The Masters of Paris-Bercy, officially known as the

Elf An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic peoples, Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in Norse mythology, North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda'' ...

Masters for sponsorship reasons, was an

indoor Indoor(s) may refer to: *the interior of a building *Indoor environment, in building science, traditionally includes the study of indoor thermal environment, indoor acoustic environment, indoor light environment, and indoor air quality *Built envi ...

all-star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

kart racing Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on kart circuit, scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on fu ...

competition organised by the FFSA. Founded in 1993 by former

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

driver

Philippe Streiff Philippe Pierre Streiff (26 June 1955 – 23 December 2022) was a French racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Early life and career Philippe Pierre Streiff was born on 26 June 1955 in La Tronche, Isèr ...

, it was hosted until 2001 on a temporary circuit at the Palais Omnisport de Paris-Bercy. Streiff founded the Masters with the intention of bringing together the best drivers from all disciplines of professional

auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

and karting. In 2011, ERDF revived the competition as a one-off event with electric karts, known as the ERDF Masters Kart.

History

Elf Masters (1993–2001)

The first edition of the Elf Masters took place on 18 and 19 December 1993. Two races were held each evening, a relay race contested by teams of three drivers (a Formula 1 driver, a driver from another discipline of motorsport, and a young kart driver) and a race counting towards the CIK Championship. This weekend marked the last duel on the track between

Alain Prost Alain Marie Pascal Prost (; born 24 February 1955) is a French former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "the Professor", Prost won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles and� ...

and

Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva (; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Senna won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with McLaren, and—at the time of his death—held ...

. In 1994 the team relay was replaced by a simple race between the big names in motorsport. It was a battle between

and

Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...

that held the Bercy arena in suspense. French driver

Jean-Christophe Boullion Jean-Christophe Joël Louis "Jules" Boullion (born 27 December 1969) is a French former racing driver. He won the 1994 International Formula 3000 Championship with DAMS, took two Le Mans Series titles with the Pescarolo Sport outfit in 2005 and ...

won the first race on Saturday and

Alessandro Zanardi Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi (; born 23 October 1966) is an Italian professional racing driver and paracyclist. He won the CART championship in 1997 and 1998, and took 15 wins in the series. He also raced in Formula One from 1991 to 1994 and again ...

won on Sunday. In 1995, Prost and Schumacher did not participate and it was a young French driver,

David Terrien David Terrien (born 27 October 1976 in Nantes) is a French racing driver. He has competed in such series as International Formula 3000 The Formula 3000 International Championship was a motor racing series created by the Fédération Internatio ...

who won the first race ahead of

Gianni Morbidelli Gianni Morbidelli (born 13 January 1968) is an Italian racing driver. He participated in 70 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 11 March 1990. He achieved one podium, and scored a total of 8.5 championship points. He most recently competed in ...

. On Sunday

Luca Badoer Luca Badoer (; born 25 January 1971) is an Italian former racing driver, who competed in Formula One between and . Born and raised in Veneto, Badoer began competitive kart racing at a young age, winning several regional and national titles. P ...

won the race ahead of

. In 1996, the relay race returned and

came back to Bercy and started all the weekend's races. He won the CIK race on Sunday. In 1997,

Jacques Villeneuve Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (; born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian former racing driver, who competed in IndyCar from 1994 PPG Indy Car World Series, 1994 to 1995 PPG Indy Car World Series, 1995, and Formula One from to . Villeneuve won t ...

started at Bercy. On Saturday

won the F1 race.

Mika Salo Mika Juhani Salo (born 30 November 1966) is a Finnish former racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . His best ranking was 10th in the world championship in 1999, when he stood in for the injured Michael Schumach ...

won on Sunday. In 1998,

Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...

Jody Scheckter Jody David Scheckter (; born 29 January 1950) is a South African former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to . Scheckter won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari, and remains the only Afric ...

and

Mick Doohan Michael Sydney Doohan ( ; born 4 June 1965) is an Australian former Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing List of Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champions, World Champion, who won five consecutive List of 500cc/Mo ...

came to Bercy. Also competing were names such as

Dario Franchitti George Dario Marino Franchitti (born 19 May 1973) is a British motorsport commentator and retired motor racing driver from Scotland. Franchitti won the IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011; the Indianapolis 500 in ...

Tony Kanaan Antoine Rizkallah "Tony" Kanaan Filho (born 31 December 1974), nicknamed "TK", is a Brazilian racing driver who is the team principal of Arrow McLaren. He is best known for racing in Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) from 1998 to 2002, an ...

and

Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...

who would later find success in higher racing categories.

Emmanuel Collard Emmanuel Collard (born 3 April 1971) is a French professional racing driver. He is a former member of the Porsche Junioren factory team, but also drives for other marques. Born in Arpajon, Essonne, Collard is the winner of the Le Mans Series f ...

won on Saturday and

won on Sunday. That year

won the first CIK race and

Giorgio Pantano Giorgio Pantano (born 4 February 1979) is an Italian former professional racing driver who drove for the Jordan Grand Prix, Jordan Formula One team for much of the 2004 Formula One season, 2004 season before being replaced by Timo Glock. He also ...

won the second. In 1999, no high-profile motorsport and F1 stars were present.

Stéphane Sarrazin Stéphane Jean-Marc Sarrazin (born 2 November 1975) is a French racing and rally driver. He has won races across a number of single-seater, sportscar and rallying disciplines and competitions, was French Formula Renault champion in 1994, and Le ...

won the first superfinale and

Franck Montagny Franck Montagny (born 5 January 1978) is a French former racing driver. He briefly raced for the Super Aguri Formula One team in 2006. Early career Born in Feurs, Loire, Montagny started racing karts there in 1988, winning the cadet class in th ...

the second. This year

Robert Kubica Robert Józef Kubica (; born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing driver, racing and rally driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for AF Corse. Kubica competed in Formula One between and , and the World Rally Championship ...

won the second CIK race. Paris - 2000-10-12 - P1298

In 2000, the three-driver relay race was reintroduced and it was the French team of

Sébastien Bourdais Sébastien Olivier Bourdais (; born 28 February 1979) is a French professional racing driver who currently races in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota in the Hypercar category. He is one of the most successful dr ...

and Julien Poncelet that won on Saturday. The European team of

Franck Lagorce Franck Lagorce (born 1 September 1968) is a racing driver from France. He participated in two Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 6 November 1994. He scored no championship points. Career Lagorce competed in French Formula Ford between 1987 and ...

Clivio Piccione Clivio Piccione (born February 24, 1984, in Monte Carlo, Monaco) is a Monaco, Monégasque race car driving, driver. He raced in the 2005 GP2 Series season for the Durango team and David Price Racing for 2006 GP2 Series season, 2006. Career Piccio ...

and

Félix Porteiro Félix Porteiro Pérez (born 26 August 1983 in Castellón, Spain) is a Spanish racing driver. He competed in GP2 Series in 2006, his best finish was 6th (was second on the road at Silverstone, but a steering rack irregularity caused him to be dis ...

won on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...

won one of the support races. In 2001, the relay team of

Vitantonio Liuzzi Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi (born 6 August 1980) is an Italian former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . Born and raised in Bari, Liuzzi began competitive kart racing aged nine. After a successful karting career—culminating in ...

, Davide Forè and

won the superfinal.

Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German racing driver who most recently competed in Formula One from to . Vettel won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won consecutively from to with Red Bull, and rema ...

won the junior race ahead of

Nico Hülkenberg Nicolas Hülkenberg (, born 19 August 1987) is a German racing driver who competes in Formula One for Sauber. In endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing, Hülkenberg won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, 2015 with Por ...

. It was the last edition of the Elf Masters.

ERDF Masters Kart (2011)

In 2011, ERDF revived the competition as a one-off event with electric karts, won by

Jules Bianchi Jules Lucien André Bianchi (; 3 August 1989 – 17 July 2015) was a French racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Born and raised in Nice, Bianchi was the grandson of endurance racing driver Mauro Bianchi and the great-nephew ...

on the Saturday and

Jean-Éric Vergne Jean-Éric Serge Raymond Vergne (; born 25 April 1990), also known by his initials JEV, is a French racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Peugeot and in Formula E for DS Penske. In formula racing, Vergne compete ...

on the Sunday.

Charles Leclerc Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver who competes in Formula One for Ferrari. Leclerc was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari, and has won Grands ...

triumphed in the junior class on both days.

Karts

The ERDF Masters Kart in 2011 used electric karts supplied by French company Sodikart, capable of producing 30 kW with top speeds in excess of 100 kph.

Kart specification (2011)

Circuit

The Masters of Paris-Bercy was contested at the Palais Omnisport de Paris-Bercy, a sports

arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

in the neighbourhood of

Bercy Bercy () is a neighbourhood in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France, the city's 47th administrative neighbourhood. History Some of the oldest vestiges of human occupation in Paris were found on the territory of Bercy, dating from the late N ...

, in the

12th arrondissement of Paris The 12th arrondissement of Paris (''XIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. Situated on the right bank of the River Seine, it is the easternmost arrondissement of Paris, as well as the largest by area ...

. The track was long, with an average width of 8 m. Approximately half of this length was outside of the main arena, but still under cover. The track was lined with Tecpro barriers for driver protection.

Notes

{{notelist

References

External links

Philippe Streiff's official website
Kart racing events Motorsport competitions in France International sports competitions in Paris Recurring sporting events established in 1993