[1] Efforts were renewed after the Second World War when the President of the Sports Association of the Automobile Club of Auvergne, Jean Auchatraire, and accomplished racer Louis Rosier designed a course by adapting pre-existing roads around the Puy de Dôme, an extinct volcano which dominated the city skyline.

[2][4] The sinuous track layout caused some drivers like Jochen Rindt in the 1969 French Grand Prix to complain of motion sickness, and wore open face helmets just in case.

[2][5] In his 1969 book Motor Cycle Racing, Peter Carrick wrote: The French Grand Prix circuit at Clermont Ferrand was seen to be in complete contrast to the lap at Monza, when it was first used in 1959: the longest straight was 590 m (650 yd) and a variety of really tight corners quickly demonstrated—or exposed—a rider's skill!

[9][10] In 1965, John Frankenheimer filmed a small part of his movie Grand Prix in front of 3,000 local inhabitants, who posed as race spectators watching actors like Yves Montand and Françoise Hardy.

[1] The rocks posed a perennial hazard at the Charade Circuit, as was shown during the 1972 French Grand Prix when ten drivers, including Chris Amon, suffered tire punctures.

One particular incident at the 1972 French Grand Prix involved a rock penetrating Helmut Marko's helmet visor after being kicked up from ahead of him, cutting his racing career short as his left eye was subsequently blinded.

Faced with increasing safety issues and with the natural topography preventing any chance of adding run-off areas, the final race on the original 8.055 km (5.005 mi) track was held on September 18, 1988.