Jean Alesi, the president of the Paul-Ricard circuit, said “delighted for the Monaco GP, an institution in Formula 1”. If its Monegasque neighbor continues its love affair with the premier category of the automobile, the Castellet circuit, which hosted the French Grand Prix from 2018 to 2022, seems to be doing very well without F1.
Management did not wish to explain how this Friday, but last February, it prided itself on “unprecedented success” of the 2023 season, with “268 days of activity on the main runway out of the 305 authorized” and one “increasing profitability”.
The circuit thus lives with the noise of other engines and the bitumen continues to eat the rubber. It offers individuals GT Drive driving courses aboard Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini or even Ferrari… And hosts around thirty competitions each year. Among them, the Bol d'Or in September, the legendary 24-hour motorcycle endurance race. For four wheels, it's the European Le Mans Series – a 4-hour endurance race – which took place in Le Castellet last May.
An annual historic Grand Prix
When people say that there is no more F1 at Le Castellet, it is not entirely true. After a final victory for quadruple world champion Max Verstappen in 2022, Paul-Ricard sees in its garages single-seaters from another era, with the historic Grand Prix. Thus, in April 2025, the legendary Formula 1 F25 double world champion (2005, 2006) will be dusted off and will run to mark twenty years of the last coronation of the Renault team. For purists, this will be the opportunity to once again hear the timeless melody of the naturally aspirated V10, very different from the V6 with a hybrid engine. Other iconic F1 cars will be there, such as the McLaren M29 or the Williams FW07B.
