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Return of the French Grand Prix - Any progress?


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#1 GenJackRipper

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 00:01

There is talk now and then about the return of the French Grand Prix, but is there anything concrete?

I sure hope it get's done and I really hope they choose Paul Ricard. Such a great track in a great location.
Let's hope they place it around the time of the Italian GP (pre or after),
Having Monaco opening the mediterranian summer and Paul Ricard closing it; marvelous. :)



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#2 BullHead

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 00:03

would be nice..



#3 JHSingo

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 00:22

Why on earth Paul Ricard? People complain enough about 'Tilke-dromes', well, that is perhaps the worst one there is!



#4 NoSanityClause

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 00:27

Why on earth Paul Ricard? People complain enough about 'Tilke-dromes', well, that is perhaps the worst one there is!

Yup. If only Rouen still existed...



#5 R Soul

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 00:36

Paul Ricard is high tech! They have paint instead of gravel. Really high tech! And they have sprinkers! And Bernie owns it! Will he pay a hosting fee to FOM?



#6 August

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 00:39

Paul Ricard is high tech! They have paint instead of gravel. Really high tech! And they have sprinkers! And Bernie owns it! Will he pay a hosting fee to FOM?

 

No. Somebody will rent it from Bernie and pay the hosting fee to FOM.



#7 hittheapex

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 01:28

Why on earth Paul Ricard? People complain enough about 'Tilke-dromes', well, that is perhaps the worst one there is!

I much prefer the circuit itself to Magny-Cours, but yes it can resemble a circuit laid out on a runway at times. Mind you, Alexander Wurz was glad of that when he had his 200mph shunt while testing for McLaren.

 

Even in 1989, Paul Ricard was ahead of its time. I was watching that race a few weeks ago and Nannini had a suspension failure as he hit the brakes for Turn 1. I winced as it looked like it was going to be a nasty one, with a Lotus just in front of him. Nannini did very well to avoid the Lotus but now he is flying down the road with little braking ability. To my surprise, the run off resembled something much more like Bahrain, and he walked away, even managed to keep the car from hitting anything solid.

 

In response to the OP, there has been talk of a return of the French Grand Prix almost every year since it disappeared. Until they have ££££££££££££ Bernie is not interested and I can't see France being able to outbid other countries that Bernie has interest in.


Edited by hittheapex, 11 February 2015 - 01:34.


#8 William Hunt

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 02:42

There were always great races with often surprises at Paul Ricard / Le Castellet.
March always used to be very very quick there.
I would love to see them go back there but on the long track.



#9 Jerem

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 08:42

There have been rumours now and then, of it returning to either Magny-Cours, Paul-Ricard or a brand new track built closer to Paris (there were 2 or 3 such projects, IIRC).

 

The last time I heard anything that seemed serious about it was early 2013, with FFSA and Alain Prost involved in a project to return it to Paul-Ricard, and everyone sounded very confident it would work out, until Bernie said 'no way we're going to France, especially to Le Castellet' and I think it was a huge blow for all of them especially Prost.

 

As for building new tracks closer to Paris (which I suspect Bernie would prefer), i seems that the projects have been abandoned for lack of funds and environmentalist opposition.

 

Anyway, with the financial situation France, like all Europe, is in now, there is little hope there would be public funding to host a GP in France. There may have been more hope while François Fillon, brother of Pierre who is the President of ACO, was the Prime Minister (until May 2012). But with a socalist government more or less allied with environmentalists, it il even less likely that public funding would support F1.

 

France has Le Mans and (kind of) Monte-Carlo and several bordering countries hosting a GP, so that's as good as it gets for now.



#10 Rob29

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 08:45

ideal venue would be PAU which had F1 in the past with no problems that I recall?



#11 Nemo1965

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 08:51

ideal venue would be PAU which had F1 in the past with no problems that I recall?

 

Pau? Pau? Surely you don't mean the track I am thinking about? The one where F3 cars nearly had not enough lock to go through the hairpins?



#12 Maustinsj

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 08:59

I think the appropriate response to the OP is ***gives Gallic shrug***.

#13 Darren1

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 10:39

I much prefer the circuit itself to Magny-Cours, but yes it can resemble a circuit laid out on a runway at times. Mind you, Alexander Wurz was glad of that when he had his 200mph shunt while testing for McLaren.

 

Even in 1989, Paul Ricard was ahead of its time. I was watching that race a few weeks ago and Nannini had a suspension failure as he hit the brakes for Turn 1. I winced as it looked like it was going to be a nasty one, with a Lotus just in front of him. Nannini did very well to avoid the Lotus but now he is flying down the road with little braking ability. To my surprise, the run off resembled something much more like Bahrain, and he walked away, even managed to keep the car from hitting anything solid.

 

In response to the OP, there has been talk of a return of the French Grand Prix almost every year since it disappeared. Until they have ££££££££££££ Bernie is not interested and I can't see France being able to outbid other countries that Bernie has interest in.

I loved Paul Ricard, but only if the don't use the chicane in the Mistral Straight, and the fast Signes at the end of it!  

 

But if I recall, the reason Nannini had so much run off was that they were using the short(er) circuit, and he just ran down the old track thast they stopped using after De Angelis was killed there



#14 wj_gibson

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 10:43

There was some talk of a Mediterranean GP at Ricard (using the "full" circuit, rather than the post-1986 variant) a few years ago. Came to nowt.

 

Ricard has no grandstands.



#15 FredF1

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 11:27

There was some talk of a Mediterranean GP at Ricard (using the "full" circuit, rather than the post-1986 variant) a few years ago. Came to nowt.

 

Ricard has no grandstands.

 

 

No grandstands means no empty grandstands with their vacancy showing up F1 as being an over-priced rip-off vampirism when it comes to fan attendance so I don't see it as a drawback. 



#16 Spillage

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 11:41

I'd like to see it. Magny-cours wasn't a classic circuit, but there's so much history in France (I think the first ever GP was held there in the early 1900s) it's a real shame there's no Grand Prix. Then again, I heard Grosjean refer to Monaco as his home race, so I suppose F1 isn't a million miles away.

#17 Jimisgod

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 12:03

The problem is there just isn't a modernized classic circuit in the style of Spa, Silverstone or Monza. The Charade circuit needs a lot of work to host anything like an international event, let alone F1.

Paul Ricard and Magny Cours are both fairly dull affairs that no one was ever really attached to, as was Dijon. There's never been a permanent French GP home.

#18 DampMongoose

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 12:47

Unfortunately for a country blessed with Rouen, Reims and the old proper Charade, there isn't a decent venue in France anymore. I'd rather see a second race in the US or a second race in Australia at Adelaide. 



#19 superden

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 12:58

I'd rather Germany remained a guaranteed venue on the calendar than have a race at a castrated circuit like Paul Ricard just for the sake of having a French GP. I don't see it happening anyway, BE is clinically obsessed with races in far less appealing places in the world as dictators and oppressive regimes pay.

Edited by superden, 11 February 2015 - 12:58.


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#20 Nemo1965

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 12:59

The problem is there just isn't a modernized classic circuit in the style of Spa, Silverstone or Monza. The Charade circuit needs a lot of work to host anything like an international event, let alone F1.

Paul Ricard and Magny Cours are both fairly dull affairs that no one was ever really attached to, as was Dijon. There's never been a permanent French GP home.

 

Actually, I think for the drivers Magny Cours is not dull. I've only driven it in Gp4 and rFactor, but it has a very nice, sweeping rhytm to it. Somehow the on-track camera's don't do it credit.



#21 JHSingo

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 13:04

I much prefer the circuit itself to Magny-Cours, but yes it can resemble a circuit laid out on a runway at times. Mind you, Alexander Wurz was glad of that when he had his 200mph shunt while testing for McLaren.

 

 

I guess I was one of few people who actually like Magny-Cours. Those fast chicanes were fantastic to drive...although I am only basing that on GP4 experience. :lol:



#22 sjakie

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 15:27

can't think of a circuit in the Paris region: too crowded, too much noise restriction. But they could try to renovate the Monthlery track if it's still there.

 

 There was talk of a track in/around Disneyland. Best venue (or the least bad) venue would be Paul Ricard allthough races were seldom thrilling there.

 

 

But I can't see France coming up with the needed finance to beat those from the Middel East or everywhere else, sad but true. Also with the current popularity of the Le mans 24 hrs you have to wonder if France actually needs a GP.



#23 superden

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Posted 11 February 2015 - 16:07

... you have to wonder if France actually needs a GP.

No, it doesn't and in the current F1 climate, it's not worth bothering your arse to be part of the 'show' when the terms are so grossly disproportionate. Let BE fill the calendar with dull street circuits and car parks in the desert, he's only harming the image and value of the sport in the long term, for medium term gain. The classic tracks can return in the future when the terms are more reasonable and, frankly, realistic.

To be honest, if it saves older circuits from being butchered too, trying to meet safety standards by installing Heathrow car park sized run off areas, that's a bonus too. I can still visit most, if not all of them and see other entertaining motorsport categories. F1 'leaving' these venues doesn't mean they die, anymore than a driver leaving doesn't mean he's retiring.

Some people need to lean back and see that F1 isn't the be all and end all of motor racing. Each time one venue is axed from the F1 calendar, all it does is take a little more of my interest in that series away. I still have plenty of other motorsport to watch ...

Edited by superden, 11 February 2015 - 16:11.


#24 hittheapex

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Posted 17 February 2015 - 13:57

I loved Paul Ricard, but only if the don't use the chicane in the Mistral Straight, and the fast Signes at the end of it!  

 

But if I recall, the reason Nannini had so much run off was that they were using the short(er) circuit, and he just ran down the old track thast they stopped using after De Angelis was killed there

 I didn't know that was where de Angelis was killed. Fortunate for Nannini.


Edited by hittheapex, 17 February 2015 - 13:58.


#25 DampMongoose

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Posted 17 February 2015 - 16:03

 I didn't know that was where de Angelis was killed. Fortunate for Nannini.

 

Elio went off and flipped over the barriers in the Verriere left right curves after the pits.   The ridiculous knee jerk reaction by the FIA was to shortcut the track, despite the fact it was the pathetic marshalling that resulted in Elio's passing.  He only had a broken collarbone.



#26 Atreiu

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Posted 17 February 2015 - 16:06

Why on earth Paul Ricard? People complain enough about 'Tilke-dromes', well, that is perhaps the worst one there is!

 

Paul Ricard had long straights leading into fast corners and more than a few overtaking spots. Even after it was cut short, it retained its character and had very good racing between 86 and 90. The Tilke-like additions came much much after, but they could easily chose any better layout available.

 

What other french options are there? Magny-Cours? That was an underwhelming circuit.



#27 DinocoBlue

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Posted 17 February 2015 - 16:33

 There was talk of a track in/around Disneyland. Best venue (or the least bad) venue would be Paul Ricard allthough races were seldom thrilling there.

Correct, although I think the proposal was more to do with resort operator Euro Disney S.C.A. fulfilling contractual obligations (where they have submit proposals to expand Disneyland Resort Paris by certain dates) rather than actually trying to attract F1. Same thing with them trying to get tennis' French Open. Both were nice ideas, but wouldn't really work in practicality.

 

 

And a little slightly off topic side note, Disney are closing the Walt Disney World Speedway in Florida - the oval track that hosted 5 IRL races between '96 and '00. Although its a separate part of the company, at least shows that they don't see themselves in the racing circuit game any more.