Circuit Rouen-Les-Essarts
In northern France, nestled in a bend of the River Seine near Rouen, lies a place where motorsport history intertwines with ancient natural heritage—the commune of Orival and the legendary Rouen-Les-Essarts circuit. This track once hosted the Formula 1 French Grand Prix, several Formula 2 races, and various other competitions.
Circuit Rouen-Les-Essarts
Opened in 1950, Rouen-Les-Essarts quickly earned a reputation as one of the most challenging and exhilarating tracks in the world, consisting of public roads that wind through a dense forest.
- The "Six Frères" (Six Brothers) Descent: A famous high-speed section where drivers hurtled down forest switchbacks at immense speed.
- The "Nouveau Monde" (New World) Hairpin: A sharp, cobblestone-paved turn that became the circuit's iconic signature.
- Formula 1: The track hosted the Grand Prix de France five times. Notably, in 1962, Dan Gurney secured Porsche's only victory in F1 here.
French Grand Prix (F1 World Championship)
Formula 1 indeed made its mark in Normandy. Five official World Championship rounds were held at the Rouen track, with the following winners of the Grand Prix de France:
- 1952: Won by Alberto Ascari (Ferrari)
- 1957: Won by Juan Manuel Fangio (Maserati)
- 1962: Won by Dan Gurney (Porsche)
- 1964: Won by Dan Gurney (Brabham)
- 1968: Won by Jacky Ickx (Ferrari)
Grand Prix de Rouen
The Grand Prix de Rouen was contested for many years as part of the Formula 2 championship and several times as a non-championship Formula 1 race.
Why Did Racing Stop?
During the 1968 event, a tragic accident occurred in heavy rain, claiming the life of French driver Jo Schlesser. His Honda car veered off at the Six Frères corner, overturned, and caught fire. Following the incident, F1 deemed the track too dangerous due to the lack of runoff zones and the surrounding forest terrain. This led to the relocation of the French Grand Prix to Clermont-Ferrand, and later to Paul Ricard.