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2010-10-26T00:24:18Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:24, 26 October 2010
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	\| Length_km = 5.809		\| Length_km = 5.809
	\| Length_mi = 3.610		\| Length_mi = 3.610
	\| Turns = 14		\| Turns = 10
	\| Record_time = 1:39.914		\| Record_time = 1:39.914
	\| Record_driver = [[Keke Rosberg]]		\| Record_driver = [[Keke Rosberg]]

Red marquis at 00:23, 26 October 2010

2010-10-26T00:23:18Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:23, 26 October 2010
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	\| Image = [[Image:Paul Ricard.png]]		\| Image = [[Image:Paul Ricard.png]]
	\| Events = [[French Grand Prix]], [[FIA GT Championship\|FIA GT]]		\| Events = [[French Grand Prix]], [[FIA GT Championship\|FIA GT]]
			\| Opened = 1969
	\| Length_km = 5.861		\| Length_km = 5.861
	\| Length_mi = 3.610		\| Length_mi = 3.610

Red marquis at 00:22, 26 October 2010

2010-10-26T00:22:03Z

New page

{{Motorsport venue
| Name = Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track
| Location = Le Castellet, France
| Coordinates = {{coord|43|15|2|N|5|47|30|E|type:landmark|display=it}}
| Time = GMT +1 (DST: +2)
| Image = [[Image:Paul Ricard.png]]
| Events = [[French Grand Prix]], [[FIA GT Championship|FIA GT]]
| Length_km = 5.861
| Length_mi = 3.610
| Turns = 25
| Layout1 = Long Circuit (1970-1999)
| Length_km = 5.809
| Length_mi = 3.610
| Turns = 14
| Record_time = 1:39.914
| Record_driver = [[Keke Rosberg]]
| Record_team = [[Williams F1|Williams]] [[Honda Racing F1|Honda]]
| Record_year = [[1985 French Grand Prix|1985]]
| Layout2 = Club Circuit (1986-1999)
| Length_km2 = 3.812
| Length_mi2 = 2.369
| Turns2 = 9
| Record_time2 = 1:08.012
| Record_driver2 = [[Nigel Mansell]]
| Record_team2 = [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]]
| Record_year2 = [[1990 French Grand Prix|1990]]
|}}
The '''Paul Ricard Circuit''' is a [[motorsport]] [[race track]] built at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France, in 1969 with finance from the eccentric drinks magnate Paul Ricard, who created what essentially became Pernod Ricard. Ricard built the circuit with the challenge of figuring out what would it be like to build a highway.

With innovative facilities it was considered by some to be the safest motor racing in the world at the time. The circuit had three possible layouts, a large area of industrial park and also an airstrip. In combination with the usual good weather conditions in Southern France, the airfield made the track popular for testing purposes in winter.

The original track was dominated by the mile-long Mistral Straight that was followed by the high-speed Signes corner.

It opened in 1970 with a 2-litre sports car race. During the 1970s and the 1980s the track developed some of the best French drivers of the time, and hosted the [[Formula One]] [[French Grand Prix]] on many occasions, the first of which being the [[1971 French Grand Prix]].

In 1986 Formula One driver [[Elio de Angelis]] was killed in a testing accident at the fast first turn, and the circuit was modified in order to avoid any future accidents. Such modifications consisted of shortening the circuit in order to reduce the Mistral Straight and to eliminate the fast sweeping curves where de Angelis had crashed. The last French Grand Prix held at the circuit was in 1990; since then, [[Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours|Magny-Cours]] has played host to the French Grand Prix.

In the 1990s the circuit's use was limited to motorcycle racing and French national racing, most notably until 1999, the Bol d'or motorcycle endurance race. The track was also the home of the [[Oreca]] [[International Formula 3000|F3000]] team.

After Ricard's death, the track was sold to Excelis, a company owned by Formula One promoter [[Bernie Ecclestone]], in 1999. The track has since been rebuilt into a very advanced test track. It is now known as the '''Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track''' ('''Paul Ricard HTTT''').

A landing strip is also part of the facilities to accommodate private jets. There is also a [[Kart racing|Karting]] Test Track (KTT) that features the same type of abrasive safety zones as the car track.
The track has also hosted a few races, the most important being the [[2006 FIA GT Championship season|2006]] [[2006 FIA GT Paul Ricard 500km|Paul Ricard 500km]], a round of the [[FIA GT Championship]]. Other GT championships have run races here, most notably the [[Ferrari Challenge]] and races organized by [[Porsche]] clubs of France and Italy.

==The track==
The track is characterised by its long Mistral straight (1.8 km) and elongated track design. The track is also unusual in that it is built on a plateau, and very flat. The length of the full track is around 3.610 miles (5.8 km). In 1986 the track was modified to shorten the circuit. This shorter circuit is known as the GP short circuit and its length is 2.369 miles (3.8 km). The track offers today 179 possible configurations from 826 to 5,861 metres<ref>[http://www.circuitpaulricard.com/les-pistes-p-155.html?language=en Tracks and facilities] - Official website</ref>. Because of this many teams use this track for testing (ex. [[Formula One]] teams).

The track is known for its distinctive black and blue runoff areas known as the ''Blue Zone'', which is used instead of gravel traps of other circuits, the runoff surface consists of a mixture of asphalt and tungsten.<ref name="marshal">Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track, ''The Marshal: Incorporating Rescue & Resuscitation'', April 2007 (Issue 21)</ref> Should that not prevent the car from stopping, there is the ''Red Zone'', a more abrasive run off area, which would require a car to return to the pits for a new tyre. Finally, rather than tyre barriers, Tecpro barriers.<ref name="marshal"/>

==External links==

*[http://www.circuitpaulricard.com/ Official website of circuit Paul Ricard]

{{Formula One circuits}}
{{Le Mans Series circuits}}
{{FIA GT circuits}}
{{World Series by Renault circuits}}
{{F3 Euroseries circuits}}

[[Category:Formula One circuits]]
[[Category:Motorsport venues in France]]
[[Category:French Grand Prix]]

Circuit Paul Ricard - Revision history

Red marquis at 00:24, 26 October 2010

Red marquis at 00:23, 26 October 2010

Red marquis at 00:22, 26 October 2010