Dijon-Prenois

Dijon-Prenois is a motor racing circuit in Prenois, close to Dijon in France. It is driven clockwise, measures 3.801 kilometres in its current form and has twelve corners. The track is undulating and marked by quick, sweeping bends.

The circuit was planned in 1967 and building work began in December 1969. It formed part of an effort to turn Dijon into a centre of the motor industry. The track opened on 26 May 1972, with Guy Ligier setting the first timed lap. The first race, for 2-litre prototypes, took place ten days later and was won by Arturo Merzario.

Dijon first hosted the French Grand Prix in 1974, on the original 3.289 km layout, and Ronnie Peterson won for Lotus. Because the fastest laps were under a minute, lapped cars caused problems for the leaders. The circuit was therefore lengthened in 1976 and many corners were reprofiled. Formula One returned in 1977 and Mario Andretti won for Lotus. In 1979 Jean-Pierre Jabouille won for Renault, the first victory for a turbocharged car in Formula One, while Gilles Villeneuve's Ferrari and René Arnoux's Renault fought over second place behind him. Alain Prost won for Renault in 1981.

In 1982 the French Grand Prix was held at Le Castellet, and Dijon instead hosted the Swiss Grand Prix, because motor racing had been banned in Switzerland after the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours disaster. Keke Rosberg won his first Grand Prix there in a Williams. The final Formula One race at Dijon came in 1984. Patrick Tambay led the opening 47 laps in his Renault before Niki Lauda passed him and won for McLaren, with Tambay second. The track was renovated in 2001 and a kart track was added.