New French government sees value in grand prix
19 June, 2012
Jun.19 (GMM) France’s new sports minister sounds keen to see the country return to the Formula One calendar.
The previous administration, then led by president Nicolas Sarcozy, pushed hard to line up Paul Ricard as the venue for a French Grand Prix in 2013, thereafter alternating annually with Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps.
But Sarcozy lost office just before the final contracts could be signed and sealed, and new president Francois Hollande and his sports deputy Valerie Fourneyron quickly put the brakes on the deal.
Fourneyron did, however, recently meet with a Paul Ricard delegation, as well as representatives of the Nievre region, who would like to see the French grand prix return to the scene of the last race in 2008, at Magny Cours.
A source close to the governing Conseil General de la Nievre indicated that a meeting next Monday could see a decision made to instigate a public interest group for the revival of Magny Cours’ F1 race.
“When you see what Romain Grosjean is doing and the popularity of the races, we have to admit that we would like to have an F1 grand prix,” minister Fourneyron is quoted by RMC Sport.
Subbed by AJN.
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- No French Grand Prix revival in 2011
