Abandoned F1 track which hosted four Grands Prix races is now being used for a different sport

A former Formula 1 track which last heard the roar of F1 cars back in 1972 now has a very different life and is used by a totally different sport.

The F1 season has ballooned to 24 races but the French Grand Prix - which has a long and prestigious history - is no longer on the calendar and last featured in 2022.

That race was held at Circuit Paul Ricard at Le Castellet, which returned to the F1 calendar back in 2018.

The 2022 edition of the French Grand Prix was won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen on the way to the Dutchman winning the title that year.

But the French Grand Prix dropped off the calendar after that and has not featured since.

Before then, Magny-Cours hosted the French Grand Prix for 17 years between 1991 and 2008, and before then had been hosted at Le Castellet and Dijon-Prenois.

When the F1 World Championship was formally established in 1950, tracks at Rouen-en-Essarts and Reims featured frequently on the calendar during the 1950s and the 1960s.

The Charade circuit in Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne hosted the French Grand Prix in 1965, 1969, 1970 and 1972.

The final race in 1972 was won by Sir Jackie Stewart for Tyrell ahead of Emerson Fittipaldi in a Lotus and Chris Amon's Matra was third - but the next Grand Prix the following year was held at Circuit Paul Ricard.

Sir Jackie Stewart won the 1972 French Grand Prix. (Image: Getty)

The reasons for F1 no longer driving at Charade - which was built around the base of an extinct volcano - appeared to be due to safety concerns.

The circuit was described as being even twistier and faster than the Nurburgring, which raced on the notorious Nordschleife and was the scene of Niki Lauda's horrific accident for Ferrari in 1976 which nearly cost him his life.

Owing to the circuit's location, volcanic rocks fell often from the nearby extinct volcano onto the track and 10 drivers suffered punctures in the 1972 race.

Helmut Marko, who has since made his name as advisor to Red Bull, saw his racing career come to an end in this race after debris pierced his helmet visor to permanently blind him in his left eye.

But though the circuit now does not experience the roar of F1 cars anymore, another sport has taken advantage of its unique location.

Recently, the Charade track was used during the first mountain stage of the Tour de France, with stage 10 of the Tour passing through it.

Simon Yates won the stage on Bastille Day to claim his third win on the Tour this year.

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