Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The circuit of Nevers Magny-Cours began in 1959, when Jean Bernigaud, Mayor of Magny-Cours, created a 510-metre karting track. Two years later, in 1961, he inaugurated the Jean-Behra circuit, a 2,000-metre track dedicated to motor racing, named in tribute to the driver Jean Behra, who died in 1959. This initial outline marks the beginning of a sporting vocation which will gradually assert itself.

In 1986, the Nièvre General Council, under the leadership of President François Mitterrand, bought the circuit from the Bernigaud family. A new route, approved for Formula 1, was built in 1988 and inaugurated in 1989. As early as 1990, the circuit obtained a five-year lease to organize the Grand Prix de France, replacing the Paul-Ricard circuit from 1991. The first edition, won by Nigel Mansell ahead of Alain Prost, dedicated Magny-Cours as an emblematic place for French motorsport.

Between 1991 and 2008, the circuit hosts 18 editions of the Formula 1 Grand Prix de France as well as the World Championships of Sports Cars in 1991 and 1992. Major changes in the route took place in 1992 and 2003, notably with the transformation of the Château d ́eau turn and the suppression of the Lycée chicane. The site is also diversifying with the creation of a Club track in 2000 and a new karting track in 1994, while hosting events such as the Bol daor from 2000 to 2014.

After the withdrawal of the Grand Prix de France in 2008, the circuit began a modernisation phase. In 2010, the extension of the A77 motorway improved its accessibility, and work was carried out in 2014 to renovate infrastructure (boxes, VIP lodges). Despite the absence of Formula 1, the site remains active with motorcycle competitions (Superbike), pilot courses, corporate seminars and public events such as the Merguez Tuning Show in 2023, attracting 400,000 annual visitors.

Beyond sport, Magny-Cours develops extra-sports activities, with spaces dedicated to congresses (room Ayrton Senna, Visiocenter) and a museum, the Conservatoire de la monoplace française, inaugurated in 2015. The circuit also houses a campus of the Higher Institute of Automobile and Transportation, strengthening its anchor in automotive training and innovation. His legacy remains marked by strong moments, such as Alain Prost's 1993 victory or Michael Schumacher's 2002 crown.

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