A historic Easter weekend

On a purely sporting level, the presence of old F1 cars in competition will once again be the highlight of the KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique, organised by HVM Racing in partnership with the FFSA and the Circuit Paul Ricard. No less than four races will feature them, divided into two grids: the BOSS GP series, for the most recent of them (90's & 2000's) and the "Legends of the 70's & 80's: F1 & F2" grid, where the iconic single-seaters of the era will be back in their glory. After having admired the modern F1, the public of the Circuit Paul Ricard will be able to immerse themselves in 40 years of history of the premier class.

In a perfectly complementary way, the Formula 3s of the 70s and 80s will also play a major role in this menu, as the KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique will host the FIA Historic Formula 3 European Cup this year. Another great novelty, the Saturday race day will be extended late into the night to the rhythm of the "6 hours V of V of the GPFH" endurance. Finally, the very full and always highly spectacular Formula Ford 1600 and Lotus Trophy grids will complete the purely sporting aspect of the event.

In addition to the competitions and the numerous activities, this fifth edition of the KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique is open to all owners of historic single-seaters, which will be divided into two grids for four daily free driving sessions: on the one hand, F1 cars and single-seaters of more than 2 litres, on the other hand, single-seaters of less than 2 litres. This is a great way to invite even more players to the track and, for the spectators, the opportunity to discover in action countless other gems from the great history of single-seaters.

THE RACES

BOSS GP: F1 90's & 2000's 

Races on Saturday and Sunday: 15:15

With the presence of the famous BOSS GP series, the Castellet public has the privilege of being able to immerse itself in the atmosphere of the Grand Prix of the 90's and 2000's and to vibrate to the inimitable sound of the V8 and V10 of the era. The starting grid for the two races is expected to feature around 20 single-seaters, including precious Benetton (from 1997), Red Bull Toro Rosso (2006 and 2008), Lotus (2010) and Jaguar (2001) Formula 1 cars, which, as is customary in this series, will be racing alongside other high-performance single-seaters, notably GP2s. Antonio Pizzonia, former F1 Jaguar and Williams driver, will start in a former World Series Dallara V8.

LEGENDS OF THE 70S AND 80S: F1 & F2

Races on Saturday and Sunday: 10.45 am

Specifically created for the occasion by HVM Racing, this grid offers spectators a privileged meeting with the well-named "Legends of the 70s and 80s". Its races will be a pretext for a tasty cohabitation between the Formula 1s of this double decade, essentially powered by the famous Ford Cosworth V8, and the Formula 2s that animated the European Championship during this same period. On the F1 side alone, some fifteen single-seaters have been announced, notably three Williams cars from the era of Alan Jones, Carlos Reuteman and Keke Rosberg, but also Tyrrells, Penske, March, etc.  On the French side, Soheil Ayari will be at the wheel of his 1983 Ligier ex Jarier, while Eric Hélary will make his first F1 start in a 1981 Ensign!

FIA HISTORIC FORMULA 3 EUROPEAN CUP

Races on Saturday: 16:10 and Sunday: 13:50

The presence of Formula 3 at the KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique takes on a new dimension this year in the framework of the prestigious FIA Historic Formula 3 European Cup, never before held on the Circuit Paul Ricard. With some forty F3 cars from 1971 to 1984, entrusted to drivers from all over Europe, the field is one of the most exceptional it was possible to gather! In this battle of the year, there will be at least fifteen of them who will be able to compete for the European title. The cars, generally preserved in their original livery, will remind the spectators of the names of the great champions who drove them in the past.

GPFH 6 HOURS V de V ENDURANCE

Races on Saturday: 18h00

This line-up put together by V de V Sports will give the public the opportunity to spend the Saturday evening at the rhythm of endurance racing. The race will start at the end of the afternoon and finish six hours later. This is a great way to prolong the party during a night that is sure to be very lively! More than twenty crews will be present, divided between Sport-Protos and GT/Tourism cars from the period up to the 1980s. One of the most followed cars will certainly be the Lotus Elan N°84 on which Philippe Gache will team up with Jean-Pierre Richelmi, Stéphane Richelmi and a certain... Jean Alesi, back in the race for the occasion!

FORMULA FORD 1600

Races on Saturday: 11.30am and Sunday: 9am

At the KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique we like to celebrate the incredible history of Formula Ford. This category on whose benches so many future F1 world champions were revealed, from Fittipaldi to Button, via Hunt, Scheckter, Senna, Mansell, Hill, Hakkinen. Excuse me! In Castellet, the field promises to be exceptional in number and diversity with more than 40 single-seaters from the 1967-1992 period on the starting line! So many cars of various origins and shapes, all powered by the inevitable Ford Kent 1600 cm3.

LOTUS TROPHY

Races on Saturday: 13:55 and Sunday: 16:00

Created 35 years ago, the Lotus Trophy is back at the KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique. In keeping with tradition, this event will feature a car with a unique longevity: the legendary Lotus Seven, born from the creative genius of Colin Chapman at the end of the 1950s. No less than forty examples of this timeless roadster are expected to be on track for some spectacular races in which the drivers will compete on equal terms.

PARADES AND DEMOS

Alongside the races, the KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique programme offers numerous free driving sequences (four per day) during which the public will be able to see some forty single-seaters of all types and all eras, including a Ferrari F2008 ex. Räikkönen / Massa, runner-up in the 2008 world championship, which will make the sound of its V8 heard! 

Thanks to the involvement of the AGS Formula 1 team, the Castellet public will also have the pleasure of seeing Franck Montagny and Yannick Dalmas at the wheel of AGS Formula 1 cars from the 1990s.

Also on the track, there will be a drifting demonstration on Sunday, while a hundred or so prestige and classic cars will be on parade every day during the weekend.

OFF-TRACK ENTERTAINMENT

All the ingredients will be gathered to leave unforgettable memories to the spectators, on the track or elsewhere. In the latter case, they will once again be able to wander around the paddock which will be wide open to them, go hunting for autographs at the signing sessions of the great champions, get into the rhythm of the daily rock concert, discover the commercial village, the various exhibitions including the one of the former Formula 1 cars, or even take advantage of the numerous activities in the X-Trem Park.