17 replies to this topic

[ian senior]

I think Graham Hill was the first to describe a circuit as being "Mickey Mouse", but there may have been earlier instances. I knew what he meant, but why was the name of Mr Mouse used to describe such a place?

Guess all of the latest F1 circuits fall into this category.

[Buford]

Good question.

[bkalb]

I'm not sure what the derivation of the term is, but "Mickey Mouse" has been used as a derogatory description - meaning "inferior," "wimpy," "second-rate," "uninspired" - in the United States for decades.

Barry Kalb

[Garagiste]

A couple of plausible theories in here:
http://forums.atlasf...ht=mickey mouse

[David Shaw]

The first use that I know of it being used was to describe the Le Mans Bugatti circuit when it was used for the 1967 French Grand Prix, although I suspect there may be earlier examples.

[thomaskomm]

Hello, Graham Hill meant the Bugatti Le Mans Circuit, This was an extremly little Circuit , in the sixties there exist not circuits like today. This was the 1967 season, in France their drove usually in Reims or in Rouen. The "mickymouse" Bugatti Circuit was the wrong Circuit.

THomas

[HEROS]

Ledenon circuit near Nîmes (south of France) can be considered as a circuit
called Mickey Mouse.

Its aspect made of rises and descents with many curves and turns classify
it in this category.

With this link, you can see air sights of the circuit :

http://www.ledenon.com/vueaerienne.php

[Reyna]

The Jarama was also considered as Mickey Mouse circuit.

[conjohn]

Walt Disney World Speedway outside Orlando is another type of Mickey Mouse (or Musse Pigg as he is called in Sweden) circuit....

[Pete Stowe]

Originally posted by David Shaw
The first use that I know of it being used was to describe the Le Mans Bugatti circuit when it was used for the 1967 French Grand Prix, although I suspect there may be earlier examples.

The first occasion I recall the term being used was in relation to the Mexico City circuit. In his Motor Sport report of the 1963 Grand Prix Michael Tee describes the track - "…..From the hairpin a succession of four left and right slow curves lead to a short straight and the slightly banked 180 degree sweep before the pits. The section from the hairpin through the slow curves became known during the race as the ‘Mickey Mouse’ section." Motor Sport even labelled it as such on their track plan. No indication there of who originated the term though.

[Henri Greuter]

Originally posted by conjohn
Walt Disney World Speedway outside Orlando is another type of Mickey Mouse (or Musse Pigg as he is called in Sweden) circuit....

Given the series it was part of and in honour of the track on which that series floated to stay alive,

the Orlando Oval has been referred to as the "Mickyard".....


Henri Greuter

[Bostromi]

In the sixties there was an international F3-race at Ring Knutstorp where the English drivers, when arriving said "Nice gocart-track, but where are we going to drive?"

[ggnagy]

excerpted from wikipedia.org

"Mickey Mouse" is a slang expression used as a diminutive adjective and adverb meaning small-time, amateurish or of inferior quality. A poorly executed construction project, for instance, could be pejoratively described as a "Mickey Mouse job". Presumably, this comes from the insinuation that the object or action in question was taken as seriously as a Mickey Mouse cartoon (that is to say, not at all). The term does not imply any actual connection to Mickey.

An alternative theory comes from the fact that Mickey Mouse watches were notorious for breaking down.

A derivitive of the watch reference I had been told, was that a Mickey Mouse watch was smaller and much more simplistic than a 'real' watch

[Twin Window]

Has there ever been a circuit more deserving of the [i]Mickey Mouse[i] label than the '81/2 Caesar's Palace GP track? I've never been to such a ridiculous venue! If you looked into the middle distance from the pitlane you would see helmets and roll hoops going right, left, right, left, right and left between your vantage point and the far side of the track...

That was from a viewing perspective; the drivers, however, didn't think it was all that bad IMMSMC.

Twinny

[Muzza]

Originally posted by Pete Stowe


The first occasion I recall the term being used was in relation to the Mexico City circuit. In his Motor Sport report of the 1963 Grand Prix Michael Tee describes the track - "…..From the hairpin a succession of four left and right slow curves lead to a short straight and the slightly banked 180 degree sweep before the pits. The section from the hairpin through the slow curves became known during the race as the ‘Mickey Mouse’ section." Motor Sport even labelled it as such on their track plan. No indication there of who originated the term though.

Thanks for posting that, Pete - an interesting found.

It is the first time I see such an early use of the expression (applied to race tracks). I had initially though that Jarama was "the original mickey mouse track", but some TNF members showed me a while ago that the Circuit Bugatti at Le Mans preceded it in such "honors" - and now you demonstrate that there was at least "another mickey" before that.

[Barry Boor]

I seem to recall that Motoring News described the Las Vegas car park as - the Mickeyist Mouse Ever!

[T54]

How about Cognac, Nancy or Annemasse? Not even mickey-mouse, may be minnie-mouse, or is this mini-mouse?

[Peter Morley]

Originally posted by T54
How about Cognac, Nancy or Annemasse? Not even mickey-mouse, may be minnie-mouse, or is this mini-mouse?

Or Croix en Ternois
Most people refer to this as a Kart track, so presumably in the Minnie Mouse section.

Strange that France which has so much space and had some of the greatest, & longest, circuits should also have so many little circuits