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In the mid-eighties, an initiative by President Mitterand saw the Circuit Jean Behra near Nevers updated and modernised to become the Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours. The circuit had begun life as a small kart track, started by Magny-Cours' mayor, Jean Bernigaud. The kart circuit grew into a proper track which was inaugurated on May 1, 1961; ten years later, it was lengthened from two kilometers to 3.85 kms.
In those ten years, Magny-Cours had become home to Tico Martini's eponymous racing car company and France's first race driving school. The decision in 1986 to upgrade the circuit to Grand Prix standards saw Guy Ligier move his Formula One team to the circuit and the new track was opened in 1989. Two years later, it hosted its first Grand Prix, and the race has remained here ever since.
Giancarlo Fisichella takes you on a lap of the Magny Cours circuit: "Magny Cours is unusual in that it is probably the only circuit where you cross the start/finish line in first gear accelerating up towards the first left hand corner Grande Courbe which is taken at full throttle in fifth gear at around 170 mph (275 kph).
Leaving this corner, I remain in 5th gear reaching over 175 mph (280 kph) before a very light touch on the brakes into Estoril. This is a very long right hand corner taken in fourth gear at around 120 mph (190 kph). It is very important to balance the car here as it will tend to understeer as the corner progresses. It is also a very important corner as it leads on to the long straight down to the hairpin at Adelaide.
On this straight, I accelerate up to over 185 mph (300 kph) before braking hard for the first gear hairpin Adelaide, which is taken at just under 37 mph (60 kph). From this hairpin, traction is important as you accelerate up to 5th gear at around 175 mph (285 kph) before entering Nurburgring the first of the fast chicanes taken in 4th gear at over 125 mph (200 kph).
A short acceleration up to 155 mph (250 kph) leads into the braking area for the left-hand hairpin 180 which is taken in 2nd gear at just under 50 mph (80 kph). Again, traction is important out of this corner as it leads into the next fast chicane Imola taken in 4th gear at around 127 mph (205 kph).
Very shortly after leaving this chicane, I'll brake very hard down into second gear for the long right-hand Chateax d'Eau corner taken at around 60 mph (95 kph). This is the corner where the cars tend to oversteer a lot on exit and it is necessary to control the wheelspin very carefully.
A short 4th gear straight where the cars will reach 160 mph (260 kph) leads into the final relatively difficult Chicane taken in second gear at 77 mph (125 kph) for the first part and then down to 68 mph (110 kph) for the second.
Finally, I enter the last corner Lycee, which is a very tight 1st gear corner taken at around 40 mph (65 kph), which leads straight on to the start/finish line. The varied nature of the track means cars would be likely to opt for medium to low downforce. The smooth nature of the track circuit also allows the cars to have a very low ride height giving them that extra bit of speed."
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