34 replies to this topic

[santori]

So it's goodbye to Magny Cours and some people seem very happy about that. Me, I'll miss it. I love the beginning of the track, and the fast chicanes, and one of the best overtaking spots on the calendar, and the undulations in front of beautiful countryside. The end is a bit scrappy, but it's a good track.
And it's given us some very good races and moments. No memorable Magny Cours races? Nonsense. Off-hand I remember the closing stages of 1997, Ferrari's 1-2 in 1998, Michael Schumacher vs. Coulthard in 2000, Michael's title and almost Kimi's first win in 2002 and, best of all, 1999, my favourite F1 race, when Heinz-Harald Frentzen put his Williams experience firmly behind him.
I wouldn't mind leaving it if there was a decent plan to replace it, but instead of staying in a country with one of the stronger F1 audiences, we'll be watching another autodrome built by a corrupt and vicious government in a country which doesn't want it.

Edit: spelling

[Chup]

Today the races there are more like a procession though. Last year there were 10 overtakings, 5 of which in the first lap :

[Hellenic tifosi]

Blame the cars, not the circuits.

GP2 cars were able to follow each other closely.

[wingwalker]

i really like to drive this circuit in f1 challenge. turns 1&2 are extremely cool to drive, and the chicanes are fast. i liked the old version of the circuit better, with the final down the 'hill' chicane, it was so easy to spin the car there.

as for f1 racing, well, it's not good for those cars, just as about 3/4 of current circuits.

[Ali_G]

I never got to drive into Magny COurs so I really don't know of all the hastle of getting to the circuit and the lack of all the infrastructure around the circuit. Alonso before the race said that flying to the Far East to places like Singapore will be far worse than getting to Magny Cours ever was.

Of late, the races haven't been great. 2003 wasn't bad. The late 90's delivered some good races. I too will be sad to see it go just for sentimentality stakes, only to be replaced by yet another Far East/ Middle East race, where attendances have been pathetic.

[Zmeej]

A nice tribute, santori

Meself, I'm of two minds.

On one hand, it's sad to see any track fall off the season line-up, on the other, if Bernie's idea of replacing this one with a street course in Paris pans out, the circus will benefit.

[fastlegs]

Originally posted by santori
Me, I'll miss it.
Edit: spelling

I will miss it too. It's been a great circuit.

[F1Fanatic.co.uk]

When they first started racing F1 there the cars could still run close enough together through Estoril to pass into Adelaide.

Since then the cars have been more aerodynamically sensitive and passing moves have decreased as a result.

The modifications to the track added nothing to it and failed to resolve the fact that the final sequence of corners never made any sense.

But it does have some good, quick bends - Grande Courbe, Imola and Nürburgring. Sadly the positioning of the corners further mitigated against passing.

It wasn't the worst track on the F1 calendar and really it was a victim of how the cars have changed over the last decade and a half. Of course, none of its technical deficiencies have anything to do with why it was dropped.

Can anyone clear up this query for me - when it was first used in 1991 there was an additional quick chicane on the exit of Adelaide. Can anyone remember what it was called and why it was deleted after the first race? Or is this a job for the Nostalgia forum...

Track diagram on Forix

[Mauseri]

Nice circuit and quite full stands, and they bring another sepangs in

[Mauseri]

Originally posted by micra_k10
Nice circuit and quite full stands, and they bring another sepangs in

Magny Cours is one of the few places where F1 drivers will do some mistakes to make passing possible.

[roadie]

I am sad to see Magny Cours go too. If you have ever driven it on a simulator, you get a really good feeling for the track. Apart from the final turns it really makes sense and flow well together.

It's a shame that F1 won't be going there again. Most of the corners are fantastic but the cars and their aerodynamic sensitivity don't allow for fantastic racing, unless you are seconds faster than the guy in front.

[Buttoneer]

Originally posted by Chup
Today the races there are more like a procession though. Last year there were 10 overtakings, 5 of which in the first lap :

We had a change of lead and the third placed man won, Alonso overtook Heidfeld twice and Fisi in an amazing move, Button took Rosberg and Hamilton managed to slap Kubica down. There were two incidents coming off the grid and Albers showed just how portable the fuel delivery systems aren't. How can that be described as a procession?

[Ilaya]

Originally posted by F1Fanatic.co.uk
Can anyone clear up this query for me - when it was first used in 1991 there was an additional quick chicane on the exit of Adelaide. Can anyone remember what it was called and why it was deleted after the first race? Or is this a job for the Nostalgia forum...

AFAIK it's being only referred to as the "chicane after Adelaide" that got deleted in 1992.
Having a chicane so close after a hairpin probably didn't make much sense imo.

Here the 1991 layout can be found for non-forix subscribers.

I'll miss Magny Cours from a spectator's pov, many good viewing points from various bankings, one of the bests views ever from the L-grandstand that overlooks Adelaide, Imola and Chateau d'eau.
Easy to get tickets to, nice B&B's not too far from the track, good cheap food and great atmosphere on the campsite right next to the track on Saturdaynights.

But otoh the motorway ends 5 km from the track, traffic is absolutely horrible, F1 teams don't stay in B&B's but in nice hotels with fancy restaurants, which there aren't many of in Nevers and the beauty of the Morvan region can't compete with the "glamour" of Paris/EuroDisney in the eyes of many.

So do I understand why F1 eventually will move away, yes, but for now there's still hoping that come July 19th the FFSA, regional council and sports minister will find a way to finance/organise the French GP at Magny Cours in 2008.

[ex Rhodie racer]

Personally, I will be sad to see MC fall by the wayside. It´s a good circuit as circuits go these days, and the lack of overtaking in F1 can only be blamed on the cars, not the tracks.

[Zmeej]

Great post Ilaya

the beauty of the Morvan region can't compete with the "glamour" of Paris/EuroDisney in the eyes of many.

Good thing it will still be there when the F1 circus departs.

[robnyc]

I don't like it. They can do away with it and I'll be happy..We need more races in the US. The more they take away from Europe the more chances we (Americans) have at another race here. I can make a trip to Indy and Montreal very easily but unfortunately I can't say the same about traveling to EU, Asia or Australia.

[Zmeej]

Very strange post. :

Does it have to be a zero-sum thing?

[Ilaya]

Originally posted by robnyc
I don't like it. They can do away with it and I'll be happy..We need more races in the US. The more they take away from Europe the more chances we (Americans) have at another race here. I can make a trip to Indy and Montreal very easily but unfortunately I can't say the same about traveling to EU, Asia or Australia.

A bit self-centered but nevertheless quite understandable from your point of view.
However atm I think there's no direct correlation between races disappearing from Europe and a possible second GP in the US.

Even worse, as things are right now there's unfortunately more chance of no GP in the US than of 2 GP's.

[Flynnie]

I thought one of the problems of Magny-Cours as much as anything was that it was a very frequently used test track (especially in the late 90s), and so the drivers often knew everything about it. It's like Barcelona, other than one or two corners (Lycee, Wurth) there's very few corners that I think are useless corners, and some are quite good. But when a driver's gone around the circuit 250 times that year, he's not going to miss a braking point and make a mistake that will let someone get by.

[clampett]

I always hated this track. But in 99 we had an excellent race here.

[Atreiu]

After 15 years of boring racing interupted by showers and very unusual circumstances, I'm sure Magny-Cours is not underrated. It's a normal track which becomes terrible when F1 races it. Maybe it would have worked in the 80s.

[RiDE]

I dont have anything against the track, but it looks like there's a trend to take tracks off the calendar that don't look like a sea of asphalt.

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally posted by Ali_G
I never got to drive into Magny COurs so I really don't know of all the hastle of getting to the circuit and the lack of all the infrastructure around the circuit. Alonso before the race said that flying to the Far East to places like Singapore will be far worse than getting to Magny Cours ever was.

But it is not the Far East is simply South East portion of Asia.

The Far West is some bizarre region otherwise known as the name you would prefer Europe so why should the other name not be preferred for other regions.

All F1 teams have the option of setting up their bases in Singapore .

[angst]

Originally posted by V8 Fireworks


But it is not the Far East is simply South East portion of Asia.

The Far West is some bizarre region otherwise known as the name you would prefer Europe so why should the other name not be preferred for other regions.

All F1 teams have the option of setting up their bases in Singapore .

Where the supporting companies, the whole infrastructure that is the reason F1 is based, on the whole, within the UK, would also have to move.

[Haddock]

Never used to like the track, but actually watching the race on Sunday, I realised I'd been harsh on the place. Imola to Chateau D'Eau is as fine a sequence as any you'll find at Spa. Nurburgring is pretty daunting too, especially given it runs straight into a big braking zone. And Grande Courbe's good.

Still don't recall there being many memorable races there though. 1999 aside, and that was wet.

[Zingman]

I will miss MC...
The layout provided an open view...( I was in Golf "Grandstand?") last year and you could see large portions of the track...But I also accept that if they could move the entire track and locate it outside Paris it would probably be hailed as one of the better tracks on the calender...
but i have been known to refer to it in the past as "Manky-cour" due to its unsavoury toilet facilities for the fans...(and that no slant on french toilets) but I've seen cleaner pig-sty's.....I will miss the curcuit but not the facilities yuck !!

[Ilaya]

According to L'Equipe the FFSA (French Motorsport Organisation) has now sided with the Magny Cours track to make a bid with Bernie to still have a French GP in 2008.

AFAIK the track still has a contract with Bernie until 2009 so Magny Cours could still be on for 2008.

[angst]

Originally posted by Ilaya
According to L'Equipe the FFSA (French Motorsport Organisation) has now sided with the Magny Cours track to make a bid with Bernie to still have a French GP in 2008.

AFAIK the track still has a contract with Bernie until 2009 so Magny Cours could still be on for 2008.

Interesting. Because, doesn't Imola also have a contract until 2009? What sort of contracts are these, that Bernie seems able to ignore them at a whim.....?

[Atreiu]

Oh Damn...

[Ilaya]

Originally posted by AFCA
Sorry just post it here. Some ministers and other important French people spoke with Ecclestone this morning and they agreed that Magny-Cours will be on the calender for another two years. And in 2010 the GP will be held elsewhere (Versailles, Euro Disney and Evry are often mentioned), close to Paris at least.

Great news, do you have a link can't seem to find anything in L'Equipe.

edit: It's in L'Equipe now Magny Cours is on again for 2008, with an option for 2009 (according to sources close to the French Prime Minister Fillon who had talks with Bernie today)

Parties involved (FFSA, Magny Cours track owners, Minister of Sports etc) will start discussions on how and where to host the French GP after 2009.
I would be very surprised if they manage to have a new circuit operational within 3 years.
This is France not China or Bahrain, there are loads of procedures to be followed before one can even think of constructing a track (certainly when constructing in such populated area's as Evry or Marne-la-Vallee).

[santori]

Excellent news!

But please not Euro Disney.

[Timstr11]

autosport.com news editors have fallen asleep.

[Dolph]

Originally posted by Ilaya


Great news, do you have a link can't seem to find anything in L'Equipe.

edit: It's in L'Equipe now Magny Cours is on again for 2008, with an option for 2009 (according to sources close to the French Prime Minister Fillon who had talks with Bernie today)

Parties involved (FFSA, Magny Cours track owners, Minister of Sports etc) will start discussions on how and where to host the French GP after 2009.
I would be very surprised if they manage to have a new circuit operational within 3 years.
This is France not China or Bahrain, there are loads of procedures to be followed before one can even think of constructing a track (certainly when constructing in such populated area's as Evry or Marne-la-Vallee).

You just said the prime minister had talks with Bernie and now you are saying bureaucracy will get in the way!? Seems like the opposite to me. The PM will make sure things will go along smoothly, I think... unless there is s strike again or smth.

[schead]

Originally posted by santori
Excellent news!

But please not Euro Disney.

Well at least if it were at Euro Disney, Monaco would no longer be the most expensive GP to buy a drink at.

[Ilaya]

Originally posted by Dolph

You just said the prime minister had talks with Bernie and now you are saying bureaucracy will get in the way!? Seems like the opposite to me. The PM will make sure things will go along smoothly, I think... unless there is s strike again or smth.

Well the guy is a politician so will promise you the moon when he has to deliver 2 or 3 years from now.

But building a brand new track in a densely populated area will not be easy or fast.
Procedures just like in most countries can and will take time, certainly when people object and that is often the case when building a racetrack near to areas where people live.
That's why I think a new track cannot be realised within 2,5 - 3 years.