The French, like the British, seem unable to decide on a real home for their classic Grand Prix event, and after fluctuating between Reims and Rouen for some years, this year it was taken down into central France to the Circuit of Charade, near Clermont Ferrand. This is a circuit constructed by the Automobile Club d’Auvergne in the hills near the village of Charade above Clermont Ferrand, using some of the existing public roads and sonic stretches of new road.
To anyone who has never seen an Italian mountain circuit, the Clermont Ferrand circuit would appear to be mountainous, but in fact it is only in the foothills of real mountains, though it does plunge up and down in an exciting manner, and is almost devoid of straights, putting a premium on driving and road-holding as well as acceleration up to 100mph.
As is usual by mid-season, the Grand Prix “circus” had settled down, as regards cars and drivers and the picture was very much like that at Spa, except for the Brabham team. Gurney had a 32-valve Coventry-Climax V8 in his car and Denis Hulme took Brabham’s own car, with old-type Climax engine. The reason for this was that Hulme was due for another Grand Prix drive, and he knew the Clermont Ferrand circuit
