French Grand Prix: the lost circuits and how to find them

Rediscover the

Rediscover the forgotten French routes that
hosted F1 races

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Credit: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The first circuit ever to host a F1 race in France was
Reims-Gueux, in 1950. Taking place on the public roads just outside
of Gueux town, Reims-Gueux was a simple but extremely fast circuit
for its time. 

Unlike with many of France’s lost racing circuits, a
number of F1-related structures are still standing along the route
today, including the old pit complex and grandstands. Volunteers
are working to spruce up these landmarks with a fresh coat of
paint, and putting up advertising boards from the 1950s.

The start-finish straight can be found on the D27. The
route then heads south to the D26, where it loops to the N31 before
coming back around to the D27. 

If you’re planning a trip over from the UK, Gueux is about
a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Calais, where the Euro Tunnel
station is located. 

Circuit de Charade, Clermont Ferrand

Many consider the 12.9-mile Nurburgring Nordschleife
circuit in Germany to be the most gruelling and dangerous circuits
of all time. That may be true, but the five-mile Circuit de Charade
in France also posed plenty of risks. 

The track, which was built around a dormant volcano,
hosted the French Grand Prix in 1965, 1969, 1970 and
1972. 

The twisting turns around the mountain and extreme G-forces
caused drivers some discomfort. According to Motor Sport magazine, F1 champion Jochen
Rindt had to retire from the 1969 French Grand Prix after suffering
double vision.

The full track was closed in 1988 amid safety fears, but a
shorter track was created in 1989 and can still be driven today.
It’s located at the bottom of the full grand prix track and
features the broken access roads to the old loop. 

You can also take a turn on the old route, which is
relatively simple to find. A four-hour drive south of Paris will
take circuit hunters to the town of Clermont Ferrand (there is a
local airport for those who prefer to fly). 

The track itself is 20 miles southwest of the town. The
old route can be found on the D5 and D5f roads north of the newer,
permanent track. 

Rouen-Les-Essarts, Rouen

Rouen-Les-Essart is one of the trickiest motor racing
circuits to find on the planet. Very little of it remains today,
with the entire pit complex and grandstands demolished in 1999,
when the circuit was closed owing to safety
concerns. 

The four-mile circuit consisted of public roads with few
run-off areas or guard rails, so drivers who made a mistake often
suffered severe consequences. One of the track’s most horrific
accidents came in 1968, when F1 debutant Jo Schlesser died when his
Honda RA302 burst into flames after crashing into
a grass mound.  

The roads where the race was held can be found 12 miles
southwest of Rouen city. The D938 road used to be the
start-finish straight, and a vast concrete wasteland today marks
where the old pit buildings stood.

Heading south, the road joins up with the D123, which takes you
through to the second half of the circuit. 

Dijon-Prenois, Pasques

Although Dijon-Prenois still hosts events, albeit minor ones,
the circuit has fallen off most people’s radar since it last hosted
the French Grand Prix, in 1984. 

The undulating 2.4-mile circuit featured an action-packed,
overtaking-filled race during the 1979 event [see above]. Ferrari’s
Gilles Villeneuve and Rene Arnoux for Renault banged wheels and
slid past each other on the way to second and third place
respectively, behind race winner Jean-Pierre
Jabouille. 

The circuit is located just outside of the small town
Pasques, which is just over three hours by car from Paris, with
most of the journey spent on the A38. 

Top image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images