Dodgy Business
Paul Ricard sees a lot of F1 mileage over the course of the year, even though no one is ever there to see it. A visit to post-Barcelona testing gives Tony Dodgins some food for thought...
Mention Paul Ricard, and it triggers precise imagery. The seventies, endless straight, long lens camera, short depth of field. That Marlboro logo is there, living in the subconscious and always the shimmering mirage. The light is magical. Tiny specks emerge in the far distance, snake right, then left, breaking the tow. They burst through the mirage to emerge big, bold in full kaleidoscopic glory. Fantastic.
Before last week I hadn't been to Ricard since 1992, which had been another test. The circuit has not hosted the French Grand Prix since 1990, when Alain Prost won in front of his own fans.
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