Viva la France

[S griffin]

It's still better looking and more challenging than Abu Dhabi

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

A related thought: where have all the French drivers gone? Jarier, Pironi, Jabouille, Beltoise, Arnoux, Tambay and of course Prost. Is it the decline of Elf money and the demise of French F3?

Ocon is promising, but who else is there? When will we next see a French GP winner?

o- Romain Grosjean scored ten podiums, the last one in 2015.
o- Esteban Ocon is 8th in standings, and he's just 20 years old.
o- Jean-Eric Vergne struggled in Toro Rosso, and Charles Pic in Marussia and Caterham.
o- Jules Bianchi finished 9hth at Monaco '14 with Marussia, but got killed in a crash.
o- Charles Leclerc (Monegasque) and Norman Nato have been protagonists in Formula 2.

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by S griffin

It's still better looking and more challenging than Abu Dhabi

Damning with faint praise...

[Paradise City]

It's an adequate track and yes, I'm glad the French race is back.

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by bauble

You forgot Chiron, Behra, Trintignant, Rosiier!

Don't forget Cevert?
Paris circuit used for FE would be my favourite for F1

[Mike E]

Impossible for F1 these days, of course, but the majesty of some of the old tracks takes some beating. It's hard to believe the long course only closed in 1988.

http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/08/...rmont-ferrand/

[Gerard C]

Mike E, you're right "Charade" was something. It was not permanent nor was Rouen les Essarts neither Reims Gueux. Charade was said the French Nürburgring (a little bit pompous I think) and the favorite of many racers. The track used roads going around hills, tricky, dangerous and of course thrilling! Those were the days.
I dont think we can find such emotion at PR (ex Toyota land?) and the painting will probably compromise telly images.

[morninggents]

Only ever been to Croix! However, it 's sanitised enough for current F1 with all the slow hairpins. Certainly beats Paul Ricard.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Rouen could still be used, just need new pits and slight diversions, same with Reims, although at least the pits and grandstand are still there and in good nick

Hasn't some of the full Rouen track been cut off by autoroute, or something similar?

[Gerard C]

Moringgents are you kidding me !!! just to give an idea the track record is held by a 250 cc karting. Well, Magny too…

Rouen les Essarts was non permanent type, B roads connected. When they built the autoroute, they modified the upper part of the circuit in the forest, near the enormous telly mast. I think that Rouen and Clermont was impossible to settle to what was the new safety rules. And I can attest that being non permanent sometimes means that the guard rails are not really toughly held… When hitted, they act as a trampoline or even worse a guillotine. The budgets to maintain so large areas can't be found in France for motorsport. Would it be football !!
In '84 at Charade, I settled the best lap time during a race in 4'06"23, av speed was 117,767 kph max speed 206 kph. Really slow I know but the cars were talbot Samba Rallye with only 100 hp. So all in all…

[BSchneiderFan]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

o- Romain Grosjean scored ten podiums, the last one in 2015.
o- Esteban Ocon is 8th in standings, and he's just 20 years old.
o- Jean-Eric Vergne struggled in Toro Rosso, and Charles Pic in Marussia and Caterham.
o- Jules Bianchi finished 9hth at Monaco '14 with Marussia, but got killed in a crash.
o- Charles Leclerc (Monegasque) and Norman Nato have been protagonists in Formula 2.

And Grosjean was born in Geneva.

[JABWOA]

Just hope they do decide to ditch the chicane in the straight.

[Gerard C]

They can at least use 2 different versions of the track who knows if they already decided which one they will go for. back in the day it was fun to see during the same weekend that our Production series (something like your BTCC or Grp1,5) used the 5 km plus without chicane and the F1 had to use the small circuit. The consequence was that a Fabergé Capri was arriving faster in the Signes curve than any Formula One. OK the sedan's driver had tu put hardly on the brakes.