French GP, much ado about nothing
The return of the French Grand Prix increasingly resembles a never-ending story. Each time we believe it will happen, and each time we're disappointed. While everyone thought an official announcement would occur yesterday, François Fillon simply confirmed that negotiations were still ongoing with Bernie Ecclestone's FOM.
On Thursday, the French daily newspaper Le Parisien announced that the return of the French Grand Prix to the F1 World Championship calendar was imminent. Prime Minister François Fillon, visiting the Var, was expected to go to the Circuit du Castellet on Friday to make the announcement official. The information was quickly denied by Matignon.
And indeed, if Fillon did visit the Paul Ricard circuit to discuss the French Grand Prix, it must be acknowledged that while the project is progressing, there is still much to be done.
“It is not possible to organize a Grand Prix every year in France. We are working on the idea of hosting a race at Le Castellet alternately with another country,” explained François Fillon during a press conference.
The most widespread idea is that this other country would be Belgium, whose contract ends this year. But again, nothing is confirmed. « The organizers have approved the project but without saying which other country it would be, » added the French Prime Minister.
It’s mainly the financial aspect that is slowing down the negotiations. Specifically, 2 million are reportedly missing to meet Bernie Ecclestone’s demands. And it’s not the French government that will cover the cost. The State will provide its support because it must, but it will not pay, states François Fillon.
The project thus seems to be moving forward or at least still on track, but French fans will need to be patient. The French Grand Prix is unlikely to be added to the calendar before 2014, at best.
On the Belgian side, negotiations are also ongoing regarding the future of the Grand Prix held at Spa-Francorchamps, as confirmed by the Walloon Minister of Economy at the beginning of the week. Jean-Claude Marcourt also emphasized that alternation was just one of several options and that the goal was to find a sustainable solution by incorporating the reduction of the financial impact on the Walloon budget.
If Belgium manages to save its race and ensure its annual presence, the other option for France would be an alternation with Spain, which will only have one leg starting next year, alternating between Barcelona and Valencia. An alternation of three? No one would complain…
