Coming full circle: Frenchman Jean Alesi (58) will likely be circuit president at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet in southern France in 1989, making his Formula 1 debut.
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Frenchman Jean Alessi participated in 201 races in Formula 1. The southern Frenchman, who originated from Sicily, impressed everybody along with his enthusiastic driving type. His biggest achievement: victory in the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix in a Ferrari.
Now 58-year-old Jean has a new problem forward of him, and for him it is full circle: Alessi will turn into the new president of Paul Ricard in the south of France, Autosprint confirmed to colleagues. Alessi made his Formula 1 debut at Le Castellet in 1989 and instantly completed fourth at Tyrrell!
The World Cup winner, who completed fourth in 1996 and 1997, says: “I’m actually having fun with this new problem, it will be thrilling. At Le Castellet, now we have the most fashionable racecourse in France in phrases of infrastructure, in addition to the location of the surrounding motels.”
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed in August 2022 that the French have misplaced the Grand Prix. Work is underway to convey the race again to the World Championship program from 2024, which can then alternate with the Circuit Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Alessi continues: “Of course I’ve a romantic aspect since you always remember your first race in Formula 1, particularly in entrance of your own home crowd and with such a superb end result. Now, after 34 years, I run this chain. As on the racetrack, I’ll do my greatest to do properly.”
When Formula 1 first took to the racetrack owned by aperitif producer Paul Ricard in 1971, the drivers have been impressed: the distinctive promoting level of the 5.81km circuit at the time was the nearly two kilometer Mistral (named after the velocity). wind) from there braveness proper hand Signes he went full pot.
In 1986, after Elio de Angelis’ deadly crash at the Verrerie quick S-curve mixture, the course was shortened for security causes: from 1986 to 1990, the race was run 4 occasions on a monitor model that was solely 3.813 km lengthy. From 1991, Grand Prix de France Magny-Cours (central France) was held till 2008.
Fortunately, the organizers selected an extended model of the Paul Ricard route for the new version of the race in 2018. However, GP racers do not warmth up the complete Mistral straight. The concern is simply too nice that there will likely be too little floor for autos to fall in case of any malfunctions in the indicators. No, Formula 1 automobiles flip into the so-called Chicane Nord midway down the straight, solely to return to the Mistral after this left-right mixture.
The French Grand Prix is the oldest in motorsport historical past. The Grand Prix was held for the first time in 1906, at the moment in Le Mans.
French GP at Le Castellet: Winners
1971 Jackie Stewart (GB), Tyrell-Ford
1973 Ronnie Peterson (S), Lotus Ford
1975 Niki Lauda (A), Ferrari
1976 James Hunt (Great Britain), McLaren Ford
1978 Mario Andretti (USA), Lotus Ford
1980 Alan Jones (Australia), Williams
1982 Rene Arnoux (F), Renault
1983 Alain Prost (F), Renault
1985 Nelson Piquet (BR), Brabham BMW
1986 Nigel Mansell (GB), Williams-Honda
1987 Nigel Mansell (GB), Williams-Honda
1988 Alain Prost (F), McLaren Honda
1989 Alain Prost (F), McLaren Honda
1990 Alain Prost (F), Ferrari
2018 Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes
2019 Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes
No race 2020 (resulting from corona pandemic)
2021 Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing
2022 Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing