French Grand Prix facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
French Grand Prix

Circuit Paul Ricard
Race information
Number of times held	90
First held	1906
Last held	2022
Most wins (drivers)	Michael Schumacher (8)
Most wins (constructors)	Ferrari (17)
Circuit length	5.842 km (3.630 mi)
Race length	309.690 km (192.432 mi)
Laps	53
Last race (2022)
Pole position
Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:30.872
Podium
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-RBPT 1:30:02.112 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +10.587 3. George Russell Mercedes +16.495
Fastest lap
Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 1:35.781

The French Grand Prix (which means "Great Prize of France" in French) is a famous car race. It is part of the yearly Formula One World Championship. This race is one of the oldest motor races in the world. It was even the very first "Grand Prix" race ever!

The race stopped for a while after 2008 because of money problems. But it came back to the Formula One calendar in 2018. The Circuit Paul Ricard hosted the race then. However, it was removed from the calendar again after 2022.

The French Grand Prix has been held at many different places. Over its long history, 16 different race tracks have been used. This is a lot, showing how much the race has moved around!

History of the Race

How it All Started

France was one of the first countries to have car races. The very first car race was held on July 22, 1894. It was called the Paris to Rouen Horseless Carriages Contest. This race was organized by the Automobile Club de France (ACF).

The race was about 126 kilometers (78 miles) long. Count Jules-Albert de Dion won it in his steam-powered car. He finished in just under 7 hours. After this, many other races started in Paris. They went to different cities in France and other parts of Europe.

The early races were held on public dirt roads. These roads were not always closed to people. In 1903, a race from Paris to Madrid was a disaster. Many people were hurt, and some even died. This happened because cars were going very fast (up to 140 km/h or 87 mph). The roads were dusty, and people stood too close. After this, the French government stopped races on open public roads.

The First "Grand Prix" Race

Racing on Closed Roads

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

The first official French Grand Prix race happened on June 26, 1906. It was open to racers from all over the world. The race was held in Sarthe, France. The name "Grand Prix" means "Great Prize." This was because the winner received a large prize of 45,000 French francs. This was a lot of money back then!

Early French Grands Prix were held on public roads. These roads were closed off for the race. They were usually near towns in northern and central France. The race often moved to different towns each year. Places like Le Mans, Dieppe, and Lyon hosted the event. The Dieppe circuit was very dangerous. Several people were hurt or died there.

The 1906 race was the first ever to be called "Grand Prix." It was run on a very fast 106-kilometer (66-mile) circuit. This circuit was east of Le Mans. The winner was Ferenc Szisz from Hungary. He drove a Renault car. The race lasted 12 hours on a dirt road! Even so, the fastest cars went over 118 km/h (73 mph).

The 1914 race near Lyon was very exciting. It was a tough battle between French Peugeot cars and German Mercedes cars. The Mercedes cars won, finishing in the top three spots. This was a big win for them.

After World War I, the Grand Prix returned in 1921. American Jimmy Murphy won that race. In 1922, Bugatti cars raced for the first time. The race was near Strasbourg. It rained, and the track was very muddy.

France's First Special Race Tracks

Map of the French Grand Prix locations

In 1925, France built its first special race track. It was called Montlhéry. It was located south of Paris. This track was 12.3 kilometers (7.7 miles) long. It had steep concrete turns and modern facilities. These included pit garages and grandstands.

Montlhéry hosted the Grand Prix de l'ACF in 1925. This was part of the first-ever World Manufacturers' Championship. Many people came to watch the fast cars. Another track, Miramas, was finished in 1926. It also hosted the Grand Prix that year.

The 1930 French Grand Prix was held in Pau. A special supercharged Blower Bentley car raced there. It was much bigger than the other cars. The Bentley was very fast on the long straight parts of the track. It could go 208 km/h (130 mph)!

From 1933 to 1937, Montlhéry was the only place for the French Grand Prix. In 1934, Mercedes-Benz cars returned to Grand Prix racing. Their new cars were very advanced. They seemed to float over the bumpy track. The German "Silver Arrows" cars were very fast.

Reims, Rouen, and Charade Circuits

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 French Grand Prix returned to the Reims-Gueux circuit in 1938 and 1939. The German Silver Arrows cars continued to win. After World War II, the race came back in 1947. Then, it went back to Reims-Gueux.

In 1950, the Formula One World Championship began. The French Grand Prix was one of the first races. Juan Manuel Fangio from Argentina won in 1950 and 1951. The 1951 race was the longest Formula One race ever.

The race was held at the Rouen-Les-Essarts circuit in 1952. Rouen was a very fast track. In 1953, the Reims circuit was made even faster. The 1953 race was a classic. Fangio and Mike Hawthorn had a close battle. Hawthorn won.

In 1954, Mercedes returned to racing again. Fangio and his teammate Karl Kling won easily. The French Grand Prix was canceled in 1955. This was because of a big accident at the Le Mans race.

The race continued at Reims until 1966. In 1965, the race was held at the Charade Circuit. This track was very twisty and challenging. In 1968, a serious accident happened at Rouen-Les-Essarts. A French driver, Jo Schlesser, was killed. After this, Formula One stopped racing on public roads.

Modern Tracks: Le Castellet and Dijon-Prenois

The Paul Ricard short circuit, used from 1986 to 1990

Dijon-Prenois, alternated with Le Castellet from 1974 to 1984 (the short track was used in 1974)

Formula One returned to Paul Ricard in 1973. This track is in Le Castellet, near Marseille. It was a new, modern facility. It had wide tracks and safe run-off areas. Many famous French drivers learned to race here.

The race also took place at the Dijon circuit in 1974. Paul Ricard and Dijon then took turns hosting the race until 1984. The 1979 race at Dijon was very famous. Two drivers, René Arnoux and Gilles Villeneuve, had an amazing battle for second place. They raced very close, even touching wheels!

The 1979 race was also special because it was the first time a Formula One car with a turbo-charged engine won. French driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille won for Renault. In 1981, Alain Prost won his first of many races. He would become a four-time world champion.

From 1985 to 1990, Paul Ricard was the only host. A shorter version of the track was used after 1986. This was because of a fatal crash during a test session. Prost won the last three races there. In 1990, he made a late comeback to win.

Magny-Cours (1991-2008)

The Magny-Cours circuit, used from 1991 to 2008

In 1991, the race moved to the Magny-Cours track. It stayed there for 17 years. This was the seventh different track to host the French Grand Prix.

Some highlights at Magny-Cours include Prost's last win in France in 1993. Michael Schumacher also won his 2002 championship there very early in the season. The race faced money problems in 2004 and 2005.

In 2007, it was announced that the 2008 French Grand Prix would be paused. This was due to money issues and the track's remote location. However, funding was found for 2008. This made the 2008 race the last French Grand Prix for 10 years.

The Race Takes a Break

After 2008, the French Grand Prix was not held for several years. There were talks about bringing it back. Different places were suggested for a new track. But none of these plans worked out. So, there was no French Grand Prix in 2010 and 2011.

Many French drivers have won the French Grand Prix. Alain Prost won the race six times. He won at three different tracks. But German driver Michael Schumacher won eight times. This is the most wins for any driver at this Grand Prix.

Return to Le Castellet

In December 2016, it was confirmed that the French Grand Prix would return. It came back in 2018 at the Circuit Paul Ricard. The track had a contract to host the race until 2022.

The 2020 race was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the race returned for the 2021 season.

The French Grand Prix was not on the 2023 calendar. The organizers said they want to share the race slot with other Grands Prix. This means it might not be held every year.

Winners of the French Grand Prix

Drivers with Multiple Wins

Drivers in bold are racing in Formula One now. A yellow background means the event was part of the pre-war European Championship. A green background means the event was part of the pre-war World Manufacturers' Championship. A pink background means the event was not part of the Formula One World Championship or other championships mentioned.

Wins	Driver	Years
8	Michael Schumacher	1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006
6	Alain Prost	1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993
5	Louis Chiron	1931, 1934, 1937, 1947, 1949
4	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	Georges Boillot	1912, 1913
	Christian Lautenschlager	1908, 1914
	Felice Nazzaro	1907, 1922
	Robert Benoist	1925, 1927
	William Grover-Williams	1928, 1929
	Giuseppe Campari	1924, 1933
	Jean-Pierre Wimille	1936, 1948
	Mike Hawthorn	1953, 1958
	Dan Gurney	1962, 1964
	Jim Clark	1963, 1965
	Ronnie Peterson	1973, 1974
	Niki Lauda	1975, 1984
	Mario Andretti	1977, 1978
	Lewis Hamilton	2018, 2019
	Max Verstappen	2021, 2022
Sources:

• Louis Chiron won the 1931 race, but shared the win with Achille Varzi.
• Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1951 race, but shared the win with Luigi Fagioli.

Teams with Multiple Wins

Teams in bold are racing in Formula One now. A yellow background means the event was part of the pre-war European Championship. A green background means the event was part of the pre-war World Manufacturers' Championship. A pink background means the event was not part of the Formula One World Championship or other championships mentioned.

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
	Mercedes	1908, 1914, 1935, 1938, 1954, 2018, 2019
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
	Fiat	1907, 1922
	Delage	1925, 1927
	Talbot-Lago	1947, 1949
	Maserati	1933, 1957
	Tyrrell	1971, 1972
	Benetton	1994, 1995
	Red Bull	2021, 2022
Sources:

Engine Manufacturers with Multiple Wins

Manufacturers in bold are racing in Formula One now. A yellow background means the event was part of the pre-war European Championship. A green background means the event was part of the pre-war World Manufacturers' Championship. A pink background means the event was not part of the Formula One World Championship or other championships mentioned.

Wins	Manufacturer	Years won
17	Ferrari	1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1968, 1975, 1990, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
11	Ford*	1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1994
	Renault	1906, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2005
8	Mercedes**	1908, 1914, 1935, 1938, 1954, 2000, 2018, 2019
6	Bugatti	1926, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936
	Alfa Romeo	1924, 1932, 1934, 1948, 1950, 1951
5	Honda	1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2021
4	Climax	1960, 1963, 1964, 1965
2	Peugeot	1912, 1913
	Fiat	1907, 1922
	Delage	1925, 1927
	Talbot-Lago	1947, 1949
	Maserati	1933, 1957
	Repco	1966, 1967
	BMW	1985, 2003
Sources:

• Built by Cosworth, funded by Ford.
  • Built by Ilmor in 2000, funded by Mercedes.

Winners by Year

The Magny-Cours circuit, used from 1992 to 2002

The Magny-Cours circuit, used in 1991

The Paul Ricard circuit, used from 1971 to 1985

The Le Mans Bugatti circuit used in 1967

The Lyon-Parilly circuit, used in 1947

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

The Montlhéry circuit, used from 1925 to 1937

The Le Mans road course, used in 1906

A yellow background means the event was part of the pre-war European Championship. A green background means the event was part of the pre-war World Manufacturers' Championship. A pink background means the event was not part of the Formula One World Championship or other championships mentioned.

Year	Driver	Constructor	Location	Report
1906	Ferenc Szisz	Renault	Le Mans	Report
1907	Felice Nazzaro	Fiat	Dieppe	Report
1908	Christian Lautenschlager	Mercedes		Report
1909 – 1911	Not held
1912	Georges Boillot	Peugeot	Dieppe	Report
1913	Georges Boillot	Peugeot	Amiens	Report
1914	Christian Lautenschlager	Mercedes	Lyon	Report
1915 – 1920	Not held due to World War I
1921	Jimmy Murphy	Duesenberg	Le Mans	Report
1922	Felice Nazzaro	Fiat	Strasbourg	Report
1923	Henry Segrave	Sunbeam	Tours	Report
1924	Giuseppe Campari	Alfa Romeo	Lyon	Report
1925	Robert Benoist Albert Divo	Delage	Montlhéry	Report
1926	Jules Goux	Bugatti	Miramas	Report
1927	Robert Benoist	Delage	Montlhéry	Report
1928	William Grover-Williams	Bugatti	Saint-Gaudens	Report
1929	William Grover-Williams	Bugatti	Le Mans	Report
1930	Philippe Étancelin	Bugatti	Pau	Report
1931	Louis Chiron Achille Varzi	Bugatti	Montlhéry	Report
1932	Tazio Nuvolari	Alfa Romeo	Reims	Report
1933	Giuseppe Campari	Maserati	Montlhéry	Report
1934	Louis Chiron	Alfa Romeo		Report
1935	Rudolf Caracciola	Mercedes-Benz		Report
1936	Jean-Pierre Wimille Raymond Sommer	Bugatti		Report
1937	Louis Chiron	Talbot		Report
1938	Manfred von Brauchitsch	Mercedes	Reims	Report
1939	Hermann Paul Müller	Auto Union		Report
1940 – 1946	Not held due to World War II
1947	Louis Chiron	Talbot-Lago	Lyon-Parilly	Report
1948	Jean-Pierre Wimille	Alfa Romeo	Reims	Report
1949	Louis Chiron	Talbot-Lago		Report
	Charles Pozzi	Delahaye	Saint-Gaudens	Report
1950	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo	Reims	Report
1951	Luigi Fagioli Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo		Report
1952	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari	Rouen	Report
1953	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari	Reims	Report
1954	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes		Report
1955	Not held due to the 1955 Le Mans disaster
1956	Peter Collins	Ferrari	Reims	Report
1957	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	Rouen	Report
1958	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari	Reims	Report
1959	Tony Brooks	Ferrari		Report
1960	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax		Report
1961	Giancarlo Baghetti	Ferrari		Report
1962	Dan Gurney	Porsche	Rouen	Report
1963	Jim Clark	Lotus-Climax	Reims	Report
1964	Dan Gurney	Brabham-Climax	Rouen	Report
1965	Jim Clark	Lotus-Climax	Charade	Report
1966	Jack Brabham	Brabham-Repco	Reims	Report
1967	Jack Brabham	Brabham-Repco	Le Mans	Report
1968	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari	Rouen	Report
1969	Jackie Stewart	Matra-Ford	Charade	Report
1970	Jochen Rindt	Lotus-Ford		Report
1971	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell-Ford	Paul Ricard	Report
1972	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell-Ford	Charade	Report
1973	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus-Ford	Paul Ricard	Report
1974	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus-Ford	Dijon	Report
1975	Niki Lauda	Ferrari	Paul Ricard	Report
1976	James Hunt	McLaren-Ford		Report
1977	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Dijon	Report
1978	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Paul Ricard	Report
1979	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	Renault	Dijon	Report
1980	Alan Jones	Williams-Ford	Paul Ricard	Report
1981	Alain Prost	Renault	Dijon	Report
1982	René Arnoux	Renault	Paul Ricard	Report
1983	Alain Prost	Renault		Report
1984	Niki Lauda	McLaren-TAG	Dijon	Report
1985	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-BMW	Paul Ricard	Report
1986	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda		Report
1987	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda		Report
1988	Alain Prost	McLaren-Honda		Report
1989	Alain Prost	McLaren-Honda		Report
1990	Alain Prost	Ferrari		Report
1991	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Renault	Magny-Cours	Report
1992	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Renault		Report
1993	Alain Prost	Williams-Renault		Report
1994	Michael Schumacher	Benetton-Ford		Report
1995	Michael Schumacher	Benetton-Renault		Report
1996	Damon Hill	Williams-Renault		Report
1997	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari		Report
1998	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari		Report
1999	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan-Mugen-Honda		Report
2000	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes		Report
2001	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari		Report
2002	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari		Report
2003	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW		Report
2004	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari		Report
2005	Fernando Alonso	Renault		Report
2006	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari		Report
2007	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari		Report
2008	Felipe Massa	Ferrari		Report
2009 – 2017	Not held
2018	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	Paul Ricard	Report
2019	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes		Report
2020	Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing-Honda	Paul Ricard	Report
2022	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing-RBPT		Report
Sources:

Races Sometimes Called French Grand Prix

Before 1906, some races in France were later called "Grands Prix de l'Automobile Club de France" by the French media. This made it seem like the French Grand Prix was the oldest race in the world. Here are some of those early races and their winners.

Year	Race Title	Driver	Constructor	Location	Report
1895	Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race	Paul Koechlin	Peugeot	Paris–Bordeaux–Paris	Report
1896	Paris–Marseille–Paris race	Émile Mayade	Panhard	Paris–Marseille–Paris	Report
1898	Paris–Amsterdam–Paris race	Fernand Charron	Panhard	Paris–Amsterdam–Paris	Report
1899	Tour de France	René de Knyff	Panhard	Paris–Paris	Report
1900	Paris–Toulouse–Paris race	Levegh	Mors	Paris–Toulouse–Paris	Report
1901	Paris–Berlin race	Henri Fournier	Mors	Paris–Berlin	Report
1902	Paris–Vienna race	Marcel Renault	Renault	Paris–Vienna	Report
1903	Paris–Madrid race	Fernand Gabriel	Mors	Paris–Madrid	Report
Source:

See also

In Spanish: Gran Premio de Francia para niños