Dijon-Prenois
Encyclopedia
Dijon-Prenois is a 3.801 km (2.4 mi) motor racing circuit located in Prenois
, near Dijon
, France
. The undulating track is noted for its fast, sweeping bends.
Built in 1972, Dijon-Prenois hosted the Formula One
French Grand Prix
five times, and the Swiss Grand Prix
once in 1982
. The first F1 race was run in 1974
on the circuit's original 3.289 km (2 mi) layout; with lap times under the one minute mark, there was an extreme problem with congested traffic between the race leaders and the back-markers. Therefore, in 1975 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
.
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.
Prenois
Prenois is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is best known for the Dijon-Prenois racktrack.-Population:-References:*...
, near Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The undulating track is noted for its fast, sweeping bends.
Built in 1972, Dijon-Prenois hosted the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
five times, and the Swiss Grand Prix
Swiss Grand Prix
The Swiss Grand Prix was the premier auto race of Switzerland. In its later years it was a Formula One race....
once in 1982
1982 Swiss Grand Prix
The 1982 Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon-Prenois in France on August 29, 1982. This was the only win of the season for eventual World Champion Keke Rosberg.- Classification :-Standings after the race:...
. The first F1 race was run in 1974
1974 French Grand Prix
The 1974 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon on July 7, 1974.- Race summary :To honor the 80th birthday of the ACF, a parade of vintage cars was organized with a selection of great drivers from the 20s and 30s up to the present day. The race itself was largely uneventful...
on the circuit's original 3.289 km (2 mi) layout; with lap times under the one minute mark, there was an extreme problem with congested traffic between the race leaders and the back-markers. Therefore, in 1975 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
1977 French Grand Prix
The 1977 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Dijon on 3 July 1977.-Report:Once again it was Mario Andretti on pole with James Hunt second and Gunnar Nilsson third on the grid. Hunt got the best start and led into the first corner from John Watson and Jacques Laffite, with Andretti...
. The 1979 French Grand Prix
1979 French Grand Prix
The 1979 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 1 July 1979 at Dijon.It marked the first victory of a turbocharged car in Formula One, with Renault overcoming the reliability problems that had initially plagued their car...
featured a memorable battle for second place in the final laps between Gilles Villeneuve's
Gilles Villeneuve
Joseph Gilles Henri Villeneuve, better known as Gilles Villeneuve , was a Canadian racing driver. An enthusiast of cars and fast driving from an early age, he started his professional career in snowmobile racing in his native province of Quebec...
Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
and René Arnoux's
René Arnoux
René Alexandre Arnoux is a retired French racing driver who is a veteran of 12 Formula One seasons...
Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
, which was finally won by Villeneuve. The race itself was won by Jean-Pierre Jabouille
Jean-Pierre Jabouille
Jean-Pierre Alain Jabouille is a former racing driver from France.-Biography:A native of Paris, Jabouille was one of the last of a breed of Formula One drivers who were also engineers....
in the other Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
.
Although Formula One has not returned to Dijon since 1984
1984 French Grand Prix
The 1984 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon on May 20, 1984. It was the fifth round of the 1984 Formula One season.- Classification :- Notes :...
, the circuit continues to be used today for minor, mostly local races. These include club level events and Motorcycle racing.