Difference between revisions of "Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours"

Revision as of 13:41, 9 March 2008

Circuit de Nevers
230px
Location	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.

Usually dubbed Magny-Cours, it was first built in 1960 by Jean Bernigaud and was home to a 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 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.

In 2002, 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.

Past Winners

Year	Driver	Constructor	Report
2006	Germany -- Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Report
2005	Spain -- Fernando Alonso	Renault	Report
2004	Germany -- Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Report
2003	Germany -- Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	Report
2002	Germany -- Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Report
2001	Germany -- Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Report
2000	UK -- David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	Report
1999	Germany -- Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan-Mugen Honda	Report
1998	Germany -- Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Report
1997	Germany -- Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Report
1996	UK -- Damon Hill	Williams-Renault	Report
1995	Germany -- Michael Schumacher	Benetton-Renault	Report
1994	Germany -- Michael Schumacher	Benetton-Ford	Report
1993	France -- Alain Prost	Williams-Renault	Report
1992	UK -- Nigel Mansell	Williams-Renault	Report
1991	UK -- Nigel Mansell	Williams-Renault	Report