News, story, you have the floor – In the shoes of the Paul-Ricard circuit

My name is Ricard. Paul Ricard. Today I am happy. It is June 24, 2018, the Formula 1 makes his return. I took 20 years. I was old, alone, abandoned. I completely let myself go, let natural old age invade me. Then, on a cool winter day, I see a little old man with gray hair. He tells me something, we must have already crossed paths. Thanks to him, for two years, I have had visitors every day. It's been a while !

Before, every year, it was a party! The Marseillaise sounded thanks to my friends René and Alain. At the time, the greatest drivers came to see me: Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, ​​Ayrton Senna… Today I don’t know anyone anymore!

But I'm happy.

The gentleman with gray hair is Bernie Ecclestone. In 1999, he invested in me, and since then my wrinkles have been painted blue and red, I had a complete facelift, my facade was redone! People are talking about me everywhere in the press, saying that I have “had a makeover”. I'm finally ready to reunite with my friend, the legendary and spectacular F1.

She changed this one a lot too, before it pierced my eardrums! My floor vibrated so hard that after the grand prix I had ants all over my body. I almost don't recognize her. The tires on the 13-inch rims, the spoilers, the aerodynamic design: it hasn’t aged! It shines, no more cigarette brand stickers. It is piloted by perfectly sculpted men, all of whom wear big watches and sunglasses, sometimes from another world. Being a driver means having style on and off the track. Look at him for example, who arrives on a scooter, mixed race, tattooed, earrings, he seems to be loved. Maybe he's good? On the other hand, I don’t see any grid girls among them. I really liked them, I enjoyed them too! Ask my friend Villeneuve, in Canada, if he doesn’t do the same!

On the grid, in the middle of all the drivers, I see in the distance an old friend: Niki Lauda. With his famous red cap. It warms my heart that we are together today, but I feel really old seeing him... In his time, here, he drove on average at 187 km/h! I can’t wait to see how Formula 1 has evolved! I remember, in 1971, when Stewart set the best lap, he rode at 188 on average, for a time of 1:54. In 09, for my last year, the drivers did not exceed the 1990 km/h mark. This year, I heard that they are running at over 220! Several feelings run through me: stress, adrenaline, fear of not being up to the task…

The Grand Prix starts in two hours. What a crowd! I finally find my passionate audience! I see happy people, singing, dancing, celebrating the return of the goddess of the automobile, some parked in VIP with glasses of champagne... There are actors, millionaires, top models... It's luxurious to These days. Oh, Cheers is there too! It appears that he is a non-executive director of Renault ! I am happy to see that the

Professor is still there, near the only French stable. We have shared unforgettable moments together, and from today, more will be born...

To accommodate all these people, the organization has worked hard: they have built a village around me where the public can participate in several activities: changing tires, reflex games, seeing a car up close. car, test a simulator… It’s a crazy weekend!

Meanwhile, the teams are preparing, the drivers are concentrating. There are fewer of them now! I count 20. They are young. So young! The race starts in 30 minutes. The stands are filling up. The public gets excited, waving French or yellow flags. The sun is beating down, I’m hot. I'm almost at 50°C.

The starting area empties. The pilots close their visors, they are ready. I find the most legendary Formula 1 cars: Ferrari, McLaren, Williams... Williams at the end of the grid? I wonder what they are worth now! The engines purr, I'm a little disappointed. Fans who protect themselves with earplugs make me laugh. You haven't heard of the V12s!

Five red lights come on. No more checkered flag. I take a deep breath. Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Here we go!

WOW! What a feeling ! The tires are clinging to me. I tense up as soon as a car overruns my curbs a little too much. They go fast. Very quickly. They arrive at my chicane at 343 km/h! I'm blown away. I recorded a time of 1’34”225 per lap per Mercedes. I don't know this team and its drivers, but they seem very strong. Hamilton achieved pole position and intends to keep his place as leader... But there are also fights behind! French, Romain Grosjean, and the rookie, Charles Leclerc, don't give up. In the paddocks, I hear people betting on Leclerc as the future champion, a very promising driver. I would like to see him wear the colors of the Scuderia in future years. I watched the best ride here, and I can tell you that this young Charles really has talent!

The laps come one after the other, F1 creates sparks. The drivers stop in the pits… 2”32. 2”32 is enough to put on new tires! That's about three seconds less than when I was younger! Sometimes we counted stops of 10 or 12 seconds... I'm amazed!
The race lasted 1h30. 1h30 of adrenaline at its peak. I was not mistaken: Hamilton is the first to cross the finish line, followed by Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen. I'm a little disappointed not to see Or with et gasly finish the race, but I'm happy. Now it’s party time again! People rush to the track to be as close as possible to the podium, to celebrate the victory of the Mercedes driver, but also the return of a shock duo: F1 and France.

What a return! This weekend left me with a whole bunch of pieces of rubber on the track, memories, tears, joy, and a festive atmosphere that makes me look forward to the next season. So, see you next year!

Story 1: “Eternal Pau…sterity” by Sébastien Sarraude

Send us your texts on the Facebook group “ In Quarantine with AUTOhebdo »