Magny Cours is a "commune" located in central France. It is renowned for the famous motor racing circuit, "Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours" which nestles inside it. The Formula 1 French Grand Prix is hosted on this circuit each year. Initially it was undecided whether the 2008 French Grand Prix would be held at this venue. Though, the 2008 race calendar has confirmed that the Grand Prix will be hosted over here, official sources say that Magny-Cours is only a stand-by until a new venue is found.
The Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours was originally built by Jean Bernigaud. It housed the famous racing school, L'école de pilotage Winfield. Celebrated drivers such as Francois Cevert and Jacques Laffite were the products of this school. The track was not maintained properly which led to its deterioration. In 1980, the Regional Conseil de la Nievre renovated the track and made it suitable for car racing again. Magny-Cours served as the base of the Ligier Fomula 1 Team during the 1990’s.
Present Condition
The track has a smooth, flat surface with excellent facilities for the viewers. The corners of the Magny-Cours racing circuit are named after other famous racing tracks, for example- the Adelaide hairpin and the Estoril corner. Magny-Cours do not provide too many opportunities for overtaking. The Grand Prix of 1999 was one of the most noteworthy events in the recent history of the track. The winner of the race was Heinz-Harald Frentzen. In 2003, changes were effected in the track to increase the scope of overtaking. However, this did not have much effect. In 2004, Michael Schumacher, won an unprecedented victory at Magny-Cours by using a “four stop strategy”.
The Victors
Some of the notable winners of the past who had bagged the Formula 1 French Grand Prix are as follows- Nigell Mansell won the title for two consecutive years (1991-1992), Alain Prost was the winner in 1993, Michael Schumacher created a record by emerging as the victor for eight times (throughout the later half of the 1990’s-1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, and again in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006). Fernando Alonso won the title in 2005, while Kimi Raikkonen was the winner of last year (2007). The World Touring Car Championships were also held in Magny-Cours in 2005 and 2006. The BMW Team Germany under Jorg Muller emerged as the winner in 2005. In 2006, the BMW Team Germany won the first round; while the BMW Team UK went on to win the final round of the tournament.
Magny-Cours is a famous racing circuit, with a historical significance. It has witnessed many victories and records in the past. The official proposal to shift the venue of the French Grand Prix from Magny-Cours has given rise to nostalgia in the hearts of many Formula1 fanatics.
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