GPWizard F1 Forum
F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: davewilson on July 07, 2006, 11:47:04 PM
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The French Grand Prix, Round eleven of the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship, gets underway at the Circuit de Nevers in Magny Cours next weekend. The first of an intensive three races in four weeks sees the F1 teams return to Europe following the two races in North America.
The Circuit de Nevers is located in Burgundy, the geographic heartland of France, and has been home to the French Grand Prix since 1991. The twelve-turn circuit is blessed with a smooth surface and boasts generous run-off areas, although its twisty layout means that overtaking possibilities in dry conditions are usually limited to the slow Adelaide hairpin.
The race organisers tried to answer that criticism in 2004 by replacing the final chicane and increasing the run off area at the final Lycee turn, but the alterations have met with limited success.
Lap times vary noticeably at Magny-Cours depending on the ambient temperature. In common with other tight circuits, Formula One cars are set up to race with high levels of downforce, without completely compromising straight-line speed.
Now, after being forced to retire from the USGP due to being caught up in the first lap melee, Jenson Button is eager to get back to racing and hopefully put some very important points on the board.
"I really enjoy racing at Magny Cours. It's a smooth circuit and very flowing, which is the type of track I prefer as it is more suited to my driving style,” he said. “I've had decent finishes there in the last two years so hopefully we can repeat that form next weekend with a strong points finish. It was disappointing to retire from the race at Indianapolis so early last weekend but looking on the positive side, the car worked much better all weekend than in Montreal."
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The Stig