Circuit Paul Ricard
Le Castellet, France · Historic venue
A test track turned Grand Prix venue, famous for its blue-and-red painted run-off.
Circuit layout
Race historyA test track turned Grand Prix venue, famous for its blue-and-red painted run-off.
Circuit
- Circuit
- Circuit Paul Ricard
- Location
- Le Castellet, France
- Length
- 5.842 km
- Corners
- 15
- Race laps
- 53
- Race distance
- 310 km
- First GP
- 1971
- Opened
- 1969
- Grands Prix
- 18
Last winner here
Lap record
About Circuit Paul Ricard
Circuit Paul Ricard opened at Le Castellet in 1970, funded by the pastis magnate whose name it carries, and was among the first circuits designed with modern safety in mind. It hosted the French Grand Prix regularly from 1971 to 1990, then returned to the calendar from 2018 to 2022.
Its defining feature is the Mistral Straight, originally 1.8 km long and taken flat out into the fast Signes right-hander. For the modern configuration a chicane was inserted to break it up. The other is the run-off: rather than gravel, Paul Ricard uses abrasive painted asphalt in blue and red, designed to slow a car progressively without launching it.
The modern races drew criticism for being processional, and the circuit left the calendar again after 2022.
Notable facts
- Funded by pastis magnate Paul Ricard and opened in 1970 as one of the first safety-focused circuits.
- The blue-and-red painted run-off uses abrasive asphalt to slow cars progressively instead of gravel.
- The original Mistral Straight ran 1.8 km before a chicane was added for the modern layout.
- Hosted the French Grand Prix from 1971 to 1990 and again from 2018 to 2022.
Grands Prix by decade
18 races across 5 decades, with 1 decade away from the calendar.
Most wins — drivers
Most wins — constructors
Every Formula 1 winner at Circuit Paul Ricard
18 World Championship Grands Prix have been held here between 1971 and 2022.
| Year | Grand Prix | Winner | Constructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | French Grand Prix |  Max Verstappen |  Red Bull Racing |
| 2021 | French Grand Prix | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2019 | French Grand Prix |  Lewis Hamilton |  Mercedes |
| 2018 | French Grand Prix | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
| 1990 | French Grand Prix |  Alain Prost |  Ferrari |
| 1989 | French Grand Prix | Alain Prost |  McLaren |
| 1988 | French Grand Prix | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| 1987 | French Grand Prix |  Nigel Mansell |  Williams |
| 1986 | French Grand Prix | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| 1985 | French Grand Prix |  Nelson Piquet | BBrabham |
| 1983 | French Grand Prix | Alain Prost | RRenault |
| 1982 | French Grand Prix |  René Arnoux | RRenault |
| 1980 | French Grand Prix |  Alan Jones | Williams |
| 1978 | French Grand Prix |  Mario Andretti | LTeam Lotus |
| 1976 | French Grand Prix |  James Hunt | McLaren |
| 1975 | French Grand Prix |  Niki Lauda | Ferrari |
| 1973 | French Grand Prix |  Ronnie Peterson | LTeam Lotus |
| 1971 | French Grand Prix |  Jackie Stewart | TTyrrell |