Le Mans - Alice Grand Prix de France
Race Date: May 17, 2009- Pole Position: Left
- Track Length: 4,180 m
- Track Width: 13 m
- Longest Straightaway: 450 m
- Left Turns: 4
- Right Turns: 9
- Year Track Opened/Upgraded: 2001
- Track Location: Le Mans, France
- Event Promoter: Alice Telefon
- Event Website: www.gpfrancemoto.com
- 1st Place: Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki)
The French Grand Prix has seen many venues since the first race at Albi in 1951. Road circuits such as Rouen, Reims and Clemont -Ferrand staged the early grands prix with Le Mans staging it's first race in 1969 on part of the 24 Hour car racing circuit. The delightfully located Paul Ricard in the South of France also became a regular venue with Nogaro also staging two races.
The Bugatti circuit was constructed in 1965 incorporating part of the 13.605 kms 24 Hour road circuit. It has been modified over the years to it's present day 4.180 kms configuration. The circuit uses the main straight and the awesome fast right hand bend between that towering grandstands that leads to the famous Dunlop chicane. The remainder of the circuit is very stop and start with a crucial slow right hand bend leading back into the start and finish straight. The track had a reputation for being very slippery but was resurfaced in 2004 when Spaniard Sete Gibernau achieved his second successive victory.
Le Mans is a circuit made up of a number of second gear hairpins linked together by a series of long straights,with only the occasional chicane breaking up the run to the next hairpin. A design of the past, the French circuit causes little concern for engineers regarding set-up. Turns three and five are the most likely passing points and all efforts for set-up on this track is often focused towards finding stability under brakes in these areas.
Circuit des ‘24 Heures du Mans’
F- 72019
Le Mans Cedex 2
France
Tel: +33 2 4340 2424
Fax: +33 2 4340 2425
HOW TO ARRIVE:
Arriving from Paris by car, 205 km, take the A10 and then the A11 motorway. To go out at the junction 6 and following the circumvallation south signs for Tours, Angers, Nantes on N23 route.
The Bugatti circuit was constructed in 1965 incorporating part of the 13.605 kms 24 Hour road circuit. It has been modified over the years to it's present day 4.180 kms configuration. The circuit uses the main straight and the awesome fast right hand bend between that towering grandstands that leads to the famous Dunlop chicane. The remainder of the circuit is very stop and start with a crucial slow right hand bend leading back into the start and finish straight. The track had a reputation for being very slippery but was resurfaced in 2004 when Spaniard Sete Gibernau achieved his second successive victory.
Le Mans is a circuit made up of a number of second gear hairpins linked together by a series of long straights,with only the occasional chicane breaking up the run to the next hairpin. A design of the past, the French circuit causes little concern for engineers regarding set-up. Turns three and five are the most likely passing points and all efforts for set-up on this track is often focused towards finding stability under brakes in these areas.Circuit des ‘24 Heures du Mans’
F- 72019
Le Mans Cedex 2
France
Tel: +33 2 4340 2424
Fax: +33 2 4340 2425
HOW TO ARRIVE:
Arriving from Paris by car, 205 km, take the A10 and then the A11 motorway. To go out at the junction 6 and following the circumvallation south signs for Tours, Angers, Nantes on N23 route.
