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BARC North West Centre delivers action-packed Oulton Park finale

The British Automobile Racing Club’s North West Centre brought the curtain down on its 2023 season this past Saturday (October 14) with an action-packed race day around Oulton Park’s challenging International layout.

Battling heavy showers and sunny intervals at the picturesque Cheshire venue, a total of four championships took centre stage on the 2.692-mile circuit to serve up a fitting finale which included an abundance of high-octane thrills and captivating moments.

There was plenty to celebrate when it came to the CNC Heads Sports/Saloon Car Championship – the North West Centre’s flagship category – as the multi-class series marked its 40th Anniversary in style with two pulsating contests.

Having become an integral part of the UK national motorsport scene over the course of the past four decades, the championship closed out another memorable campaign with a bumper grid, which exceeded 30 cars, all vying for glory.

Entering the weekend as one the favourites to triumph, Roddie Patterson enjoyed a superlative day as he stormed to a brace of race wins behind the wheel of his Caterham C400.

Despite missing out on pole position to Andrew Southcott in his MG Midget Lenham, Paterson capitalised on Southcott’s early retirement to take a commanding victory in race one as he triumphed by more than six seconds ahead of outgoing champion Jon Woolfitt and Garry Wardle.

Race two proved to be a much closer affair as Paterson doubled his tally for the day with a superlative victory by a little over half a second, despite having to contend with a brief safety car period at mid-distance.

Hounding him all the way to the chequered flag was the Subaru Impreza of Oliver Thomas whilst Thom Evans completed the rostrum by crossing the line in third in his Caterham Duratec.

The Morphmy Caterham Graduates Championship delivered its fair share of edge-of-the-seat entertainment too, especially as there proved to be little to separate those that were battling for overall victory.

In the opening bout for the Sigma 135 category, Rrutuj Patki blasted his way to the top step of the podium by the narrowest of margins – 0.022 seconds to be exact – as he edged out Ben Winrow whilst Tom Power was a distant third.

Ben Wheatley was then perfection personified in the day’s second race as he clinched a commanding lights-to-flag victory ahead of Alex Vincent and Steven Lancaster.

Small margins continued to be a theme of the Caterham Graduates contingent when it came to the combined Sigma 150 and Sigmax races, as a further two different drivers charged to glory.

Less than a second split Philip Bianchi and newly crowned double champion Harry Senior in a pulsating opener, with the aforementioned Bianchi coming out on top before Will Stilwell then got the better of Thomas Horton by tenth of a second in race two.

Over in the Kumho BMW Championship, which is home to all models of the iconic Bavarian brand, spoils were shared between Jason West and Bryan Bransom as they each chalked up a victory apiece.

James Card and Kevin Clarke each added to their silverware collections too as they also featured on the podium.

Closing out the day’s track action at Oulton Park were a trio of races from The Super Series by the British Superkart Racing Club and as has been the case on a number of occasions this year, nobody could stop from Liam Morley from claiming a clean sweep of race wins.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Oulton Park, CLICK HERE.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – October 14/15

More titles will be decided this weekend (October 14/15) as the British Automobile Racing Club takes centre stage at Donington Park.

On what promises to be a momentous two days of track action around the famous Grand Prix layout, championship battles are poised to conclude and it’s not to be missed.

The destiny of this year’s British Endurance Championship crown looks set to go down to the wire whilst a number of titles in the Classic Touring Car Racing Club are still up for grabs as well.

Also on the bill and closing out its season is the ROWE Britcar Trophy whilst the Junior Saloon Car Championship and MINI CHALLENGE Clubsport with Airtec Motorsport will also feature on the bill.

Below is all the information you’ll need to know to keep up-to-date with every lap that is being broadcast:

Saturday 14th October // 12:20 – WATCH HERE

Sunday 15th October // 09:30 – WATCH HERE

To find out more information about this weekend’s race meetings, CLICK HERE.

Coupe Cup ends 2023 campaign on a high at Castle Combe

There was a definite buzz around the OT Publishing Coupe Cup with Toyo Tires paddock at Castle Combe this past weekend (7^th October).

As has become the norm over the years, the honour of being named “driver of the year” was going down to the wire. This year it was between Wayne Rockett and Luca Staccini Anzanello. Going into the final two races both drivers had the same results. However, with a couple more podium places to his name, it was Staccini who held the advantage.

Jumping into a new car at a new track, Rockett gave it everything to out-qualify his opponent but it was Staccini that took pole position by just two tenths from fellow Cursley Motorsport driver, Mark Ridout. Rockett senior and junior (Jonny) locked out the second row so it was all set for a race to the first corner.

Unusually Staccini made an excellent start when the lights went out and he started to pull out a healthy lead. Despite a brief safety car period which saw the pack bunch up, Staccini held on to record his fifth win of the year just one tenth ahead of teammate Mark Ridout.

An emotional Staccini leapt out of his car and into the arms of team boss Alex Cursley and then onto a victory lap around the fabulous Castle Combe circuit. But the day wasn’t done and he had a few hours to enjoy himself and calm down.

Race two started as the sun went down and Staccini made a more customary start which dropped him down to fifth place whilst Neale Hurren, Mark Ridout and the two Rocketts hurtled around at close quarters. When the race settled down it was Ridout who took the lead which he never relinquished. Jonny Rockett came home second with Staccini making up for lost time in third place. Hurren fell back into the clutches of Michael Evans but just held on to fifth place.

As ever, in 2023 the series has been exciting with battles throughout the field giving all the drivers a chance to experience up close and personal racing without breaking the bank. New drivers, old drivers, and even “retired” drivers came out to race with plenty more already committed to the 2024 series.

Words – Matthew Plumb / Images – Marc Lawrence and Graham Gillings

Ash Sutton: “It’s pretty surreal to now be a four-time BTCC champion”

Ash Sutton has shared his delight at after being crowned champion of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship for a record-equalling fourth time at Brands Hatch this past weekend (October 7/8).

The NAPA Racing UK driver entered the final meeting of the season holding a commanding 45-point lead and victory in the opening encounter around the iconic Grand Prix circuit was enough for him to clinch the coveted crown.

With the title secured, the 29-year-old then went on to win the penultimate race of the season before concluding a quite incredible campaign with a points-paying finish in the finale.

Adding to the titles that he won back in 2017, 2020 and 2021, Sutton’s latest championship triumph has now seen him draw level with Andy Rouse and Colin Turkington on the all-time winners list – cementing him as one of the greatest ever touring car drivers.

In addition to tying the all-time record, the Ford Focus ST driver has also become the first driver in the series’ illustrious history to lift the biggest prize in UK motorsport in both front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive machinery.

Ashley’s path to a fourth championship has been nothing short of sensational with six pole positions, 12 wins and a further eight podium finishes being tallied over the course of the ten round schedule.

Along the way, the BRDC Member smashed a number of records including scoring the most wins, podiums, pole positions, fastest laps and laps led in a single season in the modern era. He also became the first driver since Alain Menu in 1997 to win four consecutive races in a season.

“It feels pretty surreal to be standing here as a four-time champion,” Sutton said. “At the moment the magnitude of what we’ve achieved hasn’t fully sunk in but I’m sure over the next week or so I’ll start to take stock of what this all means – it’s just phenomenal!

“For me personally, one of the biggest things I wanted to do was to become the first person to win the title in both front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive cars. To have done that is really something.

“This year is going to be hard to beat. My little boy Sonny arrived just before the season started and it’s been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Becoming a Dad changed my approach and I’ve just been focused on making both him and my fiancé Ellie as proud as possible.

“To have claimed the records that we have this season is a real testament to everyone at NAPA Racing UK and Alliance Racing. So much development has gone into the Ford Focus for this year; we opened every drawer and lifted out every tool to improve the whole package.

“It goes without saying that my engineer Tony (Carrozza) has been instrumental in all of this too. He’s really helped me to dial into the car and without him by my side this would have been hard to do as he is something special.

“I’ve made no secret that I want to go down in the history books as the one of the best-ever touring car drivers so the aim is clear moving forward; to come back and try to win more races and titles. We’ll enjoy this and then it’ll be about resetting and coming back in 2024!”

Champions triumph on TOCA support bill at Brands Hatch

Champions weren’t just crowned in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch this past weekend (October 8/9), as titles were also decided across the four support championships that make up the TOCA support bill.

On what turned out to be an action-packed finale around the famous Grand Prix circuit, the bumper crowd in attendance were treated to a feast of wheel-to-wheel thrills as the battle for supremacy across each of the one-make categories reached an exciting crescendo.

In the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA, teenage sensation Louis Sharp took a huge step towards fulfilling his Formula 1 dreams by becoming the latest champion of the single-seater series.

Entering the final meeting of the year holding a one-point advantage over Will Macintyre, the Rodin Carlin driver clinched the crown in impressive fashion, starting by blasting to pole position in qualifying and subsequently converting it into a lights-to-flag victory.

Starting towards the back for the reverse grid race, Sharp made as much progress as he could however Macintyre’s superior result meant that his lead was once again cut – leaving him with a slender points buffer heading into the finale.

Needing only to finish ahead of Macintyre to secure the title, the Kiwi was happy to shadow fellow front row starter Deagan Fairclough throughout the final race of the season, with MacIntyre hot on his heels but unable to make up the ground he required to deny him.

Dan Zelos wrote his name into the history books of the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE JCW as he was crowned champion of the ultra-competitive tin top series for a second time in three years.

Having been the driver to beat for much of the season, the EXCELR8 Motorsport driver arrived at Brands Hatch with a commanding 101-point lead and he wasted no time in wrapping things up as he followed winner Sam Smith to the chequered flag in race one.

With the title in the bag, the pressure was off Zelos for the remainder of the event however he was unable to curtail his season with one more victory. The remaining spoils instead went the way of Smith and last year’s champion Sam Weller.

Having been the cream of the crop for much of the year, Team Parker Racing’s Joe Warhurst savoured title success as he emerged victorious in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain.

Arriving at the Kent circuit in the pound seat, the rising star was wheel-perfect in races one and two, taking commanding victories, which in-turn proved to be enough to see him crowned champion.

Warhurst came oh-so close to making it a coronation to remember as he narrowly missing out on a third win to Steve Roberts by just under two tenths of a second.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain might have already been decided prior to Brands Hatch but that didn’t stop the monstrous field of rear-wheel-drive 911 cars from putting on a show for one last time this year.

Rosland Gold by Century Motorsport’s James Kellett secured second in the overall championship as he stormed to victory in the opening encounter and then, fittingly, newly crowned champion Adam Smalley reigned supreme in race two to end the year on the top step of the podium.

To view the full classification of results from all TOCA support championships, as well as the final standings for each, CLICK HERE.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and TOCA support package will return in 2024, with the new season scheduled to get underway at Donington Park on April 27/28.

British Truck Racing Championship headlines pulsating Pembrey meeting

The British Truck Racing Championship is set for a grandstand finish around Brands Hatch next month after serving up a blockbuster penultimate event of the season at Pembrey Circuit this past weekend (October 7/8).

Headlining an action-packed British Automobile Racing Club meeting in South Wales, the heavyweight behemoths entertained the masses in attendance by serving up no less than six unmissable races – one of which was being re-run from Thruxton after it was originally postponed.

In Division 1, Ryan Smith’s quest for an unprecedented eighth consecutive title edged closer to becoming a reality as he added two more victories to his impressive season tally.

The Daimler Freightliner driver was unable to secure an unassailable lead however as his main title rivals all scored big to ensure they remain within striking distance of one of the sport’s most successful drivers.

Ten-time champion Stuart Oliver blasted his Volvo VNL onto the top step of the podium on two occasions whilst David Jenkins and for the first-time ever Bradley Smith, also triumphed around the Home of Welsh Motorsport.

Over in Division 2, NAPA Racing UK’s Paul Rivett produced a five-star performance that has now seen him close to within just one point of season-long standings leader Adam Bint.

Despite missing out on pole position in qualifying, the MAN driver was perfection personified as he claimed a clean sweep of victories on Saturday before following it up with a further three triumphs on Sunday.

Those five wins, alongside a third place finish as John Powell tallied a hard-fought victory, has now set up a tantalising title showdown around the world-famous Indy circuit at the start of November.

The Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship signed its season off in style with three pulsating contests and the crowning of a brand-new champion, William Sharpe.

Following two years of domination from Steve McDermid, Sharpe converted his healthy points lead into title glory as he reigned supreme in the Classic Class at the wheel of his MG Midget.

Outgoing champion McDermid didn’t go down without a fight however as he took the battle all the way to wire after claiming all three overall race wins that were on offer over the course of the weekend.

The battle for supremacy in the Pickup Truck Racing Championship is poised to go down to the bitter end at Brands Hatch following three frenetic bouts on Welsh soil.

Dale Gent struck first as he narrowly edged out Chris Brockenhurst by two tenths of a second to win race one before reigning champion Reece Jones snared a comfortable victory in race two ahead of Paul Tompkins and Brockenhurst.

Former British Touring Car Championship winner Matt Simpson then came to the fore in the weekend’s concluding bout as blitzed the opposition, taking the chequered flag by more than ten seconds ahead of Jones and Allen Cooper.

Rounding out the weekend’s track action were three races from the always entertaining Welsh Sports/Saloon Car Championship.

Boasting a bumper entry list that was packed with variety, Chris Everill and Andrew Williams proved too much for their rivals as they shared the spoils.

To view the full classification of results from all sessions at Pembrey, CLICK HERE.

Ash Sutton crowned BTCC champion for record-equalling fourth time

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship brought the curtain down on its 2023 season in style at Brands Hatch this past weekend (October 7/8) as NAPA Racing UK’s Ash Sutton was crowned champion for a record-equalling fourth time.

On what proved to be a momentous final day of the season around the Grand Prix circuit, the Ford Focus ST driver held his nerve in front of a capacity crowd to cement his place as one of the greatest ever drivers in the UK’s premier motorsport series.

Arriving at the Kent venue holding a commanding 45-point lead, Sutton stormed to victory in the opening encounter around the iconic Grand Prix circuit, which was enough for him to clinch the coveted crown.

With the title secured, the 29-year-old then went on to win the penultimate race of the season before concluding a quite incredible campaign with a points-paying finish in the finale.

Sutton’s path to a fourth title has been nothing short of impressive with six pole positions, 12 wins and a further eight podium finishes being tallied over the course of the ten event campaign.

In addition to now tying Andy Rouse and Colin Turkington for the most BTCC titles ever, Sutton has also become the first driver to win the prestigious accolade in both front and rear-wheel-drive machinery.

Whilst being unable to stop Sutton from triumphing, outgoing champion Tom Ingram ultimately settled for runners-up laurels whilst Jake Hill, Turkington and Josh Cook completed the top five in the standings.

Elsewhere, NAPA Racing UK and Ford claimed the Teams’ Championship for the second season in-a-row and they were also able to overhaul BMW to wrap up the Manufacturer-Constructor Championship for the first time too.

Cook retained his Independent Drivers’ title in comfortable fashion, and his performances also played a critical role in helping his One Motorsport with Starline Racing squad go back-to-back in the Independent Teams’ category.

Rounding out this year’s title winners was CarStore Power Maxed Racing’s Andrew Watson who triumphed in the Jack Sears Trophy ahead of his Vauxhall Astra team-mate Mikey Doble.

Sutton’s charge to the coveted crown began on Saturday afternoon as he scooped a sensational sixth pole position of the season. Pacing the opposition by more than two tenths of a second, that success also clinched him the Goodyear Wingfoot Award.

In a season in which he has largely reigned supreme, it was somewhat fitting that Sutton became the youngest ever four-time champion with a superlative lights-to-flag victory in the opening contest.

Blasting away from the front row, the Alliance Racing driver was wheel-perfect throughout the 18-lap bout as he led home his chief championship rival this season, Ingram.

With the championship secured and the pressure off, Sutton then produced a carbon copy performance in race two as he charged to an unprecedented 12th victory of the year – which tied the record set by fellow multiple champion Alain Menu more than two decades ago.

Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Hill then brought the curtain down on the season with victory in a thrilling finale, as he came out on top of a captivating battle for the lead which inclued Honda ace Cook and BMW stablemate Stephen Jelley.

To view the full classification of results from all BTCC sessions at Brands Hatch, as well as the final championship standings, CLICK HERE.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will return in 2024, with the start of the brand-new season poised to start around Donington Park’s National layout on April 27/28.

BARC’ing Mad Podcast: Episode 9 – October 6th 2023

Episode 9 of the British Automobile Racing Club’s official podcast, BARC’ing Mad, is now live and available to listen to.

In partnership with BP Fleet Solutions UK, the fortnightly podcast – which is hosted by Alan Hyde and Ian Waterhouse – is packed with full-throttle news, reviews and captivating interviews.

Coming off the back of a momentous first-ever LIVE edition at Silverstone, Alan and Ian are back again and they’re joined by two aficionados of Formula 1, James Allen and Chris McCarthy.

BARC’ing Mad is available to listen to across all popular podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

You can also watch each episode via the Club’s official YouTube channel.

BARC TV: What’s On This Weekend – October 7/8

It’s set to be an unmissable spectacle at both Brands Hatch and Pembrey this weekend (October 7/8) with both the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and British Truck Racing Championship in action.

Below is all the information you’ll need to know to keep up-to-date with every lap that is being broadcast:

BRANDS HATCH

Will it be Ash Sutton or Tom Ingram? The destiny of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be decided on the Grand Prix layout Kent venue this weekend across three blockbuster races.

Titles will also be decided in the Manufacturers’, Teams’, Independents’ and the Jack Sears Trophy too; whilst overall honours will be decided on the TOCA support package as well.

Saturday 7th October // 15:30 – WATCH HERE

Sunday 8th October // 10:45 – WATCH HERE

PEMBREY

At Pembrey, the British Truck Racing Championship will take centre stage in South Wales for its penultimate event of the season – and it’s all still to play for across Division 1 and Division 2.

Also featuring on the bill is the Pickup Truck Racing Championship, Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship and the Welsh Sports/Saloon Car Championship.

Saturday 7th October // 11:50 – WATCH HERE

Sunday 8th October // 09:15 – WATCH HERE

To find out more information about this weekend’s race meetings, CLICK HERE.

BARC confirms 2024 Marshal Training dates

The British Automobile Racing Club can confirm that it will run a total of seven marshal training days prior to the start of the 2024 motorsport season.

Croft, Pembrey and Thruxton will host the aforementioned training days across the months of January, February and March next year.

Every event organised and run by the BARC needs marshals and all marshals, whatever they are doing, are contributing to the success and smooth running of the meeting.

With training provided to cover a wide range of topics such as fire safety to pit lane operation and teamwork; marshal training covers a wide variety of key attributes in preparing those that are heading trackside for the forthcoming season.

2024 BARC MARSHAL TRAINING DATES

Saturday 20th January – Thruxton [Speed Training, relocated from Gurston Down]

Sunday 21st January – Thruxton [New Marshals]

Saturday 10th February – Croft

Sunday 18th February – Pembrey

Sunday 3rd March – Harewood [Speed Training]

Saturday 9th March – Thruxton

Sunday 10th March – Thruxton

The Training Day booking form will be communicated shortly.

Want to find out more about marshalling with the BARC? Head to https://www.barc.net/marshals/!

BTCC stars at Silverstone to set up tantalising title showdown

Ash Sutton and Tom Ingram will head into the final three races of the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in contention to be crowned champion next month following an action-packed weekend (September 23/24) at Silverstone.

Brands Hatch’s world-famous Grand Prix circuit will once again provide the setting for this year’s closer in less than two weeks’ time with three-time title winner Sutton heading there with a commanding 45-point lead at the top of the standings.

With 67 points set to be on offer at the famous Kent venue, reigning champion Ingram now remains the only driver in mathematical contention to capture the biggest prize in the UK motorsport.

The penultimate event of the season at the Home of British Motor Racing saw its fair share of thrills and spills as Sutton, Jake Hill and Colin Turkington shared the spoils on what proved to be a spectacular race day in Northamptonshire.

Running under the ‘Top Ten Showdown’ format for the final time this season, qualifying on Saturday proved to be ultra-competitive with less than a tenth of second blanketing the top five.

Following a frenetic opening segment it was anybody’s guess as to who would grab pole position but CarStore Power Maxed Racing’s Mikey Doble duly stepped up the mantel to blast his Vauxhall Astra to the top of the timesheets.

Team BMW’s Turkington came to within 0.012 seconds of Doble’s pole time but the rear-wheel-drive ace had to settle for runners-up laurels whilst championship protagonists Ingram, Hill and Sutton completed the top five.

Doble’s delight sadly turned into despair in race one as a miscommunication by the team led to him completing an additional green flag lap, which relegated him to the rear of the field.

With drizzly conditions throwing a spanner in the works, tyre strategy proved crucial and it was Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport’s Hill that rolled the dice correctly to leave his rivals in his wake as he claimed a commanding victory.

Blasting into the lead off the line, Hill was in a league of his own out front whilst Dan Rowbottom and Andrew Watson diced for second and third all the way to the chequered flag.

Further down the order, both Sutton and Ingram found themselves in the thick of the action as they tumbled backwards before pitting for wet tyres. The pair would ultimately go on to finish the race in 22nd and 23rd.

That result set up two of the finest performances that the BTCC has seen in recent years as Sutton and Ingram carved their way through the order in race two, with NAPA Racing UK’s Sutton clinching a famous tenth win of the season.

As soon as the lights went out the champion duo were on the move and whilst they progressed forward, Hill looked to be cruising to victory out front. That was until a safety car neutralised proceedings.

On the restart, a mechanical issue appeared to hamper Hill’s pace and he soon began to drop places, which promoted Aron Taylor-Smith into the lead. Holding firm out front for a number of laps, the Vauxhall driver soon had Sutton bearing down on him and the inevitable happened.

Sutton’s move for the lead came on the penultimate lap as he bravely dived down the inside of the Irishman at Woodcote and once clear, he cruised home to notch yet another win whilst Taylor-Smith and Ingram completed the podium.

Four-time champion Turkington then brought the curtain down on the weekend in style as he scored BMW’s 150th victory in the BTCC.

Starting fifth, the rear-wheel-drive ace wasted no time in making progress and he soon hauled himself into a lead that he was ultimately never challenged for. Behind, Ingram and Sutton had everyone on the edge of theirs seats again as they clawed their way onto the rostrum.

Turkington’s win ensured that BMW remain on course to secure the Manufacturer-Constructors for an eighth consecutive season whilst NAPA Racing UK are holding firm at the top of the Teams’ Championship.

Josh Cook has provisionally wrapped up the Independent Drivers’ Championship for the second year in succession whilst his One Motorsport with Starline Racing squad have edged closer to retaining their Independent Teams’ crown.

In the Jack Sears Trophy, Watson now sits on the cusp of clinching the title after enjoying a stellar weekend which saw him extend his lead over the chasing pack.

To view the full classification of results from all BTCC sessions at Silverstone, CLICK HERE.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will bring the curtain down on its 2023 season at Brands Hatch on October 7/8.

The Rich History of the French Grand Prix

The Grand Prix of France is among the world’s most popular and oldest car races. If you are a fan of the Grand Prix, you may know that the first edition was won by Ferenc Szisz for Renault in 1905. Since then, the Grand Prix started a long and promising career as a top-significant car race championship.

We’ll shed light on the history of the French Grand Prix by learning its chequered history, as we’ll show you.

The First Edition Of Grand Prix

Motorsports in France are part of the local culture. The country is home to milestone car brands, such as Renault. However, racing began around the end of the 19th century, later the first car models. That was when the Grand Prix was organized for the first time. The first race took place in 1905, held by the Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France, and as we’ve already seen, the winner was Ferenc Szisz for Renault.

The first edition was held on a closed-off street circuit near Le Mans, a small town in northwestern France on the Sarthe River. But the Grand Prix wasn’t the only car race organization. Competitors appeared rapidly to steal the prestige of the Grand Prix, such as a series of Formula 2 and another Grand Prix event. The Automobile Club de France thought to place its title to the first Grand Prix to distinguish it from that competitor with the same name.

After The World War II

The post-war period was difficult for each country in Europe. There was much to rebuild and restore, but France was the first country to resume motorsports events. In 1947, the Grand Prix was finally back. However, the race was marked by a tragic happening – a driver crashed into three spectators who died on impact.

The French Grand Prix came back twice two years later, in 1949, once for Formula 1 and the last one for sports cars. From then, more circuits emerged to host the races.

The Tragedy Of Le Mans

A new car crash marked the post-war history of the French Grand Prix. It was called the Le Mans disaster. A driver crashed into the spectators aside from the track and killed 83 people. The driver, Pierre Levegh, died as well. The Le Mans tragedy is still one of the most terrific tragedies during a car race. The terrible accident happened as part of a rear-end shunt. A car started over another hit a protective barrier while engine components and chassis flew over the spectator area. The Le Mans tragedy shocked the world of motorsport so profoundly that some teams, including Mercedes-Benz, decided to leave the race in respect of the victims.

Circuit Paul Ricard

The French Grand Prix, as we’ve said above, began to take place on different circuits starting from 1949. One of them was the circuit Paul Ricard. This circuit was named after the industrialist who financed the construction of a cutting-edge track near Marseilles, his hometown. Circuit Paul Ricard hosted the 1971 edition of the Grand Prix and played a significant role in the race history. This circuit was also one of the hardest for the car engines due to its long distance of 5.8 km. After 1985, it was abandoned for safer circuits. Alain Prost was the most victorious driver on the track from 1971 to 1985.

Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours

In 1991, the Grand Prix chose Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, which helped renovate the economy in the area, despite the lack of infrastructure to bring spectators to the region. In 2005, the organization canceled this circuit because of financial issues. Two years later, the Grand Prix leaders announced that was the last time the race would take place there. Also, the race disappeared until 2016, when the Grand Prix came back at Circuit Paul Ricard.

Memorable Grand Prix Facts

While Alain Prost boasts four victories on the most challenging track of Circuit Paul Ricard (plus two at the Magny-Cours), Michael Schumacher achieved the highest number of victories in the Grand Prix, eight wins, all at Circuit Magny-Cours.

Ferrari won the highest number of titles, 17, followed by Williams, Mercedes, and Alfa Romeo.

The Grand Prix of France counts 86 editions at 16 different venues.

Circuit Paul Ricard is open to tourists visiting and has become a plain-air automotive museum. If you’d love to see more, a tour of the surroundings will bring you back to the glorious times of this circuit and the origins of the Grand Prix.

Source: https://www.jouerenlignefr.org/encyclopédie.