Motorsport came to Pau as early as 1900, when the Automobile-club du Béarn organised the Circuit du Sud-Ouest, a 300 km road race looping through Tarbes and Bayonne. The French Grand Prix itself was held at Pau in 1930, serving as a catalyst for the establishment of a permanent annual event. The Pau Grand Prix was inaugurated in 1933, with the race won by Marcel Lehoux in a Bugatti despite snow still lying on the ground. A route revision in 1935 bypassed Beaumont Park and established the layout that remains in use today; the pit lane location was moved at the same time.
The circuit is anticlockwise and broadly street-circuit in character, with tighter sections alternating with faster passages. Because cars run on ordinary tarmac rather than a purpose-built surface, teams typically fit greater suspension travel than at conventional circuits to absorb the undulations in the road.
The pre-war era produced some of the Grand Prix's most celebrated moments. In 1938 René Dreyfus, driving a Delahaye 145, defeated the German pairing of Rudolf Caracciola and Hermann Lang who shared a Mercedes-Benz W154, completing the race without a pit stop while the Germans had to stop. The following year another Mercedes duel unfolded, with Hermann Lang beating teammate Manfred von Brauchitsch.
After the Second World War the event resumed in 1947. Juan Manuel Fangio dominated the 1949 edition, starting from pole, setting fastest lap, and winning. Jean Behra won in 1954 in front of a record crowd, driving a Simca-Gordini against Ferrari opposition.
In the early 1960s the Grand Prix de Pau was run to Formula One regulations and attracted leading drivers. Jim Clark achieved his first win in a Formula One car at Pau in 1961; he went on to win three further times, in 1963, 1964, and 1965. Jack Brabham and Maurice Trintignant also won during this period. A fatal accident on 11 April 1955 claimed Italian driver Mario Alborghetti, whose Maserati struck hay bales after he apparently confused his pedals.
From 1964 the event switched to Formula Two, a format retained until 1984. The period brought a succession of future World Champions to Pau: Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart (winner in 1968 with Matra Sports), Jack Brabham, Denny Hulme, and Emerson Fittipaldi all competed. Jochen Rindt won in 1967, 1969, and 1970. Young French talent also appeared in this era, including Jean-Pierre Beltoise, Henri Pescarolo, Patrick Depailler, François Cevert, and René Arnoux.
In 1985 Formula 3000 replaced Formula Two, and Alain Prost became co-organiser of the race that same year. Jean Alesi took a dramatic victory in 1989 after the race was restarted four times due to grid incidents. Juan Pablo Montoya won back-to-back in 1997 and 1998. When Formula 3000 was restructured in 1999 to run exclusively as a support race at Formula One events, Pau could no longer host it.
Formula Three became the headline class from 1999. Lewis Hamilton won the 2005 edition, and Romain Grosjean took both races in 2006 under the British Championship banner. From 2007 to 2009 the Pau Grand Prix hosted the World Touring Car Championship Race of France. Financial difficulties led to a suspension of the event in 2010.
The race revived in 2011 under Formula Three's International Trophy format, and from 2014 to 2018 the FIA Formula 3 European Championship headlined. Euroformula Open took the top billing in 2019 and again in 2022, with various support categories including touring cars filling the programme in intervening years. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Circuit de Pau-Ville is widely regarded as one of the defining street circuits in European motor racing. Autocar included it in its list of the ten best street circuits in the world in 2021. Its longevity, the quality of driver who has competed there, and the intimacy between the cars and the city streets have given it a status comparable to Monaco among enthusiasts. Financial difficulties affecting the organising body, the Association Sportive de l'Automobile Club Basco-Béarnais, cast uncertainty over the event's future from 2024 onward, though a return was anticipated between 2025 and 2027.