GridpediaRouen-Les-Essarts
- Location
- Rouen, France
- Races held
- 5 (1952 to 1968)
- Most wins, drivers
- Dan Gurney (2), Jacky Ickx (1), Juan Fangio (1), Alberto Ascari (1)
- Most wins, teams
- Ferrari (2), Porsche (1), Maserati (1), Brabham-Climax (1)
- Most poles
- Jim Clark (2), Jochen Rindt (1), Juan Fangio (1), Alberto Ascari (1)
- Map
- OpenStreetMap
What is a lap of Rouen-Les-Essarts like?
Rouen-les-Essarts was a road course on public roads in the woods south-west of Rouen, known for its fast downhill sweepers through Six Frères, the cobbled Nouveau Monde hairpin at its southern tip, and the steep climb back through the forest to Grésil with gradients over 9 per cent. The circuit was lengthened from 5.1 km to 6.542 km in 1955, when the back section was extended to Grésil and La Scierie; the 1952 Grand Prix used the short layout and the 1957, 1962, 1964 and 1968 races the long one. Dan Gurney's 1962 win there is Porsche's only World Championship Grand Prix win as a constructor; Jo Schlesser's fatal crash at Six Frères in 1968 ended Formula 1's visits. A new motorway cut the lap to 5.543 km from 1972, racing stopped in 1994 for economic and safety reasons, and in 1999 the pits, grandstands and barriers were demolished, but the roads can still be driven.
- Lap length
- 6.542 km
- Direction
- clockwise
- Layout described
- Grand Prix circuit as extended in 1955 (Wikipedia 'Grand Prix Circuit (1955-1971)'), 6.542 km, used for the Formula 1 races of 1957, 1962, 1964 and 1968; the 1952 race used the original 5.100 km layout
| Order | Name | Side | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virage des Six Frères | fast | |
| 2 | Virage du Nouveau Monde | Right | hairpin |
| 3 | Sanson | Left | |
| 4 | Beauval | ||
| 5 | L'Étoile | Right | |
| 6 | Grésil | Right | fast |
| 7 | La Scierie | Right | |
| 8 | Virage du Paradis | Right |
Sources for the checked facts (15)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouen-Les-Essarts
- fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_de_Rouen-les-Essarts
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1952_French_Grand_Prix
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957_French_Grand_Prix
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_French_Grand_Prix
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_French_Grand_Prix
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_French_Grand_Prix
- commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rouen-Les-Essarts.svg
- 8w.forix.com/rouen-50.html
- autosport.com/f1/news/rouen-circuit-for-the-gods-5053030/5053030/
- wiki.grandprixlegends.info/index.php?title=LOR_Trackguide_Rouen
- commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rouen_track_layout_1955-1971.gif
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_reduction_system
- formula1.com/en/latest/article/a-history-of-the-french-gp-in-7-circuits.4jWYb4usZay2AK6geW
- newsroom.porsche.com/en/2019/history/porsche-rouen-les-essarts-circuit-dan-gurney-grand-pr
Does pole position win at Rouen-Les-Essarts?
The pole sitter has won 2 of 5 races here (40%). Across all circuits since 1950 the pole sitter wins 44% of races. The winner started from the front row (P1 or P2) in 3 of 5 races (60%) and from the top three in 4 (80%). Lowest grid position to win: 6th, Dan Gurney in 1962.
| Winner started from | Wins | Share |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 2 | 40% |
| P2 | 1 | 20% |
| P3 | 1 | 20% |
| P6 | 1 | 20% |
Where the winner started, every race at this circuit. Pole sitter means the driver who set the fastest qualifying time (first on the grid where no qualifying data exists); a grid penalty can move the pole sitter back, and that race still counts for them. Compare every circuit.