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Bernie: "No more Magny Cours"

manlio27
in ForzaMinardi.com Forum
Bernie said that he spoke with premier François Fillon, and they both share the dream to see a GP in paris, or near, from 2009 or at least from 2010.
In any case, bernie said that French GP 2008 to be raced next 22 June will be the last in Magny Cours.
Decision with which I fully agree, Magny COurs is really one of the worst tracks ever.
But if Paris is ready only from 2010, what will they do in 2009? No French GP? Or will they go to Paul Ricard? Dijon is definitely not up to the current F1 standard, but I do not think Paul Ricard is any better....

Comments

  • Minardifan2002
    Won't miss Magny cours.
  • manlio27
    The idea to create a circuit in Flins-Les Mureaux (in the area of Yvelines) to host the French GP from 2011 was dropped due to strong opposition by the greens and by some political parties. It was in a rural zone, 40 km west of Paris, but in an environmentally sensible area.

    Apparently, the times for being able to set up a circuit in Paris or Eurodisney are increasing (none really wants to invest on this at the moment.....). There's another project in Val de France (Val-d'Oise, 15 km from Paris), but it as well still needs all environmental approvals and financial agreeemnts.....

    And, as I already said in the post above 19 months ago, both Le Castellet and Dijon-Prenois are totally out of date, and no way anybody will invest monies on their renovation in the near future.

    So, the only hopes to see again a French GP in 2011 are this Val de France project, or........Magny-Cours!

    I.e., we will not see any new French GP for long time!
  • steamdrivenhammer
    The only way the French GP will return is if Bernie agrees to revamp Paul Richard or some wealthy group manages to hold a street race in Paris or another large city.

    I don't think the Euro Disney idea will ever take-off.
  • manlio27
    Now there is a new idea for taking French GP back to Paul Ricard in 2013. According to the chief of the organizing committee, such a race would gather 70.000 spectators, and the Government's agreement for financing the revamping of the race is well underway.

    Let's hope it happens, F1 needs paul Ricard back. Hoping, of course, the revamping does not mean a distruction as it was for Imola and Hockenheim....
  • viges
    manlio, you are the Lord of the Resurrected threads. You could get Reims back on the FIA calendar.

    Bernie only seems to hold out hope for a Paris bid and does he not own Ricard? I seem to remember him saying when Ricard was done up about ten years ago that he had no intention of making provision for spectators. As far as I know it is a specialist testing facility but I would definitely go to a Ricard GP: such a great part of the country.

    I drove down to Magny Cours in 2004. Yes, it is in the middle of bloody nowhere but I rather enjoyed it. The motorway from Paris literally stops at Magny Cours - it was a blatant piece of politicking by Mitterrand.

    I remember there were many mad Germans camping there, mostly dressed in red, but one of them had turned his van into a Minardi shrine. Lovely and random.
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