When speeds on the full Le Mans circuit reached dangerous levels during the 1960s, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest added the shorter Bugatti Circuit in 1965 to give the venue a usable permanent configuration independent of the public roads that form most of the full 24-hour layout. The Bugatti Circuit uses the pit complex, the main straight with the iconic Dunlop Tyres bridge, and the Ford Chicane at the end of the lap — elements shared with the larger Circuit de la Sarthe. After clearing the Ford Chicane, a right turn at La Chapelle redirects traffic onto the dedicated infield section rather than continuing toward Tertre Rouge and Mulsanne.
The infield portion features Garage Vert, a back straight, the S du Garage Bleu, and the Raccordement curve that rejoins the main straight at the Ford Chicane, completing a 4.185 km lap. In 2002, as part of renovations to the broader Le Mans venue, the transition zone between the two circuits was reconfigured into a left-right sweep to smooth the handoff between layouts, and a dedicated secondary pit exit was created for the Bugatti Circuit, re-entering just beyond the Dunlop Chicane.
The Bugatti Circuit hosted the 1967 French Grand Prix, the only occasion the Formula One World Championship visited Le Mans; it has not returned to the F1 calendar since. The circuit was part of the International Formula 3000 calendar from 1986 through 1991, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters visited in 2006 and 2008, and the track held rounds of several Formula Renault series across multiple decades.
The Bugatti Circuit is perhaps most associated with motorcycle racing. It hosted the Vitesse du Mans motorcycle Grand Prix in 1991 and for many years served as a regular venue on the French motorcycle calendar. It is the current home of the French motorcycle Grand Prix, hosting a round of the MotoGP World Championship. The circuit is also the principal venue for the 24 Heures Motos, the premier endurance motorcycle race in the FIM Endurance World Championship, held each April.
Additional regular events include the Porsche Carrera Cup France, the European Truck Racing Championship's season finale (the 24 Heures Camions in September), and the MotoE World Championship's French round.
The Bugatti Circuit served as the home base for Pescarolo Sport, the endurance racing team founded by legendary French driver Henri Pescarolo, a four-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner. Pescarolo's connection to the Le Mans complex made the Bugatti Circuit a natural base of operations for his team during its years of campaigning in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans itself.
Beyond motorsport, the venue hosts the 24 Rollers, a 24-hour inline skating and quad skating race that takes place on the circuit. In winter, the circuit occasionally serves non-motorsport purposes, reflecting the venue's year-round utility as a multi-purpose complex.
The Bugatti Circuit gives the Le Mans complex a permanent, FIA-homologated facility available throughout the year, distinct from the semi-permanent 24-hour configuration that relies on closed public roads. Its capacity of 100,000 spectators and its direct connection to the pit infrastructure of one of motorsport's most storied venues means the Bugatti Circuit regularly attracts major international championships while also serving as a hub for French domestic racing across cars and motorcycles.