Some 19 years have passed since Jamie Green last raced at Pau on his way to a Formula 3 Euro Series title that would set him up for a long career in the DTM. Green only ever competed twice on the sinuous street track located in southwestern France, but a circuit he regards as “like a minefield really” left a lasting impression.
Its unique challenge is a large part of the Briton’s rationale for choosing Pau as his favourite track, but there’s also a strong personal justification too. On the weekend of his Euro Series debut in 2003, also his first outing in Mercedes equipment after signing a junior driver contract, Green stunned the category regulars by coming away with a strong third. The following year he’d take a victory and a third place - albeit the former coming in highly unusual circumstances.
“There was such a fine line between success and failure,” reflects the 41-year-old. “It was very bumpy, there were a lot of crests and crowns in the road around that parc section at the back and into that monument chicane. That was a massive challenge in an F3 car.”
The jewel in the crown of the International Formula 3000 championship until 1998, after which F3000 switched to exclusively supporting Formula 1 races, the Pau Grand Prix became a standalone event for F3 cars under the revived FIA Formula 3 European Cup banner until it was adopted into the Euro Series that resulted from the merger of the French and German championships for 2003.
Green had turned down a contract offer from Mercedes, which had resulted from his impressive showing in a C-Class DTM car at the 2002 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award prize test, in favour of continuing in the UK for his second season in car racing. But after a dominant double in British F3’s opening round with a Mugen-powered Dallara run by Carlin, Green was asked once again to sign a contract that would take him to Europe for 2004.
Inking this deal led to him being offered a seat for Pau at the crack ASM squad led by current Ferrari F1 boss Fred Vasseur, which had been left vacant after Bruno Spengler had suffered back injuries in a Dijon test crash.
Source: Autosport