Circuit Paul Ricard

Circuit Paul Ricard, located at Le Castellet in southern France, is a versatile and historic motorsport venue. Built by pastis magnate Paul Ricard and opened in April 1970, it has evolved into a high-tech facility with up to 247 possible track configurations, from a short 828 m school circuit to its full 5.8 km layout. A signature feature of Paul Ricard is its expansive runoff zones: blue areas made with asphalt-tungsten mix and more abrasive “red” zones that generate high grip — designed to slow cars safely without gravel traps.

Over its history, the track has been reconfigured significantly — modern safety upgrades were carried out in the early 2000s including a reworked pit complex, chicanes in the Mistral straight, and new technical corners.

In endurance racing, Paul Ricard has been a fixture of the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) since the series’ early years. The 4 Hours of Le Castellet has been held there from 2010 to the present, making it one of the most consistent venues on the ELMS calendar.