You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in German. (September 2014)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
View a machine-translated version of the German article.
Machine translation, likeDeepL orGoogle Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
Youmust providecopyright attribution in theedit summary accompanying your translation by providing aninterlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary isContent in this edit is translated from the existing German Wikipedia article at [[:de:Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours]]; see its history for attribution.
You may also add the template{{Translated|de|Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours}} to thetalk page.
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a 4.411 km (2.741 mi)motor racing circuit located in centralFrance, near the towns ofMagny-Cours andNevers, some 250 km (160 mi) fromParis and 240 km (150 mi) fromLyon.[2]
The original circuit layout (1960–1970), while the track was named after Jean Behra
Commonly dubbed Magny-Cours, it was built in 1960 byJean Bernigaud and was home to the prestigious Winfield racing school (École de Pilotage Winfield), which produced drivers such asFrançois Cevert,Jacques Laffite andDidier Pironi. The circuit was opened on 7 August 1960.[3] However, in the 1980s the track fell into disrepair and was not used for international motor racing until it was purchased by theConseil Départemental de la Nièvre in 1986.[3]
In the 1990s, theLigier Formula One team and its successorProst were based at the circuit and did much of their testing at Magny-Cours.[citation needed]
The circuit hosted the FrenchFormula One Grand Prix from 1991 until 2008, and theBol d'Or from 2000 until 2014.
The circuit was re-designed in 2003 and used for a wide range of events include various sports and commercial use.[2] For the2003 French Grand Prix, the final corner and chicane were changed in an effort to increase overtaking, with little effect.[3]
In 2006, Michael Schumacher became the first driver ever to win any singleFormula OneGrand Prix a total of 8 times and at the same circuit.[citation needed]
Bernie Ecclestone originally confirmed that F1 would not return to Magny-Cours in 2008, instead moving to an alternative location possibly inParis. However in a striking U-turn, it was revealed that the 2008 French Grand Prix would take place at Magny-Cours with the release of the official calendar in July 2007.[4]
In May 2008, Ecclestone confirmed that Magny-Cours would stop hosting the French Grand Prix after the 2008 race, suggesting that he was looking into the possibility of hosting the French Grand Prix on the streets ofParis.[5] The venue suffered from poor attendances due to its remote location, poor access and insufficient accommodation.[6]
In June 2008, the provisional calendar for the2009 season was released, and a French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours appeared on it, scheduled for 28 June. However, in October 2008 the 2009 French Grand Prix was cancelled after the French Motorsports Federation (FFSA) withdrew financing for the event. In2009 the track hosted its firstSuperleague Formula event. It also hosted a second event in2010.[7]
The circuit was used as part of stage three of the2014 Paris–Nice cycling race,[8] with the peloton completing almost a full lap of the circuit – in the reverse direction to its motorsport use – before the finish on the front straight.
The circuit features several high-speed chicanes with prominent kerbs, such as theImola chicane. (Mark Webber pictured driving forWilliams).Main straight.
The track nowadays is a smooth circuit with good facilities for the teams, although restricted access prevents spectators from reaching many parts of the circuit. Unusually, many corners are modelled on famous turns from other circuits, and are named after those circuits, i.e.. the fastEstoril corner (turn 3), theAdelaide hairpin (turn 5) and theNürburgring andImola chicanes (turns 7 and 12 respectively). It has a mix of slow hairpins and high-speed chicane sections which includes a long fast straight into the first-gear Adelaide hairpin, the best overtaking opportunity on the circuit.[2] The circuit is very flat with negligible change in elevation (only a small valley at the Estoril corner and a slight hill near the Lycee corner).[citation needed]
The circuit provides few overtaking opportunities, despite modifications in 2003, which means the races here are commonly regarded as quite uneventful.[9] Formula 1 races at Magny-Cours tend to have a processional nature, with most overtaking occurring during pit stop sequences.[citation needed]
More varied racing occurs when it rains, such as in the1999 race, which was interrupted by a downpour. After a restart, most top contenders developed problems, which paved the way forHeinz-Harald Frentzen to claim a surprising victory in hisJordan.
Although theBol d'Or 24-hour motorcycle endurance race was held at Magny-Cours for several years, it returned to the more popularCircuit Paul Ricard in 2015, which held the mentioned race before Magny-Cours.
The official lap record for the latest Grand Prix circuit layout is 1:15.377, set by Michael Schumacher during the2004 French Grand Prix, while the unofficial all-time track record is 1:13.698, set byFernando Alonso in qualifying for the same race.[10] As of September 2025, the fastest official race lap records at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours are listed as:
The Nevers area has anoceanic climate that is still influenced by its far inland position. With a yearly precipitation of over 800 mm (31 in) on average, Magny-Cours is theoretically prone to rain affecting proceedings, although in the Formula One era, it often evaded the rainfall. There was one notable exception, when both the qualifying and the race of1999 saw a fully wet track. With the Grand Prix being held in the middle of summer, tyre wear through high asphalt temperatures was possible. Magny-Cours' main event post-Grand Prix era,Superbike World Championship is being held in autumn and as a result sees colder temperatures.
Michael Schumacher,Ferrari F2004,2004,F1)
David Coulthard,McLaren MP4-17,2002,F1)
Jacques Laffite,Martini MK16, 1975,F2)
Paul Hawkins,Lola T70 Mk.IIIB GT, 1969,Group 4)
.svg)
.svg)
