16 replies to this topic

[Roberto Remédio]

What can you tell me about this track?
Where can i find pictures from the races in the 30's?

Thanks

[mat1]

Originally posted by Roberto Remédio
What can you tell me about this track?

Thanks

Very nice street circuit, in the city of Pau, which is situated on a hill.

The downhill section especially (from the park to the start finish) is breathtaking. It is slowed down nowadays by a chicane.

I beleive it is still used.

mat1

[Rob29]

Sure is mat! The best circuit in Europe still in use! Been there 4 times.
For pre war history.try 'Le Grand Prix de Pau (1899-1960) by Pierre Darmendrail.Don't know when he will get round to vol.2

[Don Capps]

I saw the 1955 Pau GP and at least one or two more there when it was F2, 1959 and/or 1960 -- it gets a tad fuzzy at times since it was during a time I was seeing a ton of races.

It was -- and I assume still is -- a neat place to see a race. It is run over the same layout since the race started many years ago in the '30s. It is a contemporary of the Monte Carlo circuit, but usually forgotten these days.

I rather enjoyed the visits I made and sorry I never got later.

[alessandro silva]

Roberto
Darmendrail's is a truly excellent book. Try at
www.editions-palmier.fr

[LittleChris]

Which Pau are we talking about here ? The one that Tim Birkin came 2nd at in the 30's French GP which is made up of public roads to the north east of the town or the track within the town itself ? Or could it be Pau -Arnos !?!?

[Roberto Remédio]

We're talking about the one which had the Grand Prix de Pau.
Thanks for the help.......someone knows where can i find pictures?

[Leif Snellman]

There are a few pictures from the 1938 race in the November number of MotorSport

[Joe Fan]

Constructors like it because it was very similar to the Monte Carlo circuit.

[Rob29]

Think you may be confused with somewhere else Joe. F1 constructors have not been to PAU since 1963-Lotus. Never used for testing as it's a public park 362 days a year!

[Vitesse2]

F1 teams have been known to use Croix-en-Ternois for pre-Monaco testing: that what you were thinking of Joe?

[Marcor]

I think I've got lot's of pictures about the Pau circuit especially in the 50's. I can recommad you the 16 page article of the 1953 edition in La Revue de l'Automobile historique (now Automobile historique), May / June 2001. The circuit was the same as in the 30's. You also can find three pictures of a Mercedes W154 at Pau in the same magazine (32-page dossier of the W154 Mercedes, in La Revue de l'automobile historique, again), #6 January / February 2001. There were two pictures of Pau in Chris Nixon's book "Racing the silver arrows" (the one with Dick Seaman is also in the W154 article), also two pictures (from the 1937 edition) in Anthony Blight's book "The French sports cars revolution", ... And look at the books or articles including the story of Delahaye which most famous victory was the 1938 Pau GP.

Of course I recommand you the Darmendrail book... A (bad quality) picture of the GP cars driving during a flurry of snow is particularly amazing (1933 and the first GP in the city).

[Joe Fan]

Originally posted by Rob29
Think you may be confused with somewhere else Joe. F1 constructors have not been to PAU since 1963-Lotus. Never used for testing as it's a public park 362 days a year!

That should have read past tense "Constructors liked it." Sorry, I am in 1959 right now in my Masten Gregory biography so my mindset is stuck there as well. In the 50's, Pau had a non-championship race before the Monaco Grand Prix so this was seen as a great opportunity to tune up for the prestigeous race since the circuits had quite a few similarities.

[Barry Boor]

We have discussed unchanged circuits before but I was struck, last Sunday, by the fact that this place seems not one iota different from when the pre-war Silver Arrows raced on it. A triumph of stability.

[2F-001]

What became of the track extension, to the south-east corner of the circuit, which was proposed in the early 2000s? Was it ever used?

Edited by 2F-001, 27 May 2011 - 10:51.

[Barry Boor]

No, I don't think it ever was, but as usual, I stand to be corrected.

[LittleChris]

IIRC the proposed extension was for an Indycar race that never happened. If you want to get a feel for what it would've been like, you can "walk" it with Google streetview