Circuit de Folembray
Circuit de Folembray at a glance
- Location
- Folembray, Aisne
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 2.05 km (1.274 mi)
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1975
- Owner
- Folembray Arena (operated for the local municipality)
- Address
- Rue des Hautes Avesnes
- Phone
- +33 3 23 52 01 42
- Website
- folembray-arena.fr
Track map and layout
Folembray is a short, undulating club circuit of 2.05 km (1.274 miles) laid out across gently rolling Aisne countryside. From the start/finish straight the track climbs to a hairpin at the circuit's highest point before dropping back through a series of sweeping bends. A distinctive feature is a house standing inside the infield that drivers use as a visual reference point through the fastest sections. Several shorter configurations, including a tighter hairpin loop and a longer main-straight layout, can be run within the same site, making it flexible for driving schools, karting and off-road quad and motorcycle courses that share the grounds.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Full circuit (1994-present) | 2.05 km | 2.050 km, current layout used for track days |
Events and race weekends
Folembray raced as a national circuit from 1976 to 1984, hosting French Formula Renault, touring car and national championship rounds; a young Alain Prost won a Formula Renault race there in 1976, and the Renault Formula One team used it for private testing with Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Arnoux in the late 1970s. Since reopening in 1994 under municipal ownership, competitive racing has given way to a packed calendar of car and motorcycle track days, driving courses and corporate events rather than championship meetings.
Getting there and parking
Folembray sits in rural Aisne, in the Hauts-de-France region, roughly two hours' drive north of Paris and about 15 minutes from Soissons. There is no rail station in Folembray itself; the nearest useful stations are at Soissons and Laon, both connected to Paris and Saint-Quentin, from where a taxi or hire car covers the final leg. Most visitors drive, as the circuit is reachable within about two hours from both Paris and Lille.
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) · about 105 min drive
- Lille Airport (LIL) · about 90 min drive
Parking
On-site parking is provided for track day and event visitors, generally included with entry.
Book track day slots in advance through Folembray Arena, which runs roughly 200 track days a year and can fill up, especially at weekends.
Hotels and camping near Circuit de Folembray
Most visitors treat Folembray as a day trip from Paris, Lille or the Channel ports, or base themselves in nearby Soissons or Laon, which have the closest range of hotels. There is no trackside camping culture at this small club circuit.
Where to look
Soissons, about 15 minutes away, has the closest hotel choice; Laon offers a further alternative a little farther out.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Folembray Arena runs a very active track day programme for both cars and motorcycles, alongside kart rental, single-seater experiences in Formula Renault and Formula 4 machinery, GT ride-alongs and off-road quad/motorcycle courses. The operator reports around 200 track days a year attracting roughly 7,000 drivers, making it one of the busier club circuits in northern France.
Who runs days here
- Folembray Arenaboth
Typical cost: Car/bike track days from around €60; single-seater experiences from around €229; kart rental from around €45
Spectator guide
Folembray is primarily a track day and driving-school venue rather than a spectator circuit, so there is little dedicated grandstand infrastructure; visitors mostly watch from fencing around the clubhouse and infield.
Seating
No significant permanent grandstands; viewing is informal from trackside areas near the clubhouse.
Best places to watch
The hairpin at the circuit's high point and the infield near the central house give good views of the circuit's fastest sections.
Weather
- May-September: typical northern French summer, highs generally 18-23°C with a chance of rain
History of Circuit de Folembray
A fast, undulating club circuit
Circuit de Folembray opened in 1975 in the Aisne countryside of what is now Hauts-de-France, one of the earliest purpose-built club circuits in the north of the country. Laid over gently rolling terrain, its 2.05 km lap climbs from the start/finish area to a hairpin at the highest point before sweeping back down through faster sections, with a house standing inside the infield giving drivers a distinctive visual marker.
National racing and a Renault connection
Between 1976 and 1984 Folembray hosted French national motorsport, including Formula Renault and touring car rounds. A young Alain Prost claimed a Formula Renault win there in 1976, early in a career that would take him to four Formula One world titles, and the works Renault Formula One team used the circuit for private testing at the end of the 1970s with drivers Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Arnoux.
Municipal ownership and a new role
Competitive racing lapsed through the mid-1980s, and the circuit was acquired by the local municipality in 1988 before reopening for non-championship use in 1994. Rather than chasing national racing again, Folembray reinvented itself as a multi-activity motorsport park, adding kart hire, off-road quad and motorcycle courses, and driving experiences alongside its asphalt track.
A busy modern track day venue
Today the circuit operates as Folembray Arena, running an extensive programme of car and motorcycle track days, single-seater experiences in Formula Renault and Formula 4 cars, GT ride-alongs in Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche machinery, and a children's motorcycle school. The operator reports around 200 track days a year and roughly 7,000 visiting drivers, making it one of the more active grassroots circuits in northern France.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Circuit de Folembray?+
The current full circuit is 2.05 km (1.274 miles); shorter configurations, including a tighter hairpin loop, are also used.
Can the public drive or ride at Folembray?+
Yes. Folembray Arena runs an extensive programme of own-car and own-bike track days, plus kart rental, single-seater experiences and off-road quad and motorcycle courses.
Did Formula One teams ever test at Folembray?+
Yes, the works Renault Formula One team used the circuit for private testing in 1978-1979 with drivers Jean-Pierre Jabouille and René Arnoux.
Is Folembray used for championship racing today?+
No. It hosted French national championship racing from 1976 to 1984, but since reopening in 1994 it has operated purely as a track day, driving-school and events venue.
How do you get to Circuit de Folembray?+
Most visitors drive; the circuit is roughly two hours from Paris and about 90 minutes from Lille, with Soissons the nearest town for rail connections.
Other tracks nearby
- Circuit des Écuyers · 51 km · road course
- Reims-Gueux · 56 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Circuit de Chimay · 91 km · street circuit
- Paris Street Circuit · 105 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Circuit de Croix-en-Ternois · 117 km · road course
- Circuit Jules Tacheny Mettet · 128 km · road course
Facts checked against 3 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.