As early as the 1950s, discussions began within the ACO about creating a permanent circuit inside the main 24 Hours course. The costs and inconvenience of closing public roads limited year-round use of the full circuit, and pressure grew from local racers and teams for a facility they could use outside the June race window. The project received approval in 1964, with Charles Deutsch tasked with designing a layout to take advantage of the wooded land behind the main paddock. Reportedly inspired by the silhouette of his left hand, Deutsch created a serpentine layout that shared the pit and paddock infrastructure of the main straight before branching off into its own infield section. Named in honour of Ettore Bugatti and the legacy of the Type 35 — which accumulated some 2,000 victories between the two world wars — the circuit was completed in April 1965.
At its opening the Bugatti measured approximately 4.422 km. The layout features a tight hairpin at Garage Vert shortly after the Dunlop bridge, a wide parabolic curve near the Musée des 24 Heures buildings, a long straight known as the Chemin aux Boeufs, a series of S-bends, and a final hairpin rejoining the main pit straight. The circuit was described by drivers as "characterless" and by some American journalists as a "Mickey Mouse" circuit, yet it proved extraordinarily versatile.
Just two years after opening, the Bugatti Circuit hosted its one and only Formula One World Championship event: the 1967 French Grand Prix. Jack Brabham won the race. A crowd of only around 20,000 attended, and the event was never repeated at the venue, partly due to the layout's uninspiring reputation among Formula One drivers.
Bike racers took to the circuit far more readily than car drivers. In 1969 the Bugatti hosted its first World Championship motorcycle race, with the 500cc class won by Giacomo Agostini, a feat he repeated the following year. For much of the 1970s and 1980s the French Grand Prix motorcycle event was shared between Le Mans, Nogaro, Paul Ricard, Clermont-Ferrand, and Magny-Cours before Le Mans was made its permanent home in 2000. The track became one of the best-attended rounds on the grand prix motorcycle calendar. High-profile two-wheeled events also include the 24 Heures Motos endurance race and the Bol d'Or when held at the circuit.
The circuit operated roughly 90 days per year in 1970. By the end of the 1990s that figure had reached 330 days per annum, making the Bugatti one of the busiest circuits in Europe.
The Bugatti has been modified continuously since its opening. In 1976 the Garage Vert hairpin was re-profiled and squared off to provide additional run-off after incidents in which riders overran the original sand trap and struck earth banking. The year 1987 saw the addition of the Dunlop Chicane, along with a new S-bend at the Chemin aux Boeufs straight — changes prompted by FIM safety requirements ahead of the French motorcycle Grand Prix. In 1989 the Garage Bleu esses and the final corner were re-profiled to create better run-off in preparation for new pit buildings.
Major revisions came in 2000, when the La Musée corner was tightened and moved further infield to create an extended run-off area. The Virage de Chapelle underwent significant changes in 2002, allowing better entry conditions for motorcycle racers using the Bugatti layout. In 2006 the Dunlop Curve and chicane were again re-profiled. The most recent substantial Garage Vert change came in 2008, creating a straighter exit towards the Chemin aux Boeufs.
The Bugatti circuit shares its pit facilities, main grandstands, and the initial section of tarmac up to and including the Dunlop bridge and its chicane with the Circuit de la Sarthe. This integration means the two layouts interact physically: changes to the Dunlop area made for motorcycle safety have applied equally to the 24 Hours layout. The circuit currently measures approximately 4.185 km. Beyond motorcycle grands prix and the 24 Heures Motos, the Bugatti hosts the French Superbikes, its own 24-hour truck race, club events, and track days throughout the year. The ACO credits the Bugatti's financial productivity with having sustained the organization through leaner periods in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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