferrari Club Classic Series and U2TC. The day ends with the epic, three-hour marathon Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup race.

Sunday 4 May is an absolute treat for touring car fans, with classic tin-tops galore, along with the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy & Stirling Moss Trophy race, a second GT3 Legends race and a third Superformance Ferrari Club Classic race. The touring car action opens with the Historic Touring Car Challenge with Tony Dron Trophy race and continues with the pre-‘83 Group 1 & Group 1/2 touring cars of the HRDC ‘Gerry Marshall Trophy Series’, the 1958-‘66  touring cars of the HRDC ‘Jack Sears Trophy’ and the pre-‘66 sports, GT and touring cars and 750-116 Alfa Romeos of the HRDC ‘Dunlop Allstars’ racing with HRDC ‘Classic Alfa Challenge’. All of these are hugely enjoyable to watch and equally enjoyable to take part in!

The provisional timetable for the 2025 Donington Historic Festival is as follows:

FRIDAY 2 MAY

SATURDAY 3 MAY

SUNDAY 4 MAY 

Event organisers will reveal details of Saturday and Sunday’s Formula One and Super Touring track demonstrations in the coming weeks. These will further enhance the ever-popular DHF open-access paddock and pitlane walks.

Other entertainment on offer includes a trade village, Sporting Bears charity passenger drives, and the infield displays of hundreds of cherished classic cars staged by dozens of car clubs. Their lunchtime track parades will this year be joined by representatives of Supercar Driver and their stunning machines.  

Advance discounted ticket prices start at just £15 for an adult (16+), with further reductions for teens aged 13-15. The three-day weekend ticket represents exceptional value at just £45 for adults and £28 for teens. Under 13s are admitted for free. For further information and to secure tickets please visit www.doningtonhistoric.com.