By BMW Sauber F1 Team
June 24 2007

The BMW Sauber F1 Team give you a guide to the French Grand Prix. This article includes circuit background and race history, as well as some interesting facts and figures from last year. Read on to prepare yourself for this weekend's French Grand Prix...

History and background:

Magny-Cours is situated in western Burgundy about halfway between Paris and Lyons. The nearby town of Nevers has a small airport used by many of the teams arriving on charter flights or in private aircraft. 1959 saw the start of construction work on the race track here. It opened in 1961 and it had its first redesign ten years later. Formula One has been coming to Magny-Cours for the French Grand Prix since 1991. F1’s move from Le Castellet to Magny-Cours was promoted by the French government as a way of bolstering the region’s underdeveloped economy. 2007 sees the 57th French Grand Prix staged since the official launch of Formula One. It will be hosted in Magny-Cours for the 17th time. The first French GP took place in Reims in 1950. Formula One has been held at the Paul Ricard track 14 times, in Reims 11 times, five times each in Dijon and Rouen, four times in Clermont-Ferrand and once in Le Mans.

Facts and figures:

Circuit/Date Circuit de Nevers/1st July 2007

Start time (local/UTC) 14.00 hrs/12.00 hrs

Lap/Race distance 4.411 km/308.586 km (70 laps)

Winner 2006 Michael Schumacher, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 1 hr 32:07.803 min

Pole position 2006 Michael Schumacher, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 1:17.111 min

Fastest lap 2006 Michael Schumacher, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 1:15.493 min

Current lap record Michael Schumacher, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 1:15.377 min (2004)

 

Data 2006 (race):

Full-throttle percentage: 64%

Top speed: 301 km/h

Longest stretch at full throttle: 13 sec / 940 m

Right-hand/left-hand corners: 9/8

Gear changes per lap: 37

Tyre wear: medium to low

Brake wear: medium

Downforce level: high

Grip level: medium