Red marquis at 02:45, 26 October 2010

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{{Motorsport venue
| Name = Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
| Location = Magny-Cours, France
| Time = GMT +1 (DST: +2)
| Image = [[Image:Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.png]]
| Events = [[Formula One|F1]], [[GP2 Series|GP2]], [[Touring car racing|WTCC]], [[Superleague Formula]]
| Layout1 = Grand Prix Circuit
| Length_km = 4.411
| Length_mi = 2.741
| Turns = 17
| Record_time = 1:15.377
| Record_driver = {{flagicon|GER}} [[Michael Schumacher]]
| Record_team = [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] [[Ferrari F2004|F2004]]
| Record_year = [[2004 French Grand Prix|2004]]
| Layout2 = National Circuit
| Length_km2 = 2.684
| Length_mi2 = 1.668
| Turns2 = 12
| Record_time2 =
| Record_driver2 =
| Record_team2 =
| Record_year2 =
| Layout3 = Club Circuit
| Length_km3 = 1.727
| Length_mi3 = 1.073
| Turns3 = 11
| Record_time3 =
| Record_driver3 =
| Record_team3 =
| Record_year3 =
}}
'''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 was held there between 1991 and 2008.

==History==
Usually dubbed Magny-Cours, it was built in 1960 by [[Jean Bernigaud]] and was home to the prestigious L'école de pilotage Winfield racing school, which provided such notable drivers as [[François Cevert]] and [[Jacques Laffite]]. However, in the 1980s the track fell into disrepair and wasn't used for international motor racing until it was purchased by the Regional Conseil de la Nièvre.

In the 1990s the [[Equipe Ligier|Ligier]] (and, after Ligier was bought, [[Prost Grand Prix|Prost]]) Formula One team was based at the circuit and did much of its testing at Magny-Cours. It had hosted the French F1 Grand Prix since 1991, and the Bol d'Or since 2000. The circuit was re-designed in 2003 and used for a wide range of events include various sports and commercial use. <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.race-game.org/tracks/magny.htm|title= Magny-Cours |publisher=race-game.org|date=2006|accessdate=2009-Nov-16}}</ref>

The circuit doesn't provide a lot of overtaking opportunities, which means the races here are commonly regarded as quite uneventful,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/circuit_guide/4250889.stm|title= French Grand Prix |publisher=bbc.co.uk|date=2007-June-29|accessdate=2009-Nov-16}}</ref> with the exception of the recent races in which it rained. Most notable of these races was the [[1999 French Grand Prix|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_Grand_Prix|Jordan]].

For the 2003 event, 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 [[list of Formula One Grands Prix|Grand Prix]] a total of 8 times and at the same circuit.

The 2007 race was to mark the last French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, as the French Grand Prix had been indefinitely suspended from the Formula One calendar.

[[Bernie Ecclestone]] originally confirmed that F1 would not return to Magny-Cours in 2008, instead moving to an alternative location possibly in Paris. However in a typical F1 style u-turn, it was revealed that the 2008 French Grand Prix would take place at Magny-Cours with the release of the official calendar on July 2007.<ref>{{cite news| title =FIA reveals 18-race calendar for 2008| publisher =formula1.com| url =http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/7/6548.html| date =2007-07-27| accessdate =2007-07-27}}</ref>

In May 2008, Ecclestone confirmed that Magny-Cours would stop hosting the French Grand Prix after the 2008 race, suggesting that he was looking into the possibility of hosting the French Grand Prix on the streets of [[Paris]].<ref>{{cite news| title =Motor racing-No 2009 French GP at Magny-Cours, says Ecclestone| publisher =uk.reuters.com| url =http://uk.reuters.com/article/motorSportsNews/idUKL1258523920080512| date =2008-05-12| accessdate =2008-05-25}}</ref>

In June 2008, the provisional calendar for the [[2009 Formula One season|2009 season]] was released, and a French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours appeared on it, scheduled for 28 June. However, in October 2008 the 2009 French Grand Prix was cancelled after the French Motorsports Federation (FFSA) withdrew financing for the event.

In 2009 the track hosted its first [[Superleague Formula]] event. It has also been confirmed it will host a second event in 2010. <ref>http://www.superleagueformula.com/superleague/News-Media/News-archive/12-races-on-the-2010-Superleague-Formula-by-Sonangol-schedule</ref>

==The circuit==
The track nowadays is a modern, smooth circuit with good facilities for the spectators which locates 250km (160miles) from Paris in south-east France.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.race-game.org/tracks/magny.htm|title= Magny-Cours |publisher=race-game.org|date=2006|accessdate=2009-Nov-16}}</ref> Unusally, many corners are modelled on famous turns from other circuits, and are named after those circuits, e.g. the fast [[Autódromo do Estoril|Estoril]] corner and the [[Adelaide Street Circuit|Adelaide]] hairpin. It has a mix of slow corners and high-speed sections which includes a very fast dash to the first-gear Adelaide hairpin.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.race-game.org/tracks/magny.htm|title= Magny-Cours |publisher=race-game.org|date=2006|accessdate=2009-Nov-16}}</ref> The circuit is flat with negligible change in elevation and doesn't provide a lot of overtaking opportunities.

==External links==

* [http://www.magnyf1.com/ Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=nevers,france&ll=46.863985,3.165350&spn=0.009956,0.015407&t=k&hl=en Google Maps satellite view of Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours]
* [http://www.f1db.com/f1/page/Circuit_de_Nevers-Magny_Cours Nevers Magny-Cours History and Statistics]
* [http://www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/france_794/circuit_diagram.html Track info from official F1 site]
* [http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2008/6/7951.html A lap of Magny-Cours with Honda’s Alexander Wurz]
* [http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2008/6/7968.html Magny-Cours - the technical requirements]

{{Formula One circuits}}
{{WTCC circuits}}
{{FIA GT circuits}}
{{International Formula 3000 circuits}}
{{GP2 Series circuits}}
{{Superleague Formula circuits}}
{{World Series by Renault circuits}}

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

Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours - Revision history

Red marquis at 02:45, 26 October 2010