French Grand Prix

A Bit of Background:

The French Grand Prix took a hiatus from the sport between 2008 and 2017, following the removal of Magny-Cours from the calendar. It would take a decade to reappear, with the race making a comeback in 2018 at the familiar Paul Ricard Circuit.

Well known to F1 teams already, the venue had most recently hosted the French Grand Prix between 1985-1990, but it had really made a name for itself as a regular F1 testing location. The flat layout, large run-off areas and strong mix of corners made it perfect for assessing race cars. The short 10km hop to the beautiful French Riviera and good weather conditions also helped with its popularity.

The 2020 race didn’t go ahead due to Covid-19. The race returns for the 2021 season.

What Makes Paul Ricard Unique:

This is a visually stunning track, and one of the safest, thanks to its blue, black and red run-off areas surrounding much of the circuit. They replace the more traditional gravel traps and consist of a mixture of asphalt and tungsten to help slow the cars down when they leave the track.