French Grand Prix

French Grand Prix

Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Race information
Laps	70
Circuit length	4.411 km (2.741 mi)
Race length	308.586 km (191.755 mi)
First held	1906
Last held	2008
Most wins (drivers)	Michael Schumacher (8)
Most wins (constructors)	Ferrari (17)
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 (Grand Prix de France) is a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships.

Grand Prix motor racing originated in France and the French Grand Prix, open to international competition, is the oldest Grand Prix races, first run on June 26, 1906 under the auspices of the Automobile Club de France in Sarthe, with a starting field of 32 automobiles.

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

The first World Championships were organized in 1925 with the French Grand Prix, the Italian Grand Prix, the Belgian Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500. The French Grand Prix has been part of the Formula One championships since their inception in 1950. The race has been held at various racetracks throughout France, such as the Autodrome de Montlhéry. Since 1991 it has had its permanent home at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. The move to Magny-Cours was an attempt to stimulate the economy of the area, but many within Formula One complain about the remote nature of the circuit.

The 2004 and 2005 races were in doubt because of financial problems and the addition of new circuits to the Formula One calendar. These races went ahead as planned, but it still has an uncertain future.

On March 29 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 situation of the circuit, known to be disliked by many in F1 due to the circuit's remote location.^[1] On May 31, Bernie Ecclestone confirmed (at the time) that the 2007 French Grand Prix would be the last to be held at Magny-Cours.^[2]

However, after various negotiations, the future of the race at Magny-Cours took another turn, with increased speculation that the 2008 French Grand Prix would return, with Ecclestone himself stating "We're going to maybe resurrect it for a year, or something like that".^[3] On July 24, Ecclestone and the French Prime Minister met and agreed to possibly maintain the race at Magny Cours for 2008 and 2009.^[4] The change in fortune was completed on July 27, when the FIA published the 2008 calendar with a 2008 French Grand Prix scheduled at Magny-Cours once again.^[5] The 2009 race, however, was again cancelled on October 15, 2008, with the official website citing "economic reasons".^[6]

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 Grands Prix

Repeat Winners

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[1]	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

^  Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1951 race, but shared the Alfa Romeo 159-car with Luigi Fagioli.

By year

A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.

A cream background indicates an event which was part of the pre-war European Championship.

Year	Driver	Constructor	Location	Report
2008	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	Magny Cours	Report
2007	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	Magny Cours	Report
2006	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny Cours	Report
2005	Fernando Alonso	Renault	Magny Cours	Report
2004	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny Cours	Report
2003	Ralf Schumacher	Williams-BMW	Magny Cours	Report
2002	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny Cours	Report
2001	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny Cours	Report
2000	David Coulthard	McLaren-Mercedes	Magny Cours	Report
1999	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan-Mugen-Honda	Magny Cours	Report
1998	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny Cours	Report
1997	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	Magny Cours	Report
1996	Damon Hill	Williams-Renault	Magny Cours	Report
1995	Michael Schumacher	Benetton-Renault	Magny Cours	Report
1994	Michael Schumacher	Benetton-Ford	Magny Cours	Report
1993	Alain Prost	Williams-Renault	Magny Cours	Report
1992	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Renault	Magny Cours	Report
1991	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Renault	Magny Cours	Report
1990	Alain Prost	Ferrari	Paul Ricard	Report
1989	Alain Prost	McLaren-Honda	Paul Ricard	Report
1988	Alain Prost	McLaren-Honda	Paul Ricard	Report
1987	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda	Paul Ricard	Report
1986	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda	Paul Ricard	Report
1985	Nelson Piquet	Brabham-BMW	Paul Ricard	Report
1984	Niki Lauda	McLaren-TAG	Dijon	Report
1983	Alain Prost	Renault	Paul Ricard	Report
1982	René Arnoux	Renault	Paul Ricard	Report
1981	Alain Prost	Renault	Dijon	Report
1980	Alan Jones	Williams-Ford	Paul Ricard	Report
1979	Jean-Pierre Jabouille	Renault	Dijon	Report
1978	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Paul Ricard	Report
1977	Mario Andretti	Lotus-Ford	Dijon	Report
1976	James Hunt	McLaren-Ford	Paul Ricard	Report
1975	Niki Lauda	Ferrari	Paul Ricard	Report
1974	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus-Ford	Dijon	Report
1973	Ronnie Peterson	Lotus-Ford	Paul Ricard	Report
1972	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell-Ford	Charade	Report
1971	Jackie Stewart	Tyrrell-Ford	Paul Ricard	Report
1970	Jochen Rindt	Lotus-Ford	Charade	Report
1969	Jackie Stewart	Matra-Ford	Charade	Report
1968	Jacky Ickx	Ferrari 312	Rouen-Les-Essarts	Report
1967	Jack Brabham	Brabham BT24 - Repco	Le Mans-Bugatti	Report
1966	Jack Brabham	Brabham BT19 - Repco	Reims	Report
1965	Jim Clark	Lotus 25 - Climax	Charade	Report
1964	Dan Gurney	Brabham BT7 - Climax	Rouen-Les-Essarts	Report
1963	Jim Clark	Lotus 25 - Climax	Reims	Report
1962	Dan Gurney	Porsche 804	Rouen-Les-Essarts	Report
1961	Giancarlo Baghetti	Ferrari Dino 156	Reims	Report
1960	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	Reims	Report
1959	Tony Brooks	Ferrari Dino 246	Reims	Report
1958	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari Dino 246	Reims	Report
1957	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati 250F	Rouen-Les-Essarts	Report
1956	Peter Collins	Ferrari D50A	Reims	Report
1955	Not held
1954	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes-Benz W196	Reims	Report
1953	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari 500	Reims	Report
1952	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari 500	Rouen-Les-Essarts	Report
1951	Luigi Fagioli Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo 159	Reims	Report
1950	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo 158	Reims	Report
1949	Louis Chiron	Talbot-Lago T26C	Reims	Report
1948	Jean-Pierre Wimille	Alfa Romeo 158	Reims	Report
1947	Louis Chiron	Talbot-Lago Monoplace C39	Lyon-Parilly	Report
1946 - 1940	Not held
1939	Hermann Paul Müller	Auto Union 3.0L	Reims	Report
1938	Manfred von Brauchitsch	Mercedes-Benz W154	Reims	Report
1937	Louis Chiron	Talbot T150C	Montlhéry	Report
1936	Jean-Pierre Wimille Raymond Sommer	Bugatti T57G	Montlhéry	Report
1935	Rudolf Caracciola	Mercedes-Benz W25	Montlhéry	Report
1934	Louis Chiron	Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3	Montlhéry	Report
1933	Giuseppe Campari	Maserati 8C-3000	Montlhéry	Report
1932	Tazio Nuvolari	Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3	Montlhéry	Report
1931	Louis Chiron Achille Varzi	Bugatti T51	Montlhéry	Report
1930	Philippe Etancelin	Bugatti T35C	Pau	Report
1929	William Grover-Williams	Bugatti T35B	Le Mans	Report
1928	William Grover-Williams	Bugatti T35C	St. Gaudens	Report
1927	Robert Benoist	Delage 15-S8	Montlhéry	Report
1926	Jules Goux	Bugatti T39A	Miramas	Report
1925	Robert Benoist Albert Divo	Delage 2LCV	Montlhéry	Report
1924	Giuseppe Campari	Alfa Romeo P2	Lyon	Report
1923	Henry Segrave	Sunbeam	Tours	Report
1922	Felice Nazzaro	Fiat 804	Strasbourg	Report
1921	Jimmy Murphy	Duesenberg	Le Mans	Report
1920 - 1915	Not held
1914	Christian Lautenschlager	Mercedes 18/100	Lyon	Report
1913	Georges Boillot	Peugeot L5	Amiens	Report
1912	Georges Boillot	Peugeot L76	Dieppe	Report
1911 - 1909	Not held
1908	Christian Lautenschlager	Mercedes	Dieppe	Report
1907	Felice Nazzaro	Fiat	Dieppe	Report
1906	Ferenc Szisz	Renault	Le Mans	Report

References

External links

• French Grand Prix Results, Live Timing, Quiz & Discussion
• Site officiel du Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
• Official Website of the French Grand Prix