Location | Pau, France |
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Time zone | GMT +1 (DST: +2) |
Major events | Formula Two, F3 Euroseries, WTCC |
Length | 2.769 km (1.721 mi) |
Turns | 15 |
Lap record | 1:11.228 (Marco Wittmann, Signature Dallara-Volkswagen F308, 2011) |
The Pau Grand Prix (French: Grand Prix de Pau) is an auto race held in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, southwestern France. The French Grand Prix was held at Pau in 1930, leading to the annual Pau Grand Prix being inaugurated in 1933. It was not run during World War II.
The race takes place around the centre of the city where the streets are closed to form a circuit, and its 68 runnings have variously conformed to the rules of Formula Libre, Sports cars, Grand Prix, Formula One, Formula Two, Formula three, Formula 3000 and Touring cars.
Some anglophone sources wrongly list a race called the 'Pau Grand Prix' in 1901. This may stem from a mistranslation of the contemporary French sources such as the magazine La France Auto of March 1901.[2] The name of the 1901 event was the Circuit du Sud-Ouest and it was run in three classes around the streets of Pau. The Grand Prix du Palais d’Hiver was the name of the prizes awarded for the lesser classes ('Light cars' and 'Voiturettes'). The Grand Prix de Pau was the name of the prize awarded for the 'Heavy' (fastest) class. Thus Maurice Farman was awarded the 'Grand Prix de Pau' for his overall victory in the Circuit du Sud-Ouest driving a Panhard 24 hp.[n 1] [n 2] [n 3] [n 4]
In L’Histoire de l’Automobile/Paris 1907 Pierre Souvestre described the 1901 event as : “... dans le Circuit du Sud-Ouest, à l’occasion du meeting de Pau... ” (...in the Circuit du Sud-Ouest, at the meeting in Pau...)[3]
The French Grand Prix was held at Pau in 1930, leading to the Pau Grand Prix being inaugurated in 1933.
The Pau Grand Prix was inaugurated in 1933 and has been run almost annually, with a race being held more-or-less every year since, excluding the duration of World War II. The first race was run to Formula Libre rules and was won by Marcel Lehoux driving a Bugatti.
The race is run around a street circuit laid out on the French town, and is in many ways similar to the more famous Formula One Monaco Grand Prix. The race cars are set up with greater suspension travel than is typically utilised at a purpose-built racing circuit to minimize the effect of running on the typical undulating tarmac of the street circuit.[4]
From 1933 until 1936 the events were run to Formula Libre rules. The winners included Marcel Lehoux, Tazio Nuvolari and Philippe Étancelin, driving Bugatti, Alfa Romeo and Maserati. The event was not held in 1934.
In 1937, the event was won by Jean-Pierre Wimille driving a Bugatti Sports Car.
From 1938 until 1939 the events were run to the European Championship Grand Prix rules. The winners included René Dreyfus and Hermann Lang, driving Delahaye and Mercedes-Benz. The event was not held during the war years 1940–1946.
From 1947 until 1951 the events were run to Formula One rules. The winners included: Nello Pagani (x2); Juan Manuel Fangio (x2) and Luigi Villoresi driving Maseratis (x4) and a Ferrari.
From 1952 through 1953 the events were run to Formula Two rules. Both races were won by Alberto Ascari in a Ferrari.
From 1954 until 1957 the events reverted to Formula One rules. All three races were won by Jean Behra driving both Maseratis (x2) and a Gordini. There was no race in 1956.
From 1958 through 1960 the events reverted to Formula Two rules. The winners included Jack Brabham and Maurice Trintignant (x2) driving Coopers.
From 1961 until 1963 the events reverted to Formula One rules. The winners included Jim Clark (x2) and Maurice Trintignant driving Lotus cars.
From 1964 through 1984 the events reverted to Formula Two rules. The winners included: Jim Clark (x2), Jack Brabham, Jochen Rindt (x3), Reine Wisell, Peter Gethin, François Cevert, Patrick Depailler, Jacques Laffite, René Arnoux (x2), Bruno Giacomelli, Eddie Cheever, Richard Dallest, Geoff Lees, Johnny Cecotto, Jo Gartner, and Mike Thackwell. The victorious cars included Lotus (x5), Brabham (x2), Chevron, Alpine, March (x3), Martini (x3), AGS, Ralt (x2), and Spirit.
From 1985 until 1998 the race was a Formula 3000 event. Formula 3000 had replaced Formula Two in Europe from 1985 and the race continued as part of the European championship. The winners included Christian Danner, Mike Thackwell, Yannick Dalmas, Roberto Moreno, Jean Alesi Eric van de Poele, Jean-Marc Gounon, Emanuele Naspetti, Pedro Lamy, Gil de Ferran, Vincenzo Sospiri, Jörg Müller, Juan Pablo Montoya (x2), driving March (x2), Ralt (x2), Reynard (x7), and Lola (x3).
From 1999 until 2006 the race around the streets of Pau was a Formula Three event. The winning drivers included Benoît Tréluyer, Jonathan Cochet, Anthony Davidson, Renaud Derlot, Fabio Carbone, Ryan Briscoe, Nicolas Lapierre, Jamie Green, Lewis Hamilton, Romain Grosjean, all driving Dallaras.
The World Touring Car Championship took over as the headline category in 2007, although open wheel cars have continued as part of the WTCC support program. This continued until 2009 and the event was not run in 2010. The winning drivers included Alain Menu (x2), Augusto Farfus, Andy Priaulx, Augusto Farfus and Robert Huff, driving BMW (x3) and Chevrolet (x3).
Although the Pau Grand Prix was not held in 2010, in September it was announced that the 2011 event will be a Formula 3 invitational, similar to the F3 masters at Zandvoort.
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