F1 » French GP joins Canada on 2009 F1 scrapheap

What a shame: France has one single suitable racetrack, the ex-Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet, where hundreds of high profile motorsports events have taken place since 1973. Then, for purely political reasons, the nice old Magny Cours racetrack, located in a Socialist-run area of France, was awarded a huge budget by the socialist government to be completely refurbished, but the land available was forbidding any serious redevelopment, and it resulted in a ridiculous circuit, with poor facilities, terrible access and very few vantage points for spectators. Magny Cours was awarded the F1 GP in spite of its drawbacks, for the same political reasons, thanks to the socialist lobby, and (ctnd)

ctnd... the Paul Ricard circuit was sold to private investors led by Philippe Gurdjian, and transformed into a test track, probably the best in the world: in the process, all the facilities related to hosting public events have been removed...

Now all this results in no French GP for 2009, ridiculous projects (Disneyland Paris...) for a new racetrack, whereas without the Ligier-Glavany-Mitterrand connections, it would have been so easy and better to focus on the Paul Ricard circuit and update its wonderful layout...

Another project was opposed to Magny Cours prior to the revamp, in Rouen, but the region was ran by Conservative, so it was rejected by the Socialist Government...

All shame!

Another one bites the dust. Getting to my F1 boycott tipping point here.

If the French Gp has been withdrawn by the organisers, why doesn't BE reinstate the Canadian GP, as i feel it is important for F1 to have an evnt in North America if they wish to keep the interest of the American & Canadian fans in the F1 fold

Shame that France has lost a GP (big Euro audience) but I'm glad to see Magny go. Not a great track and miles from anywhere.

Surely they can use a good track from France? Run it in June on the full Le Mans circuit

The days of Prost/Senna in France - all gone.

Never to be repeated it seems - instead we have 'new' tracks, WITH NO CROWDS in the middle of Asia. Or in the middle of an Islamic dictatorship.

Yea, really smart idea Bernie - you total f00l!

Good to see France not giving in to Bernies financial demands, Although most races in the future will be in the Middle East to cream the oil money for Bernie.
I can't see the major manufacturers staying in the present set up for too long as they want the commercial benefits of racing in Europe and especially North America.

How about a race at Le Mans on the bugatti circuit, would be good for f1 to have the le mans and there's easy access unlike magny cours

Bugatti is definitely not up to F1 standards: it's hardly interesting for motorcycle racing, so you can easily imagine how boring it would be with F1...

F1 has become a global show, with mainly TV audience (onsite spectators are only for ambiance shots, not for money) so wherever the race takes place, there will still be manufacturers willing to use F1 as a showcase, even of there is not a single event remaining in Europe.

There will be a crisis only if the show keeps on being boring, and if the TV audience decreases. I have to say the show could be better on a new track lost nowhere in the middle east, designed for overtakings, than at Magny Cours or Bugatti...

Stephen - that is a QUALITY idea!!!! How about the full Le Mans circuit even...???