Most Wins: Lewis Hamilton (106) • Most Titles: M. Schumacher & L. Hamilton (7) • 77 Seasons Since 1950 • 1,159 Races in Database • 818 Drivers Tracked • Most Wins: Lewis Hamilton (106) • Most Titles: M. Schumacher & L. Hamilton (7) • 77 Seasons Since 1950 • 1,159 Races in Database • 818 Drivers Tracked •
PITLANESTATS

Circuit Paul Ricard

Le Castellet, France · 18 races held

Race History

YearGrand PrixWinnerTeam
2022 French Grand Prix Max Verstappen Red Bull
2021 French Grand Prix Max Verstappen Red Bull
2019 French Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2018 French Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
1990 French Grand Prix Alain Prost Ferrari
1989 French Grand Prix Alain Prost McLaren
1988 French Grand Prix Alain Prost McLaren
1987 French Grand Prix Nigel Mansell Williams
1986 French Grand Prix Nigel Mansell Williams
1985 French Grand Prix Nelson Piquet Brabham
1983 French Grand Prix Alain Prost Renault
1982 French Grand Prix René Arnoux Renault
1980 French Grand Prix Alan Jones Williams
1978 French Grand Prix Mario Andretti Team Lotus
1976 French Grand Prix James Hunt McLaren
1975 French Grand Prix Niki Lauda Ferrari
1973 French Grand Prix Ronnie Peterson Team Lotus
1971 French Grand Prix Jackie Stewart Tyrrell

About the Circuit Paul Ricard

Built in 1970 by pastis magnate Paul Ricard on the sun-baked Castellet plateau in Provence, the Circuit Paul Ricard was a modern, purpose-built facility famous for its long Mistral straight and its excellent test conditions in the south of France. It hosted the French Grand Prix many times between 1971 and 1990, sharing the event with other French venues during that era.

After dropping off the calendar in 1990, the circuit was extensively redeveloped into a high-tech test track, instantly recognisable for its distinctive blue and red striped run-off areas, which use abrasive surfaces to slow cars that leave the road. Formula 1 returned to a reprofiled layout for the French Grand Prix from 2018 to 2022, before the race once again dropped off the schedule. In total the circuit has hosted 18 World Championship rounds.

Memorable Moments

  • 1990: Alain Prost won his home French Grand Prix for Ferrari in the last race of the circuit's first F1 era, delighting the local crowd before the venue disappeared from the calendar for nearly three decades.
  • 1989: Nigel Mansell triumphed at Paul Ricard, one of his wins for Ferrari during a season of fierce competition with the McLarens of Prost and Senna.
  • 2019: On the modern layout, Lewis Hamilton dominated from pole to win comfortably for Mercedes, in a processional race that drew criticism for a lack of overtaking on the wide-open circuit.
  • 2021: Max Verstappen passed Hamilton on the penultimate lap after a brilliant two-stop strategy by Red Bull, snatching victory in one of the more dramatic of the circuit's modern races.

Track Character

Paul Ricard is a fast, flowing circuit dominated by its long straights — historically the famous Mistral straight, which in the modern layout is split by a chicane to tame top speeds. Its vast, multicoloured asphalt run-off areas mean drivers can run wide without the immediate penalty of a gravel trap, which softens the consequences of mistakes but also makes track limits a recurring talking point. The hot, dry Provençal climate and abrasive surface put high demands on tyres, while the wide, open expanse of the plateau makes for committed, high-speed cornering even if close racing can be elusive.