In its former 5 mile configuration the Charade circuit near Clermont-Ferrand in central France was considered more difficult than the legendary Eifel track. So twisty that drivers complained of motion sickness and, at a time when they had a choice, preferred open face helmets... just in case. Races were held on the "long" track for 30 years, from 1958 to 1988. The track is still in operation but it has been reduced to 2.4 miles. Let's go back first to 1970, a year when Lotus made everyone else obsolete with its 72, the fist car to move its radiators to sidepods and sport a ram air overhead intake scoop. The race was won by Jochen Rindt who later became the only posthumous world champion after his accident during practice in Monza (I was there with my father that day, and I'll never forget the site of the his broken car being flat-bedded back to the pits).
It's a great clip with great drivers, some now almost forgotten like Pedro Rodriguez and Jo Siffert who were both to die the following year.
After the jump you'll find a clip of the Nürburgring and the 1969 German GP. Check out the grid preparations, I wonder if any of the mechanics for Team Mclaren still work there today?
Finally we go back to Clermont-Ferrand, the 1965 French GP. This is a really cool clip (though with an inexplicable choice of music), Fascinating to anyone interested in GP history. Very cool the apperance of the Honda RA272 with its transversely mounted 1.5 liter, 48 valve V12 which produced what at the time was an amazing 230hp at 13000rpm.
Take your time and enjoy these clips! (other videos are HERE)
On to the race, for the first time in 15 years a Brazilian leads the World Championship. Felipe Massa took advantage of Kimi Raikkonenen's flailing exhaust and won the race. Ferrari was miles ahead of the field but I think this was the first GP for Kimi's engine and it looks pretty fried. Expect Raikkonen to have to start 10 places back at Silverstone.
