The French Grand Prix will be held at Magny-Cours for the final time this year – and likely not at all in 2009 –
Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed, with a push for the race to be moved to Paris for 2010.
The grand prix has been held at the Nevers Circuit in the heart of rural France every year since 1991, despite repeated doubts over its spot on the
Formula 1 calendar in recent seasons. The track has often been described as featureless, and has never proven to be a particular hit with drivers, teams or fans, with poor access and insufficient accommodation keeping crowd numbers down of late.
This year's event is set to be held over the weekend of 20-22 June, but it will, this time, definitively be the last, Ecclestone insisted.
“We agreed that there would be a French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours in 2008 but not in 2009,” the sport's supremo told French sports daily newspaper
L'Equipe.
“Prime Minister François Fillon told me we would then see if we could have a grand prix in Paris or just outside, but that would not necessarily be for 2009, rather for 2010.
“I would really love a French Grand Prix in the streets of Paris, [but] in any case, 2008 will be the last time we continue like this.”
