Rouen-les-Essarts Circuit all layouts with Abandoned Sections - Onboard POV

Rouen-les-Essarts Circuit all layouts with Abandoned Sections - Onboard POV
In this Circuits of the past video, we show you all layouts of the lost Rouen-les-Essarts street circuit in France. During the ride Simon Smith tells you about the history of the track We also stop at some abandoned sections, like the remains of a grandstand and the permanent section.
In 1950 the Automobile Club of Normandy opened the new ‘Circuit Rouen-les-Essarts’, southwest of the French city Rouen and near the village of Les-Essarts. The triangular street circuit was formed by 5.1 km long traject on public roads. With its permanent pits and grandstand facilities, it was one of the most modern circuits of it’s time.
In 1952 Circuit Rouen-les-Essarts host its first Formula One French Grand Prix, won by Alberto Ascari in his Ferrari. The next Grand Prix at Rouen was in 1957, followed by Grand Prix in 1962, 1964 and 1968.
Most feared part was the downhill section after Start/Finish. This section was named Six Freres which is French for Six Brothers. It contained a series of fast kinks.
The biggest swanks, who claimed they could take the whole series flat out, gave it the nickname Chickens Lift. Drivers who lift the throttle where chickens in their eyes. If they really took this section flat out is unknown, there was no telemetry those days…
During the 1968 French Grand Prix, Jo Schlesser - the uncle of Jean Louis Schlesser - was killed by an accident in the feared downhill section after Start/Finish. After that accident, the fast street circuit was found to dangerous and Formula One never came back to Rouen-les-Essarts.
After it lost the French Grand Prix, the Rouen-les-Essarts Circuit was used for Formula Two races until 1978. Since 1978 the major event was the annual round for the French Formula 3 Championship.
To improve safety in this dangerous descent, a temporary chicane was built in 1973. Since 1974 there was a permanent chicane a little further than the temporary chicane. And that permanent chicane is still there, but now as a parking!
However, at the end of the 1993 season, the street circuit was found to dangerous for all series and was no longer used.
There have been plans to build a new permanent race track inside the old street circuit. This new track should include the permanent section between Gresil and Paradis, which was built in 1972. We will see that section later in the video.
Unfortunately these plans have not been realized for financial reasons. Circuit Rouen-les-Essarts officially closed in 1994, forever!
After the Rouen-les-Essarts circuit offifially closed the pitbuilding and grandstands were left abandoned. But in 1999, bulldozers appeared to make space for a road extension.
After the demolition of the pits and grandstands the location was no longer recognizalbe as the former Rouen-les-Essarts street circuit. Only die hard fans like us will recognize that this road once was one of the most beautiful street circuits in the world.
See also the article on the website for more information about this circuit:
www.circuitsofthepast.com/cir... (English)
www.circuitsofthepast.nl/circ... (Nederlands)
Special thanks to Simon Smith for the voiceover. Visit also his channel: / higherplaingames
Thanks for watching this video.
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#Rouen #FrenchGP #F1

[@elainestemper9519]

My girlfriend let me use her account so here is how I remember this circuit. in 1964, at age 20 I went to France and then England to buy a sunbeam alpine. In France I saw the gran prix race and good old Dan Gurney won it! What a thrill! Also I remember that Jackie Stewart won the formula 3 race. I watched it on a downhill path in woods alongside the track, probably above the hairpin. A very pretty French girl watched also and despite the language problem we got along quite well so I visited her the next weekend on my way to London. Saw Graham Hill win the1964 British gran prix later. I drove the Alpine in England, shipped it to New York, sailed home on the Queen Mary, picked up the car and drove it back to Minnesota. A nice trip, I think.

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Thanks for sharing your memories to this great circuit! Unfortunately I heard the first time about it when it closed.

[@cancracker]

Lots of green and no runoff areas, two things in common with the Nordschleife

[@MrLargePig]

Thanks for the view from the old grandstand steps- that must have been a great place to watch the race, in the 1950s! A lovely and historic old track, but a nightmare to drive, or to modernize for safety.

[@SnakezF1]

Get well soon Simon!!!

[@Guffin45]

Meant to visit last year whilst in Normandy. Plan to return this year and definitely take a trip. As already mentioned brill on GPL.

[@sennasenna6023]

i love driving this ciruit in video games! so fast and scary!

[@drazzlefun8232]

Thanks guys! This is a magnificent old track. One of my favourites to race on in GTR2 in a 1960's Formula One car. Unbelievably exciting.

[@Circuitsofthepast]

You're welcome!

[@YuriBruschi]

Nice chat this evening, tanti Italiani e tu rispondi in Italiano! Bravissimo Herman!

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Grazie!

[@placeyplacey]

Excellent!! Been there a few years ago 👍👍🏎

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Thanks!

[@muzzy1965]

very nice video Herman, like always !
mvg, Hans

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Thanks!

[@johandepelsmaeker2099]

Thx vr de toffe video!

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Graag gedaan

[@master-kq3nw]

beatiful but dangerous road circiut so fast woods last grand prix there 1968

[@vibingwithvinyl]

I think Sanson was the corner where Innes Ireland flew off the track and nobody noticed.

[@nigelcronshaw7224]

I've been up and down here a couple of times by truck, once empty, once at 44t.
I see you've completed all the variations, virtually. Yes, this would have been a cracking circuit.
Well done Herman. And thanks Simon for the commentary. Hope you're feeling better.

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Thanks. The first time I came here was also for work. I was courier those days, I think it was in 2000. I had to bring some cargo to the harbour of Rouen. Unfortunately I had no time to look for the circuit. That happened 17 years later.

[@chrishall2211]

Gresil Corner tarmac is still there though very overgrown but you have to skirt around the bank & go into the trees to find it. At the corner exit there's a chain link fence which can be seen on Google Streetview just before the 800m to RD938 road sign on the N138.

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Thanks, Next time I will look for it.

[@MrHeffenwell]

nice vidéo , thank to you

[@Circuitsofthepast]

You're welcome

[@damob351]

Thx for another great video 😀

[@Circuitsofthepast]

You're welcome

[@DL-ls5sy]

remember Jo Schlesser who was killed in 1968 in his Honda. And remember Jackie Oliver (1968) with his Lotus 49 which was half cut, near killed him.
Remember also the crash at the finish in 1962 , due to silly cops

[@michaelgott9524]

Great track to race in Grand Prix Legends game.
Revision of a modern infield version of this track would have been ideal for modern F1. Instead of Paul Ricard.

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Yeah, it's a pity they didn't realize that plan.

[@johandepelsmaeker2099]

We zijn er ontelbare kere baco geweest 👍👍👍

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Bacardi cola?

[@norwegiantroll2480]

Best channel. Do you have link which is possible to download in the map application?

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Thanks! No I don't have dowloads for map applications.

[@chriswoolacott]

Gerry Birrell at the Six Freres corner on the Rouen-Les-Essarts circuit in France where he died in 1973

[@Circuitsofthepast]

Thanks for the aditional information.