2018 French Grand Prix - Le Castellet - Paul Ricard Circuit

[zed4]

I was just having a look through the F1 calendar and I realised that I’m actually on holiday in France and Spain during the new French Grand Prix in June 2018.

My ferry gets into Cherbourg on the Friday 22nd June, leaving ample time to get to the circuit for Saturday afternoon.

So I’m now thinking of diverting from our proposed route of heading straight down to Barcelona, to now heading across France, staying near the circuit for the weekend and watching the race, and then heading over to Barcelona on the Monday.

Anyone else considering going to this circuit next year? Anyone with any experience of it? What’s the viewing like? Essential to get a good grandstand seat, or would general admission suffice like Spa?

Also, any recommendations of where to stay nearby? We’ll either get a hotel or an Airbnb apartment.

Looking forward to the holiday even more now!

Thanks.

[8V085]

Google Paul Ricard, go to images and tell me what you think about it. If you have small kids they might love it. After all it's Tilke's signature mickey mouse in collaboration with Fisher Price circuit.

www.tilke.de/en/projects/test-facilities/paul-rica...

[anonymous-user]

TVR Moneypit said:

So he's ruined another one then? Great

F1 takes great circuits and kid proofs them.

[F1GTRUeno]

Paul Ricard wasn't a great circuit beforehand.

[toastyhamster]

All the good French circuits are long gone. Tilke again , ffs.

Spend some money on marshalling and hold it at the Le Mans circuit (hell if they can do it at Monaco....), or don't bother and put it somewhere decent - Zandvoort? :-) Lots of soft run off!

[Andy S15]

8V085 said:

Google Paul Ricard, go to images and tell me what you think about it. If you have small kids they might love it. After all it's Tilke's signature mickey mouse in collaboration with Fisher Price circuit.

www.tilke.de/en/projects/test-facilities/paul-rica...

Wow. That looks st.

What's happened to Magny Cours these days? Seemed to quite often produce some good racing. That's a track I miss for sure.

[tight fart]

Magny Cours is a great track, even the pit exit is fun.

[Ahonen]

TVR Moneypit said:

8V085 said:

Google Paul Ricard, go to images and tell me what you think about it. If you have small kids they might love it. After all it's Tilke's signature mickey mouse in collaboration with Fisher Price circuit.

www.tilke.de/en/projects/test-facilities/paul-rica...

So he's ruined another one then? Great

This was all done 17 years ago! We've been racing on the current layout for years now.

For those who are concerned that he has destroyed the circuit, here is the original layout from 1970:



And here it is now:



Not exactly the level of rampant destruction he applied to Hockenheim or the Osterreichring, I'm sure you'll agree.

Honestly, I can see how the EU vote went the way it did when people believe everything they're told on an internet forum.

[8V085]

Ahonen said:

Honestly, I can see how the EU vote went the way it did when people believe everything they're told on an internet forum.

Oh comrade, you so speschyal and cunning and don't believe anything that they say on the internet. Maybe if you understood what people say you wouldn't have any issues with that.

Old Paul Ricard (there aren't that many pictures since it was butchered before digital cameras became a thing)



New Fisher Price Paul Ricard



Old Paul Ricard



New Mickey Mouse in collaboration with Babies 'R' Us Paul Ricard



People reacting to new Paul Ricard

Some were clearly upset




Some were happy




You are in the second group looks like.

Now, example on how they could have redesigned if they wanted to appeal to people who are old enough to pass their GCSE's, a non Tilke designed Portimao aka Algarve International Circuit

[8V085]

Why thank you Sir.

The moment I saw him mention Brexit for no reason other than to feel smug and elitist I couldn't stop myself from being sarcastic.

[Vocal Minority]

8V085 said:

Stuff about not liking big run-offs

Mother of God you're manly.......

[Ahonen]

8V085 said:

Why thank you Sir.

The moment I saw him mention Brexit for no reason other than to feel smug and elitist I couldn't stop myself from being sarcastic.

Okay then, smart arse, exactly how many corners have been completely ruined by Tilke? We all know about the random colourscheme of the run off zones, because that has been in place for donkey's years, but the basic shape of the circuit is pretty much exactly as it was in 1970. Your images prove this is the case.

I mentioned the EU thing as an example of someone (in this case TVRMoneypit) reading something that was some way wide of the mark and instantly jumping on the bandwagon: "Tilke has ruined another track!". He has ruined a lot of tracks (including the two I mentioned), but at Ricard he only did the run off area and the pit buildings. As a driver's circuit it remains decent enough and we always enjoy going there.

Oh and you need to brush up on your spelling. And finally, you refer to me as 'comrade' and then call me elitist. Which is it? Because I can't be both.

Edited by Ahonen on Wednesday 6th December 13:35

[Ahonen]

TVR Moneypit said:

Ahonen said:

I mentioned the EU thing as an example of someone (in this case TVRMoneypit) reading something that was some way wide of the mark and instantly jumping on the bandwagon: "Tilke has ruined another track!". He has ruined a lot of tracks (including the two I mentioned), but at Ricard he did the run off area and the pit buildings. As a driver's circuit it remains decent enough and we always enjoy going there.

I'm sorry Ahonen. As soon as I saw the headline Tilke and Paul Ricard, I just automatically assumed that he'd fked up another one, you know, like he does to pretty much every circuit he waves his special kind of 'magic' at.

No worries. The funny thing about Ricard is that if you can ignore the colourscheme and just watch the track it's probably one of the least messed with circuits of the last 45 years. When you consider how much the likes of Silverstone, Hockenheim, Osterreichring, Mexico City, Interlagos, Spa, Le Mans etc have changed shape and length since 1970 then Le Castellet is actually a throw back to the old days. Maybe someone will see sense and try to disguise that bloody awful run off, but the owners and Liberty probably view it as an exciting feature...

[8V085]

Ahonen said:

8V085 said:

Why thank you Sir.

The moment I saw him mention Brexit for no reason other than to feel smug and elitist I couldn't stop myself from being sarcastic.

Okay then, smart arse, exactly how many corners have been completely ruined by Tilke? We all know about the random colourscheme of the run off zones, because that has been in place for donkey's years, but the basic shape of the circuit is pretty much exactly as it was in 1970. Your images prove this is the case.

I mentioned the EU thing as an example of someone (in this case TVRMoneypit) reading something that was some way wide of the mark and instantly jumping on the bandwagon: "Tilke has ruined another track!". He has ruined a lot of tracks (including the two I mentioned), but at Ricard he only did the run off area and the pit buildings. As a driver's circuit it remains decent enough and we always enjoy going there.

Oh and you need to brush up on your spelling. And finally, you refer to me as 'comrade' and then call me elitist. Which is it? Because I can't be both.

To address your last point, good comrades are always elitist but claim that they aren't. And it's only the dumb grey masses that believe in the BS that get upset at those who are elitist.

On your other point. Since you know Paul Ricard that well, do they have you sign a form confirming that you don't suffer from epilepsy before you can get on the track? I'm certainly hoping there will be some warnings on the telly.

[Ahonen]

8V085 said:

To address your last point, good comrades are always elitist but claim that they aren't. And it's only the dumb grey masses that believe in the BS that get upset at those who are elitist.

On your other point. Since you know Paul Ricard that well, do they have you sign a form confirming that you don't suffer from epilepsy before you can get on the track? I'm certainly hoping there will be some warnings on the telly.

Races like ELMS, Blancpain and others have been on the TV without any warnings over the last few years. I'm sorry, I'm unsure whether you were being funny or not there.

[Norfolkit]

Ahonen said:

The funny thing about Ricard is that if you can ignore the colourscheme and just watch the track

Not easy though is it, if they'd just paint the runoff green it wouldn't be so bad but those concentic lines in contrasting colours actually make it awful to watch on TV.

[8V085]

Norfolkit said:

Ahonen said:

The funny thing about Ricard is that if you can ignore the colourscheme and just watch the track

Not easy though is it, if they'd just paint the runoff green it wouldn't be so bad but those concentic lines in contrasting colours actually make it awful to watch on TV.

That's exactly the point, had it been one solid colour, or even two that would have be easier to swallow than the test card that this circuit is. I tried watching some races from other classes since they often are on Motors TV or Eurosport but fkkkk me it's impossible to not to notice that, for me at least. I wonder if I was to watch it on an old CRT screen would that actually cause crosstalk. It's something that I would expect to see as a fantasy track in GranTurismo on PS2 not in real life.

[cjm]

The actual track doesn't look like it has altered very much.

As the OP ask - Any recommendations of where to stay nearby?

[F1GTRUeno]

Calling it a Fisher Price circuit for children to enjoy is elitist as they come. This place is full of stereotypical old grumps, no wonder Brexit was mentioned.

It's fine and it's unique. The coloured parts served a purpose because they were there to test asphalt run off areas to replace gravel traps.

The actual track has always been pretty poor, made worse currently only because they won't allow them to run the whole of the Mistral straight without the chicane in the middle. I believe someone went off and died at the Signes curve at the end of the straight back in the 70's or 80's and it's not been allowed since. Can you imagine a 2017 onwards car flying through that turn after such a long straight? Would be absolutely mega.

[8V085]

F1GTRUeno said:

Calling it a Fisher Price circuit for children to enjoy is elitist as they come. This place is full of stereotypical old grumps, no wonder Brexit was mentioned.

We have another one. Calling it Fisher Price has nothing to do with elitism or Brexit. It's a matter of good taste. But since you persist, if Brexit means that we won't have such mickey mouse circuits in the future I'm glad we decided in favour of it.