AN ABANDONED F1 track has been frozen in time almost six decades on from its last race.
And the evidence of its existence still hangs over the grandstands in a spooky nod to a bygone era.
The faded and torn sponsorship signs have remained painted along the public road since the last GP was held there in 1966.
Jack Brabham won the 1966 race – in a car created by himself and bearing his name ‘Brabham-Repco’ – during his dominant period in F1.
But despite the popularity of the track, F1 bosses decided to relocate the French GP the following year due to high costs.
The track in question is…the Reims-Gueux circuit in the Champagne region of France.
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The circuit was 7.8 km in length and made up of secondary roads and a section of the N 31.
While its long straights were shorter than Le Mans’ famous Mulsanne, it became a regular venue for high speed slip streaming battles.
After 1966, the track was used for national races until 1972 when the local mayor ordered the demolition of the buildings to start.
Most of the circuit returned to public roads and the old pit-buildings slowly started to crumble.
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But a decade later, a group of enthusiasts restored the buildings directly around the start line.
The largely abandoned venue has since been used in photoshoots and can be driven past and enjoyed today.
Since 2002 the foundation “Amis du Circuit de Gueux” (Friends of the Reims-Gueux Circuit) has worked on restoring the structures and obtained a guarantee that nothing would be demolished in the future.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
