Circuit Paul Armagnac (Nogaro)

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

Nogaro opened in October 1960 as the first purpose-built circuit in France, and it was renamed Circuit Paul Armagnac in 1962 after a local driver killed in an accident. It's in the Gers, deep in brandy and duck country in the south west, and it has hosted motorcycle Grands Prix in 1978 and 1982, Formula 3000 in the early 1990s and, more recently, GT racing and the French Superbike championship.

The current 3.636 km Grand Prix layout runs clockwise and is almost dead flat. Two long straights run side by side, joined by tighter, twistier sections at each end, so it's a circuit of heavy stops and hard exits rather than big, fast sweepers. That makes it friendly for novices and great for bikes, and the French bike scene uses it a lot. It's a long way from the UK, so most British visitors combine it with a holiday or a run down to Spain.

A lap of Circuit Paul Armagnac (Nogaro)

Layout: Grand Prix, 3.636 km (2.26 miles)

The lap starts on the Claude Fior straight, the start and finish straight, and the longest straight on the lap is about 800 metres. That gives you a good chance to settle and check the mirrors before the first braking zone. Nogaro is flat, so you don't get crests or cambers to hide behind. Braking markers are easy to see, and it's a good place to work on stopping consistently in the same place every lap.

After the first corners the track turns into the infield section that was added in 1989, when new corners replaced the old Caupenne hairpin. This is the technical part of the lap. The corners come quickly, and most of the mistakes happen here, with people rushing the entry of one bend and ruining the line for the next. Pick one corner in each sequence to sacrifice and set up the exit of the last one, because that's what carries you onto the next straight.

The lap is well known for its slow corner called l'Escargot (the snail), and the name tells you all you need to know. It's one to be patient with. Brake in a straight line, get the car or bike rotated and wait for it before you open the throttle. Running wide on exit is the classic error.

The second long straight runs parallel to the first, alongside the old aerodrome. It's then into the tighter corners at the far end and the run back past the 2007 pit and garage complex, through the corner known as la Ferme, to the start and finish line. With so much of the lap spent accelerating out of slow corners, traction and good exits matter far more here than outright top speed.

Track day tips

• Noise limits vary by organiser. Bike days are advertised anywhere from 102 dB to 109 dB, so check the figure before you book and bring a baffle if you're close.
• The south west of France gets very hot in summer. Plan for high track temperatures and watch tyre pressures as the day goes on.
• It's flat, so braking markers are easy to read. Use that to work on consistent braking, and it'll pay off at more difficult circuits.
• Most French organisers ask for insurance that covers track use, so sort this out before you go.
• Fill up in Nogaro town or on the way in. Don't rely on fuel at the circuit.
• It's a long trip, so book a spring or autumn date and combine it with a week in the region or a drive on to Spain.

Getting there

Nogaro is a long way south, roughly 1,000 km from Calais, so allow a long day or an overnight stop on the way down via Paris and Bordeaux. The A65 motorway between Bordeaux and Pau passes nearby, with the exit for Aire-sur-l'Adour the most useful. For flights, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Biarritz all have UK routes and are all within roughly two hours' drive, with Pau closer still. Nogaro itself is a small town with a few hotels and B&Bs, and Eauze and Aire-sur-l'Adour are nearby.