Chris Hall's excellent Rouen adventure page 2

Exiting turn two we headed down to Six Frères, unbelieveably quick and the site of some the worst accidents seen here, but also the point at which that wonderful photo of Fangio in a four wheel drift was taken. On the outside of the corner is a lay-by, much favoured by lorry drivers for stopping and having their mid morning croissant and coffee. This in fact is the remnants of the chicane put in for the 1974 season to prevent the F2 boys boycotting the race. Standing here on that miserable morning, I could almost transport myself way back to 1968 and imagine the scene as Schlesser's Honda hit the bank on the outside some six feet or so from the road and spread fuel and debris into the crowd some 15 feet above.

5. from Six Frères looking back to turn 2

6. Six Frères and the chicane

Heading down into Nouveau Monde, I suddenly realised that it's not just in a race car that you need to start braking in the preceding left hander as I resorted to using the handbrake as an aid to making the hairpin!!

7. the very tricky entry to Nouveau Monde

It's only on the exit, that you get an appreciation of how narrow the circuit was and how close the banks were. There was still armco in many places as we headed up the other side of the valley, bearing right then immediately left to a left hand curve.

8. looking back at the exit of the tight Nouveau Monde hairpin

9. the right hand bend following the hairpin

10. the quick approach to one of the few left hand turns on the circuit

11. Car parked almost where Graham Hill stopped and passed his visor to Jo Siffert in the 1968 Grand Prix.

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