Circuit de Charade aerial view — GCK Communication, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. (credit links at the end of the content)
We continue to explore the forgotten F1 circuits of the past. There are plenty of legendary tracks that Formula 1 eventually left behind as safety standards evolved, and one of them is the volcanic Circuit de Charade.
High in the volcanic landscape of central France, surrounded by the dramatic slopes of the Auvergne, there is a racing circuit that once gave F1 some of its demanding and unforgettable laps, this was Charade.
The circuit was exhausting for the drivers, but it was also beautiful, Charade was eventually compared with the Nurburgring, earning the nickname ‘Little Nurburgring’.
The Birth of a Giant
The story of the Charade circuit began in the late 1950s, when motorsport organizers in the Auvergne were looking for a permanent home for racing. The idea was also about creating a track that could adapt to the changing safety environment in French motorsport.
At the time, street and road circuits were becoming more dangerous because the cars were getting faster, and on those kinds of tracks, safety was becoming a bigger concern as time passed. The need for better safety for both drivers and spectators was growing, so a permanent track like the Circuit de Charade came at the ideal time and could also bring major international events to the region.
Michelin reportedly became an important supporter of the project, in 1958 the new circuit opened in the volcanic hills near Clermont-Ferrand, the location immediately gave Charade something that no artificial circuit could reproduce.
The track followed the contours of the land. Instead of creating long, predictable sections of asphalt, the designers wanted something different. They allowed the circuit to climb and fall through the mountains, making it an even more challenging track, with an eight-kilometre lap containing dozens of corners and continuous elevation changes.
The way it was made, there was hardly any opportunity to relax when you drove it. For the drivers, it was exhausting and fun at the same time. One corner led into another, which led into a climb, followed by a crest and then another turn. The road constantly changed direction and elevation, so drivers had to stay completely focused. The circuit was fast, narrow and spectacular at the same time, but it was also unforgiving.
Formula 1 Comes to the Volcano
The French GP arrived at Charade in 1965, bringing the world’s leading drivers to the Auvergne for the first time.
Jim Clark won the first F1 race at Charade, driving his Lotus-Climax around a circuit that demanded a lot from the driver at almost every moment of the lap.
Four years later, F1 returned again. This time, Jackie Stewart produced one of the defining performances in the circuit’s history, winning the 1969 French Grand Prix for Matra-Ford. It was a special home victory for the French team.
By then, Charade’s reputation had grown considerably, drivers loved its challenge, but the physical demands were enormous, constant changes of direction and elevation could make even experienced drivers feel uncomfortable. Charade wasn’t simply a circuit where a driver had to find the fastest line, the entire mountain seemed to be moving around them.
F1 returned again in 1970 and 1972, but the final visit would bring an abrupt end to the circuit’s Grand Prix era. Formula 1 never came back again.
A Circuit That Fought the Drivers
The original Charade was almost impossible to separate from its surroundings, today, many racing circuit are engineered so that every corner, kerb and run-off area has a clearly defined purpose, the old Charade was different.
It felt natural, the track wound between volcanic slopes, with stone walls and rock formations close to the racing surface, blind crests could hide the road ahead, while steep gradients changed the character of the cars from one section to the next.
With more than 50 corners on the original layout, dirvers were constantly working, there were no long stretches where they could simply settle into a rhythm, steering inputs came one after another, while the elevation changes made it difficult to see what was waiting around the next bend. The physical workload was equally demanding.
For example, a driver can use a straight to prepare for the next braking zone, adjust their position and regain concentration. At Charade, those opportunities were limited. The circuit kept asking questions, and the driver had to keep answering them. That was what made Charade so special!
A fast lap wasn’t simply about courage, it required concentration, rhythm and an almost instinctive understanding of the road, one mistake could be very serious.
The 1972 French Grand Prix
By 1972, F1 was changing, cars becoming faster, aerodynamic technology was developing and expectations surrounding circuit safety were increasing.
Charade was becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile with those changes, the final French GP at the original circuit took place in 1972, it would become infamous for another reason.
Small pieces of volcanic rock were being thrown onto the track by the cars, the sharp debris created serious problems for the tyres, resulting in numerous punctures during the race.
The situation became even more serious when a career-ending event for Helmut Marko highlighted the growing need for better driver safety. The circuit was very fun to drive but also extremely demanding for the drivers. The volcanic rock, narrow road and lack of modern run-off areas were part of what made the old circuit so extraordinary, but they also made it unsuitable for F1 races. Since then, F1 never returned to the track, and the volcano had hosted its final Formula 1 race.
Charade on the Silver Screen
Charade’s reputation extended beyond the world of racing, in 1966, the circuit appeared in John Frankenheimer’s film Grand Prix, one of the most famous motorsport movies, it captured F1 during an era when the relationship between driver, machine and circuit was dramatically different from today.
Charade was an ideal location, dramatic and sweeping corners gave the cameras an extraordinary backdrop, the volcanic landscape became part of the story rather than merely scenery behind the cars.
For viewers who had never visited the Auvergne, the film offered a glimpse of what made Charade so unusual, it also helped preserve the circuit’s image long after its F1 years were over.
Another story of forgotten circuits: London’s Forgotten F1 Circuit
Life After Formula 1
The departure of F1 didn’t immediately mean the end of Charade.
The circuit continued to welcome other forms of motorsport, including touring cars, sports cars and national championship. For years, the original eight-km layout remained a formidable challenge.
The old circuit could no longer escape the advance of safety standart, modern racing required greater run-off areas, improved barriers and safer track environments, the original Charade had been designed for a very different era.
Another interesting circuit of the past: Keimola: Finland’s lost racetrack that time left behind
Its stone walls and narrow section were no longer compatible with the expectations of international racing, by 1988, the original configuration had reached the end of its competitive life, unlike many historic circuits that simply disappeared, Charade was given another chance!
A New Charade
The circuit was redesigned and shortened, creating a modern permanent track of around 3.9 kilometers, it was a very different Charade, but the fundamental idea remained.
The circuit still climbed through the volcanic landscape, it still demanded concentration and still carried the name of one of France’s most distinctive racing venus.
Now isn’t a perfect replacement for the old eight-kilometre one but it cannot reproduce every corner or every change of direction that once challenged Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and other F1 drivers.
But it keeps the location alive, it didn’t became a forgotten piece of motorsport history, Charade continued to evolve!
YOU MAY LIKE: Circuits that no longer exists
FEATURED IMAGE CREDITS: Circuit de Charade aerial view — GCK Communication, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
