Circuit de Pau-Ville, Street Circuit

The Circuit de Pau-Ville is a temporary street circuit threaded through the centre of Pau, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of southwestern France, at the foothills of the Pyrenees. It hosts the Pau Grand Prix, one of the oldest motor races in the world: the French Grand Prix was held at Pau in 1930 and the annual Grand Prix de Pau was inaugurated in 1933 on a course that looped through the Parc Beaumont. The present 2.769 km layout was established in 1935 and has remained almost unchanged since, with metal barriers having long replaced the original hay bales. Famous for its twisting roads, camber changes and kerb-lined chicanes, Pau is widely regarded as an even greater challenge than Monaco, and grandstands along the start-finish straight are assembled each year from concrete and steel beams that overhang a riverside. The Grand Prix has never held a Formula One World Championship round but has staged top feeder categories including European Formula Two, Formula 3000, the FIA Formula 3 European Championship and Euroformula Open. Touring cars have also featured strongly, with WTCC, WTCR and French F4 rounds in recent decades. Past winners include Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Jochen Rindt, Jean Alesi and Juan Pablo Montoya, and a companion historic event, the Grand Prix de Pau Historique, now runs alongside the modern meeting. The race did not take place during the Second World War or in 2020-2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cars run extra suspension travel to cope with the bumpy public roads.

Operated by: Ville de Pau (temporary, assembled for the Grand Prix)