Fast Times in France

A report from what may well be the final French Grand Prix, marking the end of an era

- By Jared Paul Stern

In 2018, after a decade-long absence, Formula 1’s historic French Grand Prix was brought back to life at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Castellet, to much fanfare—and national pride. It was after all in France, at Le Mans, that the world’s first-ever motor race, as well as the first international event ever to be labeled a grand prix, was held, in 1906.

For there to be no French Grand Prix on the calendar would for many be an utter tragedy, and yet the prospect appears all too real. The initial five-year contract for the race at Paul Ricard has now expired; with November and the end of the 2022 F1 season looming, no new deal had been announced. Which spurred us to accept an invitation to this year’s French Grand Prix, held in late July, with alacrity, knowing it may well be the last.

Paul Ricard, with its underwhelming setup and lurid striped run off areas, is hardly the most popular circuit; and there are many who decree that the nearby, and much more high-profile, Monaco Grand Prix renders the French GP obsolete. Perhaps these naysayers should have been present at this year’s race, where enthusiasm ran extremely high—despite a devastating crash by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (Monaco-born, and therefore something of a local hero), on the 18th lap, while he was leading the race. The crash left Leclerc, despite having much the faster car, almost hopelessly behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, winner of the French GP in his stead, in points for the season; Leclerc was heard to bellow with rage and frustration over his radio when he hit the barrier.