The Paul Ricard Circuit is a motorsport race track built at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France, in 1969 with finance from the eccentric drinks magnate Paul Ricard. Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ... A race track (or racetrack), is a purpose-built facility for the conducting of races. ... city flag coat of arms Motto: By her great deeds, Marseille shines in the world Coordinates : , Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) Administration Subdivisions 16 arrondissements (in 8 secteurs) Département Bouches-du-Rhône (13) Région Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin (UMP) (since 1995... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... The Paul Ricard Circuit was built at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France, in 1969 with finance from the eccentric drinks magnate Paul Ricard. ...

With innovative facilities it was considered by some to be the safest motor racing in the world at the time. The circuit had three possible layouts, a large area of industrial park and also an airstrip. In combination with the usual good weather conditions in Southern France, the airfield made the track popular for testing purposes in winter.

The original track was dominated by the mile-long Mistral Straight that was followed by the high-speed Signes corner.

It opened in 1970 with a 2-liter sports car race. During the 1970s and the 1980s the track developed some of the best French drivers of the time, and hosted the Formula One French Grand Prix on many occasions, the first of which being the 1971 French Grand Prix. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive, informally sometimes including the years 1979, 1990 and 1991. ... Formula One - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The French Grand Prix is a Formula One race held as part of Fédération Internationale de lAutomobiles annual Formula One automobile racing championship season. ... Results from the 1971 Formula One French Grand Prix held at Paul Ricard on July 4, 1971 Classification Notes Fastest Lap: Jackie Stewart 154. ...

In 1986 Formula One driver Elio de Angelis was killed in a testing accident at the fast first turn, and the circuit was modified in order to avoid any future accidents. Such modifications consisted of shortening the circuit in order to reduce the Mistral Straight and to eliminate the fast sweeping curves where de Angelis had crashed. The last French Grand Prix held at the circuit was in 1990. Since 1991, Magny-Cours has played host to the French Grand Prix. 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Elio de Angelis (born 26 March 1958 - died 15 May 1986) was a Formula One driver who participated between 1979 and 1986. ...

In the 1990s the circuit's popularity was reduced to motorcycle racing and French national racing. The track was also the home of the ORECA F3000 team. See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from 2000 and 2001. ... In 1985, the Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile (FIA) created the Formula 3000 championship to become the final career step for drivers willing to enter the Formula One championship. ...

After Ricard's death, the track was sold to Excelis, a company owned by Formula One promoter Bernie Ecclestone, in 1999. The track has since been rebuilt into a very advanced test track. It is now known as the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track. Bernard Charles Bernie Ecclestone (born October 28, 1930 in Suffolk, United Kingdom) is the president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration, he also owns a stake in Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

The track

The track is characterised by its Mistral Straight and elongated track design. The track is also unusual in that it is built on a plateau, and very flat. The length of the full track is around 3.610 miles. In 1986 the track was modified to shorten the circuit. This shorter circuit is known as the GP short circuit and its length is 2.369 miles.

External links

• Circuit Paul Ricard - Official website