French Grand Prix facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
French Grand Prix

Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Race information
Number of times held	86 (58 as F1)
First held	1906
Last held	2008
Most wins (drivers)	Michael Schumacher (8)
Most wins (constructors)	Ferrari (17)
Circuit length	4.411 km (2.741 mi)
Race length	308.586 km (191.755 mi)
Laps	70
Last race (2008)
Pole position
Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:16.449
Podium
1. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1h 31m 50.245s (201.608 km/h) 2. Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari +17.984s 3. Jarno Trulli Toyota +28.250s
Fastest lap
Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:16.630

The French Grand Prix (1906-1967: Grand Prix de l'ACF, 1968-2008: Grand Prix de France) was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's (FIA) annual Formula One (F1) automobile racing championships.

Grand Prix motor racing started in France. The French Grand Prix was open to international competition. It is the oldest Grand Prix race. It was first run on 26 June 1906, under the Automobile Club de France in Sarthe. The first race had a starting field of 32 automobiles.

History

Georges Boillot winning the 1912 French Grand Prix in Dieppe, France

The first World Championships were organized in 1925. It included the French Grand Prix, the Italian Grand Prix, the Belgian Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500. The French Grand Prix was part of the Formula One championships from their start in 1950. The last F1 Grand Prix was held in 2008. It was called the European Grand Prix four times between 1924 and 1966. During this time, the title was an honorary name. It was given to one grand prix race held in Europe each year

The race has been held at several racetracks in France, such as the Autodrome de Montlhéry. Since 1991 its permanent home was the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours (often called just Magny-Cours). The move to Magny-Cours was an attempt to stimulate the economy of the area, but many within Formula One complained about the remote nature of the circuit.

On 29 March 2007 it was announced by the FFSA, the race promoter, that the 2008 French Grand Prix was put on an indefinite "pause". This suspension was due to the financial problems of the circuit. Many in F1 did not like the circuit because of the remote location. On 31 May, Bernie Ecclestone confirmed that the 2007 French Grand Prix would be the last to be held at Magny-Cours.

After negotiations, the future of the race improved. Ecclestone himself stating "We're going to maybe resurrect it for a year, or something like that". On 24 July, Ecclestone and the Prime Minister of France met. They agreed to try to keep the race at Magny-Cours for 2008 and 2009. On 27 July, when the FIA published the 2008 calendar with a French Grand Prix scheduled at Magny-Cours. The 2009 race, however, was again cancelled on 15 October 2008, with the official website citing "economic reasons".

The future

A major remodeling project of Magny-Cours ("2.0") was planned, but canceled in the end. FFSA, the race's promoter, started looking for an another host circuit. There were five different proposals for a new circuit. One in Rouen with 3 possible layouts: a street circuit, in the dock area, or a permanent circuit near the airport. A street circuit located near Disneyland Resort Paris. A location in Versailles. And one in Sarcelles (Val de France). They were all were canceled. A final location in Flins-Les Mureaux, near the Flins Renault Factory was considered, that was canceled as well on 1 December 2009. In 2010 and 2011, there was no French Grand Prix on the Formula 1 calendar, although the Paul Ricard Circuit has proposed itself for 2012. The French Grand Prix was not included in the released 2012 schedule.

Sponsors

• Rhône-Poulenc Grand Prix de France 1988-1993
• Mobil 1 Grand Prix de France 1998-2004
• Allianz Grand Prix de France 2005-2007
• RBS Grand Prix de France 2008

Winners of the French Grand Prix

Repeat winners (drivers)

Number of wins	Driver	Years
8	Michael Schumacher	1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006
6	Alain Prost	1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993
4	Louis Chiron	1931, 1934, 1937, 1947
	Juan Manuel Fangio	1950, 1951, 1954, 1957
	Nigel Mansell	1986, 1987, 1991, 1992
3	Jack Brabham	1960, 1966, 1967
	Jackie Stewart	1969, 1971, 1972
2	Christian Lautenschlager	1908, 1914
	Felice Nazzaro	1907, 1922
	Georges Boillot	1912, 1913
	Giuseppe Campari	1924, 1933
	Robert Benoist	1925, 1927
	William Grover-Williams	1928, 1929
	Jean-Pierre Wimille	1936, 1948
	Dan Gurney	1962, 1964
	Jim Clark	1963, 1965
	Ronnie Peterson	1973, 1974
	Mario Andretti	1977, 1978
	Niki Lauda	1975, 1984

Active drivers are in bold.
Event that were not part of the Formula One World Championship have a pink background.
Event that were part of the pre-war European Championship have a cream background.

Louis Chiron won the 1931 race, but shared the win in the Bugatti with Achille Varzi.
Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1951 race, but shared the win in the Alfa Romeo 159-car with Luigi Fagioli.

Repeat winners (constructors)

# of wins	Constructor	Years won
17	Ferrari	1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1968, 1975, 1990, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
8	Williams	1980, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2003
7	Lotus	1963, 1965, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978
6	Bugatti	1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936
	Alfa Romeo	1924, 1932, 1934, 1948, 1950, 1951
	Renault	1906, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 2005
5	McLaren	1976, 1984, 1988, 1989, 2000
4	Brabham	1964, 1966, 1967, 1985
2	Peugeot	1912, 1913
	Mercedes	1908, 1914
	Fiat	1907, 1922
	Delage	1925, 1927
	Mercedes-Benz	1935, 1938
	Talbot-Lago	1947, 1949
	Maserati	1933, 1957
	Tyrrell	1971, 1972
	Benetton	1994, 1995

Active constructors are in bold.
Event that were not part of the Formula One World Championship have a pink background.
Event that were part of the pre-war European Championship have a cream background.

By year

Year	Driver	Constructor	Location
2008	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	Magny-Cours
2007	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	Magny-Cours
2006	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny-Cours
2005	Fernando Alonso	Renault	Magny-Cours
2004	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny-Cours
2003	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	Magny-Cours
2002	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny-Cours
2001	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny-Cours
2000	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	Magny-Cours
1999	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan-Mugen-Honda	Magny-Cours
1998	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny-Cours
1997	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny-Cours
1996	Damon Hill	Williams-Renault	Magny-Cours
1995	Michael Schumacher	Benetton-Renault	Magny-Cours
1994	Michael Schumacher	Benetton-Ford	Magny-Cours
1993	Alain Prost	Williams-Renault	Magny-Cours
1992	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Renault	Magny-Cours
1991	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Renault	Magny-Cours
1990	Alain Prost	Ferrari	Paul Ricard Short Circuit
1989	Alain Prost	McLaren-Honda	Paul Ricard Short Circuit
1988	Alain Prost	McLaren-Honda	Paul Ricard Short Circuit
1987	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda	Paul Ricard Short Circuit
1986	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda	Paul Ricard Short Circuit
1985	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-BMW	Paul Ricard Full Circuit
1984	Niki Lauda	McLaren-TAG	Dijon
1983	Alain Prost	Renault	Paul Ricard Full Circuit
1982	René Arnoux	Renault	Paul Ricard Full Circuit
1981	Alain Prost	Renault	Dijon
1980	Alan Jones	Williams-Ford	Paul Ricard Full Circuit
1979	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	Renault	Dijon
1978	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Paul Ricard Full Circuit
1977	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Dijon
1976	James Hunt	McLaren-Ford	Paul Ricard Full Circuit
1975	Niki Lauda	Ferrari	Paul Ricard Full Circuit
1974	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus-Ford	Dijon
1973	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus-Ford	Paul Ricard Full Circuit
1972	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell-Ford	Charade
1971	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell-Ford	Paul Ricard Full Circuit
1970	Jochen Rindt	Lotus-Ford	Charade
1969	Jackie Stewart	Matra-Ford	Charade
1968	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	Rouen-Les-Essarts
1967	Jack Brabham	Brabham-Repco	Le Mans-Bugatti
1966	Jack Brabham	Brabham-Repco	Reims
1965	Jim Clark	Lotus-Climax	Charade
1964	Dan Gurney	Brabham-Climax	Rouen-Les-Essarts
1963	Jim Clark	Lotus-Climax	Reims
1962	Dan Gurney	Porsche	Rouen-Les-Essarts
1961	Giancarlo Baghetti	Ferrari	Reims
1960	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	Reims
1959	Tony Brooks	Ferrari	Reims
1958	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari	Reims
1957	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	Rouen-Les-Essarts
1956	Peter Collins	Ferrari	Reims
1955	Not held
1954	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes	Reims
1953	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari	Reims
1952	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari	Rouen-Les-Essarts
1951	Luigi Fagioli Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo	Reims
1950	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo	Reims
1949	Louis Chiron	Talbot-Lago	Reims
1948	Jean-Pierre Wimille	Alfa Romeo	Reims
1947	Louis Chiron	Talbot-Lago	Lyon-Parilly
1946 - 1940	Not held
1939	Hermann Paul Müller	Auto Union	Reims
1938	Manfred von Brauchitsch	Mercedes-Benz	Reims
1937	Louis Chiron	Talbot	Montlhéry
1936	Jean-Pierre Wimille Raymond Sommer	Bugatti	Montlhéry
1935	Rudolf Caracciola	Mercedes-Benz	Montlhéry
1934	Louis Chiron	Alfa Romeo	Montlhéry
1933	Giuseppe Campari	Maserati	Montlhéry
1932	Tazio Nuvolari	Alfa Romeo	Reims
1931	Louis Chiron Achille Varzi	Bugatti	Montlhéry
1930	Philippe Étancelin	Bugatti	Pau
1929	William Grover-Williams	Bugatti	Le Mans
1928	William Grover-Williams	Bugatti	Saint-Gaudens
1927	Robert Benoist	Delage	Montlhéry
1926	Jules Goux	Bugatti	Miramas
1925	Robert Benoist Albert Divo	Delage	Montlhéry
1924	Giuseppe Campari	Alfa Romeo	Lyon
1923	Henry Segrave	Sunbeam	Tours
1922	Felice Nazzaro	Fiat	Strasbourg
1921	Jimmy Murphy	Duesenberg	Le Mans
1920 - 1915	Not held
1914	Christian Lautenschlager	Mercedes	Lyon
1913	Georges Boillot	Peugeot	Amiens
1912	Georges Boillot	Peugeot	Dieppe
1911 - 1909	Not held
1908	Christian Lautenschlager	Mercedes	Dieppe
1907	Felice Nazzaro	Fiat	Dieppe
1906	Ferenc Szisz	Renault	Le Mans

Event that were not part of the Formula One World Championship have a pink background.
Event that were part of the pre-war European Championship have a cream background.

Broadcasting

United Kingdom

1985, Race started on BBC One but coverage of the race moved to BBC Two because of other scheduled programming.

Images for kids

• 

  Map of the French Grand Prix locations

• 

  The Charade circuit, used in 1965, 1969, 1970 and 1972

• 

  The faster Reims circuit, used from 1953 to 1966

• 

  Rouen-Les-Essarts, used in 1952 (shortened), 1957, 1962, 1964 and 1968

• 

  The Paul Ricard short circuit, used from 1986 to 1990

• 

  The Paul Ricard circuit, used from 1971 to 1985

• 

  The Le Mans Bugatti circuit used in 1967

• 

  The original Reims-Gueux circuit, used in 1932, 1938, 1939 and 1948 to 1951

See also

In Spanish: Gran Premio de Francia para niños