{Signal|Routine|Outlet} Paul Ricard blends {the|this} with the new in spectacular fashion. Built in 1969 and rebuilt {35|40|31} years later as a high-specification testing venue, the track's motorsport heritage is well documented with {Method|Formulation|Solution} One visiting 14 times between 1971 and 1990. Since 2014, the {signal|routine|outlet} has been home to WTCC Race of {Italy|Portugal|England} and remains ever popular thanks to its location {near} the French {Costa|Marina|Spiaggia} and the country's second city, Marseille. The FIA European Touring Car Glass and FIA European {Method|Formulation|Solution} 3 Championship top the support bill in 2016 when the event {goes|steps|actions} forward from June to April.
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FIVE FACTS
1: Circuit Paul Ricard gets its name from the man who made it all possible, the pastis magnate Paul Ricard.
2: Nigel Mansell still holds the lap record on the shorter Club Circuit at Paul Ricard, the layout used by the WTCC. The Briton set a time of 1m04.402s in a Ferrari 641 at the 1990 French Grand Prix.
3: Citroën has enjoyed an unbroken sequence of wins at Paul Ricard with Sébastien Loeb and José María López taking a win apiece in 2014 and 2015.
4: The WTCC is not the only championship promoted by Eurosport Events to visit Paul Ricard. The FIA European Touring Car is a venue regular.
5: Circuit Paul Ricard is located near the cliff-top village of Le Castellet in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, while Nearby Marseille is France’s oldest city, having been founded some 2600 years ago.
FLASHBACK 2015 (26-28 JUNE)
{H|T|S i9000}? bastien Loeb took full {good thing about} his first WTCC pole to claim his maiden race one {triumph|success|win} {throughout a|within a} World Touring Car Championship weekend with a dominant performance in the opening JVC KENWOOD WTCC Race of France at Circuit Paul Ricard. The flying Frenchman beat his {more knowledgeable|more skillful} Citro? n team-mates Yvan Muller and Jos? Mar? a L? {ignorar|alquitrán|resina} by more than {6|half a dozen} seconds for his third victory of 2015. {Nevertheless|On the other hand|Even so}, the nine-time world move champion was unable to make it two {benefits|victories|gains all the perks} from two when this individual damaged his C-Elys? {electronic|at the|elizabeth} WTCC colliding with a tyre barrier on {panel|clapboard|run} three of race two and was required to retire for the first time this season. {However|Even so|On the other hand}, Citro? n was still {capable to|in a position to|capable of} celebrate victory after L? pez charged through from eighth to {earn|succeed|get} the reverse grid second race to extend what had been {a getting worse|a dropping|a diminishing} title advantage following {competition|contest} one. While Loeb {stated|said|believed} a lights-to-flag victory despite a slightly hesitant start, Ma Qing Hua completed a Citro? n top-four behind Muller and {T|D|M}? pez as Tom Chilton grabbed the Yokohama Drivers' Trophy prize in {5th|6th|sixth} in his privateer {Chevy|The 2012 chevrolet|Chev}. Norbert Michelisz edged {other|many other|guy} Honda driver Tiago Monteiro for sixth with Gabriele Tarquini eighth and Mehdi Bennani passing LADA {initial|preliminary|start} Jaap van Lagen for ninth. Bennani started the 16-lap reverse grid second race from pole only for a jumped-start to earn the Moroccan a drive-through penalty and allow Michelisz to move {right in front|in the front|in-front}. But the Hungarian {experienced|got|acquired} no answer to the flying L? pez, who charged through from 8th on the grid to overtake with two {zone|wades in} remaining for his {5th|6th|sixth} win of the {12 months|yr|season}. However, his progress up the order wasn't without incident: a collision with Monteiro in their {fight|struggle|challenge} for second behind Michelisz led to Monteiro's {pension|old age|retirement living} and briefly dropped {T|D|M}? pez behind Ma before the Argentine {started out|commenced} his successful recovery drive. {Mother|Mum|Moving average} completed the podium with Muller fourth, Tarquini {5th|6th|sixth} and Hugo Valente 6th. Rickard Rydell celebrated WTCC start number 100 in P10 with Bennani 9th.