Dijon-Prenois

Coordinates: 47°21′45″N 4°53′57″E / 47.36250°N 4.89917°E / 47.36250; 4.89917
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Circuit de Dijon-Prenois

LocationPrenois, France
Time zoneCET (UTC+1)
CEST (DST)
Coordinates47°21′45″N 4°53′57″E / 47.36250°N 4.89917°E / 47.36250; 4.89917
FIA Grade2
Broke groundDecember 1969
Opened26 May 1972; 51 years ago (1972-05-26)
Major eventsCurrent:
Historic Tour Dijon
Dijon Motors Cup
Future:
GT2 European Series (2023)
FFSA GT (1997–1998, 2000, 2002–2012, 2017–2018, 2023)
Former:
Formula One (1974, 1977, 1979, 1981–1982, 1984)
DTM (2009)
NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (2009–2010, 2013)
BOSS GP (2009–2010, 2012, 2015)
F3 Euro Series (2009)
FIA GT (1998, 2006)
FIA Sportscar Championship (2002)
Euro F3000 (2002, 2004)
F3000 (1985, 1988–1989)
WSC (1973, 1975–1976, 1978–1980, 1989–1990)
ETCC (1988)
WTCC (1987)
M1 Procar Championship (1979)
FIA European F3 (1978)
Formula 750 (1977)
Grand Prix Circuit (1976–present)
Length3.801 km (2.362 miles)
Turns12
Race lap record1:02.985 (Austria Ingo Gerstl, Toro Rosso STR1, 2015, F1)
Short Circuit (1972–present)
Length3.289 km (2.044 miles)
Turns8
Race lap record1:00.000 (South Africa Jody Scheckter, Tyrrell 007, 1974, F1)

Dijon-Prenois is a 3.801 km (2.362 mi) motor racing circuit located in Prenois, near Dijon, France. The undulating track is noted for its fast, sweeping bends.

Opened in 1972, Dijon-Prenois hosted the Formula One French Grand Prix five times, and the Swiss Grand Prix in 1982. The non-championship 1975 Swiss Grand Prix was also held at Dijon.[1] The circuit currently hosts the Grand Prix de l'Age d'Or, and last hosted the FFSA GT Championship in 2018.

History

Part of the added section of Dijon-Prenois with the Parabolique corner

Planned in 1967, work commenced in December 1969. The track was part of a plan to make Dijon an automotive centre. It was the brainchild of rugby-player and wrestler François Chambelland (sometimes assumed to be the masked wrestler l'Ange Blanc)[citation needed], and was developed with the aid of racers Jean-Pierre Beltoise and François Cevert, as well as motoring journalist José Rosinski [fr].[2][3] In spite of lack of support from the city government and a chronic lack of funds, the track was declared open on 26 May 1972, with Guy Ligier making the first timed lap around the circuit.[3] The first race, for 2-litre prototypes, was held ten days later. Arturo Merzario was the inaugural winner.[4]

Warm-up lap of the European Honda Trophy race, Gauche de la bretelle corner (2004)

The first F1 race was run in 1974 on the circuit's original 3.289 km (2.044 mi) layout; with the fastest lap times under the one-minute mark, there was a major problem with congested traffic between the race leaders and the back-markers. Therefore, in 1976 an extension was added to lengthen the circuit as well as to reprofile many of its corners before the time F1 could return to Dijon in 1977. The 1979 French Grand Prix featured a memorable battle for second place in the final laps between Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari and René Arnoux's Renault, which was finally won by Villeneuve. The race itself was won by Jean-Pierre Jabouille in the other Renault - Renault's first, and the first F1 victory for a turbocharged car.[3]

The 1982 Formula One season was not to see the French Grand Prix held at Dijon as that race was held at the Paul Ricard Circuit, located at Le Castellet in southern France. Instead, Dijon held the (as yet) last Swiss Grand Prix, despite being located in France and not Switzerland. This was due to the Swiss Government's ban on motor racing in the wake of the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans disaster in which 83 people, many of whom were spectators, and the driver Pierre Levegh, died when a car crashed at high speed and vaulted into the pit straight grandstand.[5] 1982 Formula One World Champion Keke Rosberg, driving his Williams-Ford, won his first ever Grand Prix in the 1982 Swiss race, four seconds in front of local favourite Alain Prost driving a factory backed Renault.

The French Grand Prix alternated between Paul Ricard and Dijon, until the last F1 race at Dijon took place in 1984. The race was won by McLaren's Niki Lauda, who won his 3rd and final World Championship that year. The fastest lap of the race was set by Lauda's teammate Alain Prost (1:05.257) at an average speed of 214 km/h (133 mph). Fittingly, the last F1 pole at Dijon was set by a French driver driving a French car, with Patrick Tambay recording a 1:02.200 in his factory Renault RE50 turbo. Tambay led the race for the first 47 laps before being passed by Lauda, the Frenchman eventually finishing 2nd, seven seconds behind the McLaren.

Long-distance racing continued, with a race in the FIA GT Championship held there in 1998 for instance. Although Formula One has not returned to Dijon since 1984, the circuit continues to be used today for minor, mostly local races. These include club level events and motorcycle racing, and truck racing events have been held there since 1988.[2] The track was renovated in 2001, when a go-cart track was added.[1]

Lap records

The official race lap records at the Circuit de Dijon-Prenois are listed as:

Category Time Driver Vehicle Event Circuit Map
Grand Prix Circuit: 3.801 km (1976–present)
Formula One 1:02.985[6] Ingo Gerstl Toro Rosso STR1 2015 BOSS GP Dijon Motors Cup
Group C 1:08.973[7] Jean-Louis Schlesser Mercedes-Benz C11 1990 480 km of Dijon
F3000 1:10.430[8] Érik Comas Lola T89/50 1989 Dijon F3000 round
Euro F3000 1:10.540[9] Alex Lloyd Lola B99/50 2004 Dijon Euro F3000 round
GT1 (Prototype) 1:10.861[10] Bernd Schneider Mercedes-Benz CLK LM 1998 FIA GT Dijon 500km
Formula 3 1:11.067[11] Jules Bianchi Dallara F308 2009 Dijon Formula 3 Euro Series round
LMP900 1:11.614[12] Jan Lammers Dome S101 2002 FIA Sportscar Championship Dijon
DTM 1:11.644[13] Paul di Resta AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2009 2009 Dijon DTM round
GT1 (GTS) 1:15.119[14] Jaroslav Janiš Saleen S7-R 2006 FIA GT Dijon 500km
Group C2 1:15.324[15] Fermín Vélez Spice SE89C 1989 480 km of Dijon
IMSA GTP 1:15.327[15] David Kennedy Mazda 767B 1989 480 km of Dijon
SR2 1:15.956[12] Fabio Mancini Lucchini SR2001 2002 FIA Sportscar Championship Dijon
Formula Renault 2.0 1:16.801[16] Alexandre Marsoin Tatuus FR2000 2007 Dijon French Formula Renault round
Group 6 1:17.400[17] Arturo Merzario Alfa Romeo T33SC/12 1977 Dijon 500 km
GT2 1:18.390[18] Olivier Beretta Chrysler Viper GTS-R 1998 FIA GT Dijon 500km
Carrera Cup 1:20.414[19] Julien Andlauer Porsche 911 (991 II) GT3 Cup 2018 Dijon Porsche Carrera Cup France round
Formula 4 1:21.871[20] Caio Collet Mygale M14-F4 2018 Dijon French Formula 4 round
GT4 1:23.701[21] Grégory Guilvert Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR 2017 Dijon GT4 European Series Southern Cup round
Stock car racing 1:23.958[22] Ander Vilariño Chevrolet SS NASCAR 2013 Dijon NASCAR Whelen Euro Series round
Group A 1:27.400[23] Klaus Niedzwiedz Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth 1988 Dijon ETCC round
Short Circuit: 3.289 km (1972–present)
Formula One 1:00.000 Jody Scheckter Tyrrell 007 1974 French Grand Prix
Group 5 1:00.600[24] François Cevert Matra-Simca MS670 1973 Dijon 1000 km
Group 6 1:01.180[25] Jochen Mass Porsche 936 1976 Dijon 500 km
Sports 2000 1:02.600[26] Arturo Merzario Abarth-Osella 2000 Sport SE-021 1972 Dijon European 2-Litre Sports Car Championship round
Formula Three 1:18.650[27] Pierre Petit Ralt RT3 1982 Dijon French F3 round

External links

References

  1. ^ a b Furet, Jacques (2012-04-05). "Quarante ans qu'il tourne round!" [It's been running around for forty years!]. La Vie de l'Auto (in French) (1501). Fontainebleau Cedex, France: Éditions LVA: 14.
  2. ^ a b "Historique du Circuit Dijon Prenois" [History of the Dijon Prenois track] (in French). Circuit Dijon-Prenois. Archived from the original on 7 March 2008.
  3. ^ a b c Furet, p. 13
  4. ^ de Cesaris, Andrea (2011-05-11), "Un tracé, des légendes" [Tracking of legends], Le Gazette de Côte-d'Or (in French) (248), Dijon, France: B. Press
  5. ^ Motor racing in Switzerland, 2003-03-19
  6. ^ "Ingo Gerstl is the fastest man in Dijon". bossgp.com. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  7. ^ "World Sports Prototype Championship Dijon 1990". Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  8. ^ "1989 Dijon F3000". Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  9. ^ "2004 Dijon Euro F3000". Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  10. ^ "FIA GT Championship Dijon 1998". Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  11. ^ "2009 Formula 3 Euro Series Dijon Session Facts". Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  12. ^ a b "FIA Sportscar Championship Dijon 2002". Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  13. ^ "2009 DTM Dijon Session Facts". Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  14. ^ "2006 Dijon FIA GT". Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  15. ^ a b "World Sports Prototype Championship Dijon 1989". Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  16. ^ "2007 French Formula Renault Dijon (Race 1)". Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  17. ^ "1977 Dijon 500Kms". Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  18. ^ "III Dijon 500kms". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  19. ^ "2018 Porsche Cup France Dijon (Race 2)". Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  20. ^ "Championnat de France FFSA des Circuits - Circuit de Dijon-Prenois Race 1" (PDF). Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  21. ^ "2017 Championnat de France FFSA GT - GT4 European Series Southern Cup Final classification AMENDED (following stewards' decision 14)" (PDF). Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  22. ^ "2013 Dijon 200 Race 1". Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  23. ^ "1988 Dijon ETCC". Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  24. ^ "1973 Dijon 1000Kms". Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  25. ^ "1976 Dijon 500Kms". Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  26. ^ "European 2-Litre Championship Dijon 1972". Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  27. ^ "1982 French Formula 3 Trophée de Bourgogne". Retrieved 14 July 2022.
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