Laon Autodrome
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Laon Autodrome | Insight FRENCH REVOLUTIONS UK motorsport magnate and ex-F1 star Jonathan Palmer is creating a petrolhead nirvana, including a five-mile circuit, in northern France. He pilots Steve Cropley there by helicopter and reveals his plans PHOTOGRAPHY STAN PAPIOR CCOOUUR LRALNAD N D NEXT GENERATION AWARD AA U TUOTMOO MT I VOET I V E 2012 2013 Roberto Jake Pace Larsson 2014 Nicole Agba 2016? This could be you Aged between 17 and 25 and COU R LAN D want to kick-start A U T O M O T I V E Come up with a problem-solving idea or your career in innovation that will improve the UK automotive business and you could win £9000 and the automotive six months’ work experience at Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, McLaren Automotive, industry? Nissan, Peugeot and Toyota. ● Win £9000 Visit the website and register ● Six months’ work experience your interest today! ● autocar.co.uk/nextgenerationaward Industry-wide acclaim Terms and conditions apply — see website for details Chatting with Jolyon (centre) and JP in Laon’s market square rom the air, the potential of motorsport took him in 10 years from the place hits you between the racing an Austin-Healey Sprite to eyes. It looked breathtaking Formula 1 – and then to the BBC as enough in photographs a few an F1 commentator alongside the months ago, when Jonathan legendary Murray Walker. “We’re F Palmer first announced that planning four race weekends a his MotorSport Vision (MSV) group, year,” he explains, “for GT and operator of four race circuits and sports prototype cars, historic cars, Bedford Autodrome in the UK, had general club racing and motorcycles. bought a disused air force base in We’ll have extensive engineering north-western France with the aim of space beside the circuits, too, which creating “a huge motorsport village” we think will attract engineering that would serve the whole of Europe. companies and race teams who need But now we’re seeing the place, an accessible central European base.” Laon has a superb Gothic cathedral, as viewed here from JP’s Agusta 109 helicopter Laon Autodrome, for the first time, We’re at Laon Autodrome today for spread out below like a gigantic three good reasons. First, after endless tablecloth as we look down from JP’s meetings with residents, vendors, Layout, shown in a Agusta 109 helicopter, and it’s clear planners, contractors, municipal Caremakeshift Lest ut atius boardroom, expelic iendisi molupid quid xxxLoraeper iaeris ad eos esed quo mere pictures are no preparation. authorities and various other forms reveals the epic scale This is a truly huge site, fenced, of officialdom, JP at last has all the secluded and as big as three Brands permissions he needs and is free to Hatches. You can see in a minute how reveal his plans and begin work. easily it will contain the promised Second, we’ve borrowed his son, flowing five-mile driving circuit, Renault F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, on complete with a 1.5-mile straight on a rare free day away from the team, which the quickest road cars will be so he can set the first-ever lap record able to hit 200mph. on Laon’s proposed five-mile circuit Although MSV runs a large chunk – appropriately driving one of two of British circuit sport, its biggest Renaults the company’s UK arm business is in the performance thoughtfully sent for the purpose. driving, track day, corporate Third, this is a perfect day, all event and driver tuition areas. blue sky, f luffy clouds and moderate Understandably, JP wants this to winds, so we’ve been able to hurdle be Laon’s focus, too. “We’ll mainly the Channel at 200mph in the Agusta concentrate on high-performance from JP’s place in Sussex, on the road car driving,” he says, “plus track way dropping into the neat little days and manufacturer promotional airfield outside Amiens for customs events. We’re designing a stunning clearance and lunch in a welcoming PALMER’S SECRET IS new PalmerSport Europe corporate/ restaurant beside the control private driving event specifically to tower. On board are JP, personal attract customers to Laon.” assistant Jess, Jolyon, Autocar chief ALWAYS TO THINK BIGGER However, racing won’t miss photographer Stan Papior and me – out, says JP, whose lifelong love of and just a couple of hours after ◊ THAN HIS RIVALS DO 13 APRIL 2016 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 39 THEULT IMAT EIN PERFORMANCEUPGRADES AT DMSAUTOMOTIVE WE’VEBEENUNLEASHING AUTOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE FOROVER19YEARS DMS CLS63AMG (EVO AUGUST‘14) “ENGINEUPGRADE ADDS HUGEPERFORMANCE ANDREALCHARACTER” DMS1M (EVO MARCH 12) “THERE’S AREALRIP TO THE WAYTHE REVS PILE ON ABOVE4000RPM” DMS SL65 BLACKSERIES (EVO OCTOBER‘10) “ITFEELSLIKETHE LOVE CHILDOFANSL65AND APORSCHE GT2” DMS 135I (BMWCAR MAY‘09) “THE STANDARD CARISGREAT BUTDMS HAVE SOMEHOWMANAGEDTOTAKEITTOTHE NEXT LEVEL” DMS 997TURBO 3.6 (EVO SEPTEMBER‘08) “IT’SEPIC, HILARIOUSAND ADDICTIVE IN EVERYGEAR, YETDOCILEWHENCRUISING” DMS 997TURBO 3.8 PDK (EVO JUNE ‘11) “DELIVERY IS ALMOSTUNCOMFORTABLYFORCEFUL” 316D/216D/116D » 160BHP C63AMG 4.0T » CALL FOR DETAILS CAYENNE TURBO4.8 » 578+ BHP BELOWISASMALLSELECTION OF 318D/218D/118D » 225BHP SL63 AMG6.3 » 560+BHP(+DE-LIMIT, CAYENNE TURBOS4.8 » 600+ BHP OUR MORE POPULARMODELSTO 330D E90 » 296+ BHP RE-MAP &LOWER ABCSUSPENSION) CAYENNE 4.2DIESEL » 450+ BHP UPGRADE. 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SALES@DMSAUTOMOTIVE /DMSAUTOMOTIVE FOLLOW US FOROUR LATEST NEWS WWW.DMSAUTOMOTIVE.COM WORLDWIDEOFFICESAND INSTALLATION UK: 0800030 5555 INT: +44800 0305555 68_1114_DMS_FP_ADVURN46450.pgs 27.07.2015 16:32 FMG-Advent Laon Autodrome | Insight Jolyon sets the Laon Autodrome lap record. F1 drivers don’t drift… Key MSV Boundary Sound Bund Full Circuit (Long) – 7.25km (4.5 miles) South Circuit (Long) – 3.5 km (2.2 miles) South Circuit (Short) – 3.3 km (2.0 miles) North Circuit (Long) – 4.5 km (2.75 miles) North Circuit (Short) – 4.0 km (2.45 miles) Pit Garages Pit Lane Runway (1700m x 30m) 1000m 650m 1850m 2350m JOLYON NOW APPRECIATES 625m 430m WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A RENAULT F1 STAR IN FRANCE Map shows various layouts, including the five-mile full circuit with its 1.5-mile straight Couvron Site Plan January 2016 ∆ leaving Sussex we are looking multi-storey restaurant block and a many of the buildings came from. The but JP is undaunted. His twin down on the 1263-acre site that superb sports hall. Americans left in 1967 and the French business secrets are to think in 2018 will open for business as To the east, on the other side of the army moved in until 2012, with up to bigger than rivals do and never be Laon Autodrome. long runway, is a forbidding-looking 1000 people based there in its heyday. satisfied with the status quo. Having To the west of a junction between complex of bunkers, blastproof For now, precise details of the five- pioneered and opened Europe’s the two mighty runways that define hangars and weapons stores, mile circuit and its variations are still best performance driving centre the site, the larger nearly two miles double-fenced with barbed wire developing in JP’s head.