Jean Todt Keen to get France Back as a Grand Prix
Article mis en ligne le 29 octobre 2009
dernière modification le 4 octobre 2014

New FIA President Jean Todt has spoken about his intent to get the French Grand Prix back on the Formula 1 schedule. Magny Cours was skipped in the 2009 season due to the French Motorsports Federation (FFSA) withdrawing financing for the event.

Todt spoke to French news agency AFP on the subject, saying that there are already “discussions with our friends at the Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile.”. He said,

“I hope that France again has a grand prix.”

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been keen to relaunch the French Grand Prix himeself, previously stating that a race through the streets of Paris could be an option. Ecclestone recently revealed to Le Parisien newspaper,

“I’ve sent a contract to them and it hasn’t been sent back. It’s a shame, because it’s going to get harder to find a spot on the calendar. They need to act quickly because time is short”

Possible dates for the next French Grand Prix have been rumoured for some time, with some saying 2011 at Flins-Les Mureaux where a 112 million euro project is said to have started work, or as late as 2013 at Circuit Paul Ricard. Either way, it looks like Magny Cours has had it’s day as a Formula 1 venue for the immediate future at least.