Following in the wheeltracks of Monaco, Spain and Singapore, France could be the next country to host
Formula 1 around a street circuit – should the Mayor of Versailles get his way.
Last June it was revealed by French sports paper
L'Équipe that Etienne Pinte was chasing a grand prix for Versailles, and the issue has now become a hot potato in the town's municipal elections. Pinte argues the coming of
Formula 1 would bring in the region of €70 million to Versailles – equivalent to half the town's annual budget.
The idea has, however, come up against considerable opposition, with France's Minister of Culture Christine Albanel in particular quick to pour cold water on the speculation.
“I'm extremely concerned,” she admitted, speaking to national daily
Le Figaro, “very simply because it's in the middle of a protected area [of safeguarded historical monuments].”
Her fears were echoed by Deputy Minister of Culture François de Mazières, in favour of making Versailles an eco-friendly area and judging the proposal of holding a grand prix in the town 'crazy'. That is a view shared by municipal councillor Henry de Lesquen who considered it 'irresponsible', and leader of the Left Catherine Nicolas who slammed it as “absurd and against our engagements in sustainable development”.
Pinte, however, is steadfast in his belief that a grand prix in Versailles is a very realistic objective, and he has the support of Deputy Sports Minister Jean-Baptiste Marvaud who reasoned that “our avenues are wide enough to be able to hold a race”.
Pinte also has a back-up plan should his initial idea fail to come to fruition, with the option of holding a race on Satory plain, a former testing ground for Leclerc tanks and now used by Citroën Sport.
“We see Mme Albanel knows little about motorsport,” he asserted. “In a town like Monaco where there are far greater constraints than in Versailles, there has never been a problem.”
“If studies are evidential,” added UMP candidate Bertrand Devys, “it would be a way of accelerating our economic development.”
There has been a French Grand Prix most years since 1906, varying between Montlhéry, Reims, Rouen, Paul Ricard, Dijon-Prenois and Magny-Cours, though the latter –which has hosted
Formula 1 regularly since 1991 – has been threatened with losing the race in recent years.
