- Pau Grand Prix
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Pau Circuit 
Location Pau, France 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) 
Brazilian driver Átila Abreu drives the picturesque Pau Circuit in 2005
The BMW team prepare before the 2007 racing weekend beginsThe 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.
History
Circuit du Sud-Ouest
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]
French Grand Prix 1930
The French Grand Prix was held at Pau in 1930, leading to the Pau Grand Prix being inaugurated in 1933.
Grand Prix de Pau, 1933 onwards
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.
Circuit
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]
Race categories
Formula Libre – 1933–1936
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.
1937 Sports Cars
In 1937, the event was won by Jean-Pierre Wimille driving a Bugatti Sports Car.
1938–1939 Grand Prix
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.
1947–1951 Formula One
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.
1952–1953 Formula Two
From 1952 through 1953 the events were run to Formula Two rules. Both races were won by Alberto Ascari in a Ferrari.
1954–1957 Formula One
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.
1958–1960 Formula Two
From 1958 through 1960 the events reverted to Formula Two rules. The winners included Jack Brabham and Maurice Trintignant (x2) driving Coopers.
1961–1963 Formula One
From 1961 until 1963 the events reverted to Formula One rules. The winners included Jim Clark (x2) and Maurice Trintignant driving Lotus cars.
1964–1984 Formula Two
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.
1985–1998 Formula 3000
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).
1999–2006 Formula 3
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.
2007–2009 Touring cars
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).
2011 Formula 3
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.
Winners
For a full list of race winners from 1933–present, see Winners of the Pau Grand Prix.Notes
- ^ The motor racing history of Pau dates from 6 April 1899 when Albert Lemaître won the 'City to city' Pau-Bayonne-Pau race in his Peugeot. (Grand Prix Winners 1895–1949 by Hans Etzrodt Part 1 1895–1916) The Pau-Perigueux race was run 2 days later on 8 April. (Autosport, The Nostalgia Forum, Robert Dick quoting (translating) from La France Automobile page 141 of March 19, 1899.
- ^ Racing within the city of Pau dates from 1900 when the first edition of the Circuit du Sud-Ouest was run in the city.
- The first Circuit du Sud-Ouest on 25 February 1900 was won by René de Knyff in a Panhard 16 hp. (Grand Prix Winners 1895–1949 by Hans Etzrodt Part 1 1895–1916)
- ^ La France Automobile, March 1901 reports the results for the 'Semaine de Pau'. There were two discrete events, the 140 km Course des touristes from Pau-Peyrehorade-Pau and the second edition of the Circuit du Sud-Ouest on 17 February 1901 around a course on the city outskirts.
The Course des touristes comprised six prizes for the different classes of entrants. The Prix de la Presse was won by Barbereau (De Dietrich); the Prix du Commerce Palois was awarded to Henri Farman (Darracq); the Prix des Cercles was awarded to Rudeaux (Darracq); the Prix de l’Automobile Club Béarnais was won by 'Bergeon' (De Dietrich); the Prix de l’Automobile Club de France was awarded to Demeester (Gladiator) and Edmond (Darracq); the Prix de Palmarium was awarded to Cormier (De Dion).(Autosport, The Nostalgia Forum, Robert Dick quoting (translating) from La France Automobile, March 1901
The Circuit du Sud-Ouest comprised four prizes for the different classes of entrants.- The Grand Prix de Pau was awarded to Maurice Farman (Panhard 24 hp).
- The Grand Prix du Palais d’Hiver (400 à 650 kg 'Light car' class) was awarded to Henri Farman (Darracq).
- The second Grand Prix du Palais d’Hiver for the under 400 kg Voiturettesclass was awarded to Louis Renault (Renault).
- The Prix du Béarn was awarded to Osmont in a 'De Dion' tricycle.
- ^ By the turn of the century the term Grand Prix had become common parlance in France, having been used since the Grand Prix de Paris horse race in 1886 (e.g. the Grand Prix de Paris for Cyclists in 1895) (New York Times, July 18, 1895, Grand Prix de Paris for Cyclists). Thus in the anglophone world the main winner's prize (Grand Prix de Pau) subsequently became synonymous with the event.(Leif Snellman (2002-05-27). "The first Grand Prix". 8W. FORIX. http://forix.autosport.com/8w/f06.html. Retrieved 2011-01-28.)
References
- ^ "Grand Prix de Pau Historique" (in French). http://www.grandprixhistorique.com/03_circuit/circuit_futur2.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
- ^ Autosport, The Nostalgia Forum, Robert Dick quoting (translating) from La France Automobile, March 1901
- '^ Autosport, The Nostalgia Forum, Robert Dick quoting (translating) from L’Histoire de l’Automobile by Pierre Souvestre, published in Paris 1907
- ^ "Track Reveal #4:Pau". atari.com. n.d.. http://videogames.atari.com/racepro/#/uk/home/. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
External links
Coordinates: 43°17′33″N 000°21′47″W / 43.2925°N 0.36306°W
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