Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours

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250px
Circuit de Nevers
Location 22px-Flag of France.png Magny-Cours and Nevers, France
Events Formula One; GP2; SBK; WTCC
Length km 4.411
Length mi 2.74
Turns 17
Record time 1'15.377
Record driver Michael Schumacher
Record team Ferrari
Record year 2004


Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers. It is most famous for staging the Formula One French Grand Prix, which has been held here since 1991. On 31 May 2007, Bernie Ecclestone initially confirmed that the 2007 French Grand Prix would be the last to be held at Magny Cours, though the release of the 2008 race calendar has confirmed that 2008 French Grand Prix will take place at Magny-Cours. However, Ecclestone has announced in May 2008 that Magny-Cours would not be used from 2009.

History

Usually dubbed Magny-Cours, it was built in 1960 by Jean Bernigaud and was home to the prestigious L'école de pilotage Winfield racing school, which provided such notable drivers as François Cevert and Jacques Laffite. However, come the 1980s, the track was in a very bad shape and it wasn't until the Regional Conseil de la Nièvre bought the track, that international motor racing started to return.

In the 1990s the Ligier (and, after Ligier was bought, Prost) Formula One team was based at the circuit and did much of its testing at Magny-Cours.

The track nowadays is a modern, smooth circuit with good facilities for the spectators. Most corners are named after other racing circuits, e.g. the fast Estoril corner and the Adelaide hairpin. It is a flat circuit, with negligible change in elevation.

The circuit features several high-speed chicanes with prominent kerbs, such as the Imola chicane.

The circuit doesn't provide a lot of overtaking opportunities, which means the races here are commonly regarded as quite uneventful, with the exception of the recent races in which it rained. Most notable of these races was the 1999 race, which was interrupted by a downpour. After a restart, most top contenders developed problems, which paved the way for Heinz-Harald Frentzen to claim a surprising victory in his Jordan.

For the 2003 event, the final corner and chicane were changed in an effort to increase overtaking, with little effect. This did, however, change the approach to strategy at this circuit as it made the pitlane much shorter. Because less time was lost making a pit stop, Michael Schumacher was able to win the 2004 French Grand Prix using an unprecedented four-stop strategy.

In 2006, the circuit was the scene of more Formula One history, when Michael Schumacher became the first driver ever to win any single Grand Prix a total of 8 times and at the same circuit.

The 2007 race was to mark the last French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, as the French Grand Prix had been indefinitely suspended from the Formula One calendar.

Bernie Ecclestone originally confirmed that F1 would not return to Magny-Cours in 2008, instead moving to an alternative location possibly in Paris. He has since stated that the future of the Magny-Cours circuit is still in negotiations, and that "We're going to maybe resurrect it for a year, or something like that". The FIA has subsequently confirmed that the 2008 French Grand Prix will take place at Magny-Cours with the release of the official calendar on July 27 2007.

However, in May 2008, Ecclestone confirmed that Magny-Cours will stop hosting the French Grand Prix after the 2008 race. Ecclestone is looking into the possibility of hosting the French Grand Prix on the streets of Paris.


Past winners

Formula One

Year Driver Constructor Report
2007 22px-Flag of Finland.png Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari Report
2006 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Report
2005 22px-Flag of Spain.png Fernando Alonso Renault Report
2004 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Report
2003 22px-Flag of Germany.png Ralf Schumacher Williams-BMW Report
2002 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Report
2001 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Report
2000 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes Report
1999 22px-Flag of Germany.png Heinz-Harald Frentzen Jordan-Mugen Honda Report
1998 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Report
1997 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Ferrari Report
1996 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Damon Hill Williams-Renault Report
1995 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Benetton-Renault Report
1994 22px-Flag of Germany.png Michael Schumacher Benetton-Ford Report
1993 22px-Flag of France.png Alain Prost Williams-Renault Report
1992 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Nigel Mansell Williams-Renault Report
1991 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Nigel Mansell Williams-Renault Report

World Touring Car Championship

Year Race Driver Team Report
2005 1 22px-Flag of Germany.png Jörg Müller BMW Team Germany Report
2 22px-Flag of Germany.png Jörg Müller BMW Team Germany
2006 1 22px-Flag of Germany.png Dirk Müller BMW Team Germany Report
2 22px-Flag of the United Kingdom.png Andy Priaulx BMW Team UK


External links


Formula One Circuits

A1-Ring | Adelaide Street Circuit | Ain-Diab | Aintree race course | AVUS | Bahrain International Circuit | Circuit de la Sarthe | Circuito da Boavista | Brands Hatch | Catalunya | Charade Circuit | Donington Park | Enzo e Dino Ferrari | Fuji Speedway | Gilles Villeneuve | Hockenheimring | Hungaroring | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Internacional Nelson Piquet | Istanbul Racing Circuit | Jarama | José Carlos Pace | Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit | Monaco | Mont-Tremblant | Mosport Park | Mugello | Mugello Circuit | Nazionale Monza | Nevers Magny-Cours | Nivelles-Baulers | Nurburgring | Pedralbes Circuit | Permanente de Jerez | Riverside International Raceway | Scandinavian Raceway | Sebring Raceway | Sepang International Circuit | Shanghai International Circuit | Silverstone Circuit | Spa-Francorchamps | Suzuka Circuit | TI Circuit | Park Zandvoort | Zolder


WTCC (World Touring Car Championship) circuits

CuritibaPueblaValenciaPauBrnoEstorilBrands HatchOscherslebenAnderstorpMonzaOkayamaGuia Circuit

Former circuits (2005 - 2007) :
Magny-CoursSilverstoneImolaSpa-FrancorchampsIstanbulZandvoortBoavista


MotoGP circuits

Current circuits (2008)
LosailJerezEstorilShangaiLe MansMugelloCatalunyaDoningtonAssenSachsenringLaguna SecaBrnoMisanoIndianapolisMotegiPhillip IslandSepangValencia

Past circuits
IstanbulWelkomSuzukaRio de JaneiroPaul RicardImolaBuenos AiresJohorJaramaShah AlamZeltwegNürburgringSentulEastern CreekSalzburgringHockenheimHungaroringMagny-CoursInterlagosKyalamiRijekaSpa-FrancorchampsAnderstorp GoianiaMonzaSilverstoneOpatijaNogaroImatraSan CarlosKarlskogaIsle of ManMontjuïcCharadeDundrodMosportFujiDaytonaRouenSolitudeTampereKristianstadtHedemoraReimsBremgartenSchottenringAlbiGeneva


SBK circuits

LosailPhillip IslandValenciaAssenMonzaSalt Lake CityNürburgringMisanoBrnoBrands HatchDonington ParkVallelungaMagny-CoursPortimao

Past Circuits
AlbaceteAnderstorp BrainerdEstorilEuroSpeedway LausitzHockenheimHungaroringImolaJohorJaramaJerezKyalamiLaguna SecaLe MansManfeildMosportMugelloOran ParkOscherslebenÖsterreichringPaul RicardPergusaSalzburgring SentulShah AlamSilverstoneSpa-FrancorchampsSugoZeltweg