Dijon-Prenois

Origins

**Dijon-Prenois** sits in the Burgundy hills 15 km west of the wine city of Dijon, in eastern France. The circuit was built in **1972** as a regional racing facility funded by the Burgundy automobile club, on land that had previously been used for cycling and modest motorsport events. The location is dramatic — the circuit drops nearly 60 metres from start to lowest point through dense pine forest. F1 first visited Dijon in **1974**, hosting the French Grand Prix. The circuit alternated with Paul Ricard for the French GP through the 1970s and 1980s, hosting **F1 6 times in total** (1974, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984). Dijon was considered a more dramatic circuit than the flat Paul Ricard — more elevation, faster corners, more spectator engagement.

Layout

The Dijon-Prenois layout used for F1 was **3.800 km, 12 corners** with one defining feature: it's **one of the shortest F1 circuits ever**, producing rapid lap times under 1 minute 5 seconds in 1979 and creating a sensation of constant overtaking activity. The lap descends from the pit straight through Turn 1 (a fast right) into the **Combe de Sygnane** valley — drivers report losing 60 metres of altitude in the first 800 metres. The mid-section features the technical **S-Curves of Sablières** (Turns 4–6) and the daunting **Bretelle** chicane (added in 1976 to slow the back straight). The lap then climbs back to the start area through the **Hairpin de Tourniquet** and the fast **Pouhon** complex. The **Bretelle** was added because the original layout's back straight was too fast — average speeds were too high for 1970s safety standards. Even with the chicane, the circuit remained one of the fastest in F1.

Legendary Moments

**1979 — Villeneuve vs Arnoux duel**: Perhaps the most famous single duel in F1 history. Gilles Villeneuve (Ferrari) and René Arnoux (Renault) battled for second place over the final three laps, swapping positions multiple times per lap, banging wheels through the chicane, slipstreaming flat-out down the straight. Villeneuve won by 0.24 seconds. The duel is considered the **definitive example of "racing as art"** and is replayed in every F1 highlight reel since. **1979 — First turbo win**: Renault won its first F1 race at Dijon — the same race as the Villeneuve-Arnoux duel — with Jean-Pierre Jabouille in the turbocharged Renault RS10. Renault had been mocked as the "yellow teapot" since 1977 for its unreliable turbo program. The Dijon win silenced the critics and inaugurated the **turbo era** of F1. **1982 — Last F1 race at Dijon**: Keke Rosberg won the French Grand Prix in his Williams, his first F1 win and a defining moment in his championship season. **1984 — Niki Lauda's special drive**: Lauda came from a mid-grid start to win the French Grand Prix in his McLaren, a race that boosted his championship campaign.

Quirks & Curiosities

The circuit is **named after the village of Prenois** — where many of the support staff lived during race weekends. Dijon is the nearest large city. The **Bretelle** chicane is named after the French word for "bridle" or "harness" — referencing the way it slows cars mid-corner like a bridle on a horse. The chicane was poorly liked by drivers — its geometry forced an awkward braking- turning combination. The **shortness of the lap** meant F1 races at Dijon often ran for **80 laps** — among the longest race lap counts in F1 history. Lapped traffic was a constant strategic factor. The circuit sits on a **windswept plateau** with frequent strong gusts that affected straight-line speed and required real-time setup compromises.

Modern Era

Dijon-Prenois has not hosted F1 since 1984 but remains active for FIA F3, F4, GT, and historic series. It maintains FIA Grade 2 certification — too small in length and infrastructure for modern F1. The circuit is famous for its **vintage racing weekends** — twice a year it hosts historic F1 demonstrations including Villeneuve-Arnoux re-enactments by classic Ferrari and Renault turbo cars. These attract enthusiast crowds from across Europe. For F1 history, Dijon represents the **start of the turbo era** and the **single greatest duel ever** between Villeneuve and Arnoux. The 1979 race alone makes it one of F1's most mythologised venues. The circuit's character — fast, hilly, technical, short — was lost when F1 abandoned it for the wider, safer, more commercial Paul Ricard.