French Formula One Grand Prix

The Magny-Cours circuit, formerly known as the Circuit Jean Behra, was completely reprofiled in 1989 having been taken over by the Conseil General de Nièvre. It was built originally in 1959 by Jean Bernigaud and the first race took place in 1961. Since 1991, it has been the venue for the French Grand Prix and has rapidly become the centre for many famous names in the French motorport industry, including the Ligier F1 team.

The Magny-Cours layout was inspired by some of the most difficult corners of the world´s major tracks. It contains a mix of technical and fast corners, long fast straights and heavy braking and acceleration areas. The circuit is, in fact, one of the fastest visited by the F1 teams, but its modern renovation means it is equally one of the safest, with huge run-off areas.