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Circuit Paul Ricard Guide

The Circuit Paul Ricard is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard.



Getting to the track:


  • There is a shuttle bus available from most major cities nearby Paul Ricard. I would recommend staying in Marseille for the weekend as it is the most practical location in location and distance from the track. The Grand Prix organisers offer a somewhat expensive shuttle service to and from the track leaving quite early and arriving usually late. Due to traffic around the circuit, it makes it very frustraiting arriving and leaving the circuit however the shuttle service has access to the "F1 Lane" meaning it gets you in and out quicker than normal patrons. Based off this year, traffic got better each day as organisers found it's strengths and weaknesses in their first year of hosting the return event. But like all Sunday's at every Grand Prix, don't expect to be out fast. The Shuttle Bus from Maresille leaves from Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles out the front of the budget ibis hotel. If you want to drive, you can buy car park passes but keep yourself entertained and leave exceptionally early with waiting times around the vicinity of the circuit up to 2 hours.

I recommend renting an airbnb nearby from the track, there are plenty of houses around the track at less than 3km. Prices car vary a lot, but many can be pretty cheap for the full weekend (4 days). The best way to go to the track would then be by walking as you would avoid the traffic jams. Going with a bicycle can also be a solution, but I don't think they can be brought inside the vicinity.

Seating:


Tickets are expensive aswell being a Formula 1 organised event unlike some privatley run events eg: Australian Grand Prix, Canadian Grand Prix ect:. However, Grandstand seats are exceptional and there's good value for money sittting on the main straight. There is plenty of GA viewing areas around the circuit where you can see a huge scope of the track. A great reccomendaiton is atthe sweeping right hander after the long back straight which is situated right near an entry and exit gare (Be there early for Sunday though!). Another great place to view the track is before T1 in the infield under the trees in the shade, there's a good sense od speed for the cars there too right next to the foot bridges which take you to the F1 Fan Zone on one side of the track to the other side of the circuit for other grandstands and fan zone fun.

Food:


Food is expensive as per usual, but there is great variety. There is even a French countryside style area that serves oysters and traditonal french dishes, probably very expensive too. I general tip for any Formula 1 fans is bring your own food and drinks in your bag. Bringing your own food and drink is allowed and is always a great money and time saver for any F1 attendee.

What to avoid:


Avoid being unorgansied. Like I said, traffic is horrible at Paul Ricard and you need to be organsied and ready to go early in the morning if you're driving yourself or going by the shuttle bus.

Misc:


  • It can get quite hot in southern France during this period of the year (it was over 36°C on Friday in 2018). There are some trees where you can cool down inbetween sessions, but these areas aren't offering the best sights (if any) of the track, so bring caps/sunscreen/water to be safe.Also bring something warmer and maybe an umbrella, if a rare rain in this season hits the track, it's probably gonna be a heavy shower (like in FP3, 2018), or even a thunderstorm.

  • Some free shuttles are available to get you around the track, careful at the end of F1 sessions, they're quickly full of people.

  • There's a nice enough amount of toilets around the track, and they stayed clean all weekend.

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