Charade Circuit
Clermont-Ferrand, France · 4 races held
Race History
| Year | Grand Prix | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | French Grand Prix | Jackie Stewart | Tyrrell |
| 1970 | French Grand Prix | Jochen Rindt | Team Lotus |
| 1969 | French Grand Prix | Jackie Stewart | Matra-Ford |
| 1965 | French Grand Prix | Jim Clark | Lotus-Climax |
About Charade Circuit
The Charade Circuit, near Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne region of central France, was a spectacular road course laid out across the slopes of an extinct volcano in the Massif Central. Twisting endlessly through wooded mountainside with relentless gradient and almost no straights, it earned a reputation as a French answer to the Nürburgring.
Charade hosted the French Grand Prix four times between 1965 and 1972. Its sinuous, demanding nature made it a favourite of the purist drivers, but the same characteristics that thrilled also made it dangerous and, ultimately, unsustainable for top-level racing as safety standards rose.
After the 1972 race, Formula 1 left for good, the original long circuit later shortened. Charade endures in memory as one of the great natural road courses, a place where driving skill and bravery counted for everything.
Memorable Moments
- 1965: Jim Clark won the first French Grand Prix held at Charade in his Lotus, mastering the mountain road on his way to that season's title.
- 1969 and 1972: Jackie Stewart won twice at Charade, his flowing, precise style perfectly suited to the circuit's endless sweeping curves.
- 1972: Helmut Marko was struck in the visor by a stone thrown up by a car ahead, an injury that blinded him in one eye and ended his racing career, underlining the dangers of the volcanic-rock-strewn track.
- 1970: Jochen Rindt took victory for Lotus, one of the wins that contributed to his eventual posthumous championship that year.
Track Character
Charade was a relentless ribbon of corners that climbed and dropped around the volcano, offering barely a moment's respite over a long lap. Its blind crests, off-camber bends and sheer drops demanded total concentration and rhythm, and the loose volcanic rock that littered the verges added a unique and sinister hazard, with stones frequently flicked into the path of following cars. There were few obvious overtaking points, so a lap of Charade was less about passing than about flow, commitment and the courage to carry speed through corners that punished the smallest mistake. It remains a legendary, fearsome example of old-school road racing.