A return for France with Paris in ’09?Hot on the heels of reports that Bernie Ecclestone is keen to take the French Grand Prix to Paris, it is being reported that Magny Cours will not stage the race as usual in 2008.
The sports daily L'Equipe said on Thursday that
logistical problems meant that France would be absent from the schedule next year.
The news was not officially confirmed, but it would be the first time since 1955 that the country did not host a Formula One race.
Ecclestone was recently critical of Magny Cours, which is one of the least popular destinations among F1's travelling regulars due to its isolated location and lack of accommodation.
In the magazine Autohebdo, Ecclestone accused the government of doing ‘nothing’ to help Magny Cours.
"For two years the autoroute has been stopped six miles from the circuit and they say that it could be another four or five years before the last bit is finished," he added.
L'Equipe said France was likely to return to the calendar in 2009, but probably elsewhere in the country. Ecclestone owns the state of the art test circuit Paul Ricard, located near Marseille.
Source GMM CAPSIS International
