Located on the Adriatic Sea and bathed in the sun, Rijeka is a Croatian city with a heavenly feel. But not so long ago, the motorcycle world championship came to drop off not far from here, on a particularly dangerous circuit.
The Rijeka circuit, today called 'Automotodrom Grobnik', was built in 1977 to replace an old dangerous loop: Opatija. The latter, very technical, meandered through the town of the same name, earning it the nickname “little Monaco”. The Yugoslav Grand Prix has taken place there since 1969, making it an essential round of the championship.
In order to maintain this publicity for the magnificent Kvarner Bay, Josep Broz Tito ordered the construction of a new circuit on the outskirts of Rijeka. In just two months, in a plain, a route is designed and from the start, he is a source of trouble.
The turns are far too fast, and the circuit has a number of corner braking areas, passages that are difficult to negotiate for vintage motorcycles. A real headache. Very short and narrow, it has the appearance of a turnstile.
In addition, the asphalt applied is of poor quality. But never mind ! After all, it looks like the Salzburgring and racing in Yugoslavia represents a great opportunity to promote the sport. The pilots, as was often the case at the time, were not often listened to anyway.
The Yugoslav Grand Prix was, however, quite popular, and had been running since 1969. Here, Yanko Stefe on the Opatija track during the first edition of the race.
For the first year of operation, no 500cc. But Ricardo Tormo as well as Ángel Nieto are flying the Spanish flag in the small categories. For now, everything is going smoothly.
In 1979, however, Kenny Roberts won the 500cc trophy, a category which would not be raced the following year. But the circuit is far from unanimous, especially as the surface deteriorates more and more. Pilots must therefore exercise great caution.
Falls, sometimes serious, follow one another. Frenchman Michel Rougerie, 250 1975cc world vice-champion, fell in the second round of the 350cc round. Stunned, he gets up in the middle of the track and decides to cross it to take shelter; an improbable situation. Roger Sibille, another Frenchman, cannot avoid him and hits him head-on.
This accident, one of the most appalling ever recorded on video, remained in the annals. Sibille only came out with a severe bout of heat, unlike her compatriot. Broken cervicals, Michel Rougerie died instantly on May 31, 1981.
The obvious lack of safety and clearances did not seem to alert the FIM, which kept the Yugoslav route on the calendar. However, in 1983, it was the Swiss Rolf Rüttimann who died when he hit a “safety” rail.
A sad story... But the nightmare was only just beginning.
