The Future of the French GP

The future of the French GP is currently in the balance. This is the last season that the F1 race will be held at the Magny-Cours circuit (although the same was said last season and we are back again). The circuit’s remote location and lack of facilities compared to other tracks being the main problem according to Bernie Ecclestone. The battle is now on to find an alternative to ensure that the French GP has a good chance of being back on the calendar by 2010.

Being a Frenchman myself I am very passionate about the French GP and it saddens me that there is unlikely to be a race in France next season and I hope there is one in 2010 and beyond.

There are a number of possibilities for the future of the French GP. Lets take a look at them and assess how realistic there are.

Paul Ricard

All the F1 teams regularly test at this track. It is a FIA approved F1 circuit. There are also over a hundred different configurations for this track so it could be altered so that it can produce the best spectacle possible for the F1 race. It can cater for slow speed and high-speed tracks. The F1 teams regularly make use of the different configurations at the track to get as much useful data as they possibly can. Safety is very good at the track and there are lots of run-off areas big enough for F1 cars. The track held the French GP between 1970 and 1990(before Magny-Cours held the race). It was always a success and well received by F1 personnel and fans alike.

The main problem with this track is that there are no spectator facilities whatsoever here. It is very unlikely that spectator facilities will ever be built, as Bernie Ecclestone owns the circuit. As he always goes looking to make millions rather than spend millions I very much doubt he would spend in the region of 50 million dollars in order to put all the spectator facilities in place. This is a shame as Paul Ricard as a lot of potential to be a brilliant venue for an F1 race. Whilst Bernie owns Paul Ricard there is no chance of a French GP being held here.

Chance of happening: 2/10

Paris Street Race

This is Bernie’s ultimate dream but if he thinks there is any chance of this then he is in dreamland. The Parisiens would never allow the F1 cars to race around the streets of the French Capital and I would predict quite a few strikes if a deal to host the race here were ever close to being announced. Paris strives to be a very green city and there a lot of procedures in place in order to help reduce pollution, therefore allowing 20 F1 cars to race around a green city would be going against the policy of the city and undo a lot of the work being good.

Of course it would be a great spectacle for F1 and it would attract generate mass interest amongst fans and it would be good for teams and sponsors. For fans it would be a very easy race to attend as Paris is effectively the center of Europe and there are transport links coming from everywhere via road, rail and air. So there are strong positives for a GP being hosted in Paris but I can’t see the mass disruption that the organization would cause this being possible.

I wouldn’t totally rule out a race in Paris happening but I would be very surprised if it did happen.

Chance of happening: 3.5/10

Disneyland Paris

This is the most viable option in my opinion. Disneyland Paris own absolutely masses of land. They have their parks and hotels on part of the land of course but even with those there is a gigantic amount of space left over. This would be the ideal place in which to build a brand new F1 facility. The location is ideal as it is near Paris, which as mentioned above has brilliant transport links from all over Europe. Disneyland also has its own train station coming from Paris. The railway could very easily be extended to the F1 track making access easy for fans. The road links to the land where Disneyland Paris is situated are also very good making it easy for fans driving from England and countries like Belgium and Holland etc.

The main obstacle is cost, building a brand new racing facility from scratch costs millions and millions. The cost involved in buying the land required from Disney could also be a potential stumbling block. It would take a couple of years to build the track but I would hope meanwhile the race could be held at Magny-Cours again if this track definitely gets the green light. Is the French government willing to spend a large amount of cash on a new track facility with the main motivation being to ensure that France keeps its F1 race?

Chance of happening 8/10

Le Mans Bugatti Circuit

Le Mans is one of the most famous racing circuits in the world and is used to hosting major motorsport events including Moto GP and of course the prestigious 24 hour race. Although the location isn’t as ideal as Paris it is still very accessible, there are major Ferry ports just under 2 hours away and local airports also a few international flights but obviously nowhere as large scale as airports such as Charles de Gaulle in Paris. Road access is also strong with motorways leading to and from the area.

The negatives are that the part of the Le Mans circuit that would be used for F1 is very narrow and twisty so it is unlikely to produce a thrilling F1 race. The track would need to be altered quite radically for it to be a circuit where we saw lots of overtaking. At the moment the lap may also be too short so again this is why a major overhaul would be needed. Sadly there wouldn’t be any chance of F1 using the main Le Mans circuit as it would be too long and safety wise it would come up short as the run-off areas would be too small in a number of places.

Chance of happening 5.5/10

Upgrading Magny-Cours

Magny-Cours may be disliked by many in F1 but overall its facilities are perfectly adequate in my opinion and with maybe a big facility upgrade which Silverstone is just about to have then the track would be perfectly fine in my opinion. Sometimes I think it’s just the fact that F1 personnel don’t like having to stay in 3 star hotels rather than 5 star hotels, which is the major problem above anything else. Sadly this is just the way life is in the F1 paddock.

Chance of happening 6/10

Final Conclusion

It is absolutely vital that a new location is found for the French GP. France has a huge motorsport heritage and to not have a French GP would be a disaster for the sport. France has a big F1 following and always have done and the French GP is always a well-attended event. I think it is terrible that classic races such as: France, Britain, Italy and Belgium are always under threat despite being the most popular races. I really hope that the French motorsport associations and the French government put their heads together and find a solution. However if the only solution Bernie accepts is an expensive one then I do fear for the future of the French GP.

The best bet at the moment does seem to be building a circuit on the land owned by Disneyland Paris, cost is the only stumbling block I can think of. As you can see by my ratings on the other options I can’t see them happening.

I keep my fingers and toes crossed. So far French Motorsport haven’t said a word about what they intend to do with concerns me somewhat. I hope that behind the scenes they are getting their finger out.

I will make the most of this weekend’s race just in case it is the last we see of F1 here for the time being. Overall I am very worried, as many other French F1 fans like myself.