F1 is a sport steeped in history. Everywhere you look, there's a story to tell, from the cars, to the people, to the tracks themselves.

The evolution of Grand Prix motor-racing is the evolution of the modern era – as mankind moved from animal power to the combustion engine, so too did sport at speed.

As the global economy expanded and interlinked, the world of motor-racing grew with it. What was once a primarily European preserve has now gone global, and new markets are introduced on an annual basis. In modern F1 the focus has now changed – of the 19 races on the 2010 Formula 1 calendar, only nine will take place in Europe.

While change is good for the soul, knowing one's origins is of great importance. And the origins of Grand Prix racing as we know it can be found in the French town of Pau, home to the first motor race to be called a Grand Prix,  all the way back in 1901. In that first year, Pau saw three classes of racing – heavy cars, won by Maurice Farman; light cars, won by Henri Farman; and voiturettes, won by a little-known industrialist by the name of Louis Renault.

It was to be the beginning of a grand but intermittent pre-war heritage. After the 1901 event, Pau was bereft of racing until 1930, when it played host to the French Grand Prix. Once the event was up and running, however, the Pau street circuit became a well-loved stop on the racing calendar. An event not dissimilar to Monaco, racing at Pau meant powerful cars twisting through the town's narrow streets at break-neck speed, as you can see in the clip below – Tazio Nuvolari drives a Scuderia Ferrrari to victory at Pau in the 1935 season opener.

Pau's status as a town-cum-racetrack is currently a matter of debate. The last street race to be held there took place only last year, as a change in local government led to the new mayor 'reviewing her options' about the town's future as a race host. With any luck 2011 will see a return of at least WTCC to the city, but last October's announcement that the town would not host a race in 2010 makes it look like we may well have seen the end of the line for Pau.

Here's hoping I'm wrong, and that another great historic circuit hasn't bitten the dust just yet. Kate Walker Girlracer Magazine http://www.girlracer.co.uk

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