French GP cancelled

Eurosport - Thu, 16 Oct 11:07:00 2008

The 2009 French Grand Prix has been cancelled for financial reasons.

FORMULA 1 2008 GP de France Magny-Cours - 0

"For economic reasons, the FFSA (French Motorsport Federation) has decided to cancel the (2009) French Grand Prix," said a statement.

"The FFSA would like to thank all those clients who attended the French Grand Prix and have supported the event in the last few years," the statement added.

It said all those who had already booked tickets would be reimbursed and apologised to all for the inconvenience caused by the cancellation.

The FFSA had said in earlier statement that, due to the economic situation, it was no longer prepared to promote financially the race at Magny-Cours.

"As a result, and as long as a promoter capable of succeeding the FFSA has not been identified, the French Grand Prix will not be able to feature on the FIA international calendar in 2009," it added.

France, the country that invented grand prix racing and whose language permeates the sport from chassis to parc ferme, has only once (in 1955) been absent from the Formula One calendar since the championship started in 1950.

The FFSA has a contract to run the French Grand Prix until 2011 but Ecclestone has long wanted to move it to a track closer to Paris from 2010.

Next year's race had already been billed as the last at Magny-Cours, a circuit in the depths of rural France that has fallen out of favour with teams and sponsors.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone had wanted to axe it earlier this year but agreed a reprieve and the circuit retained its slot with a June 28 date on an 18-round calendar published last week.

That same calendar was notable for the absence of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, which had been on an earlier 19-race provisional list, due to contractual issues.

It was not immediately clear whether France's disappearance might re-open the door for Canada, a commercially important race for the car manufacturers who dominate the sport and are unhappy not to have a North American round following the exit of Indianapolis.

Disneyland Paris is a favoured option for a future French Grand Prix, with plenty of hotel rooms and easy rail access from Paris and the rest of Europe.

Poor accomodation facilities and difficult access were regarded as the main weaknesses of the Magny-Cours track.

The FFSA said it was studying six "serious and worthwhile" projects, most of which involved a new track near the French capital.

Reuters

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  1. lewis looks in the mirror each morning and says - "Praise Allah that I am beautiful" and he looks again at night and says "Praise Allah I am the best" - his only problem he was facing WEST instead of EAST ...lol

    From not printable, on Thu 16 Oct 5:04AM

  2. The Disneyland French Grand Prix....................says it all. Thats what F1 has become.

    From kipketer1411, on Thu 16 Oct 3:53AM

  3. FORMULA ONE IS DISTRED BY THAT UGLY FACE OF HAMILTON.
    I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST HIM.HE IS BLOODY UGLY!!!!

    From dorin c, on Thu 16 Oct 3:21AM

  4. yes before these years of formula 1 without all the politics were the golden age this sport. But neverless history repeats itself its just the matter of time and money on how its going to.

    From Ian H, on Thu 16 Oct 2:51AM

  5. This isn't Bernie's doing per se, this is a decision by the track's owners. Good riddance, this is one of the duller races on the calendar. If we can replace the two tedious Spanish races, that would be excellent news.

    From Adam L, on Thu 16 Oct 2:12AM

  6. ginger_gitt
    Sorry lass, but it IS a major loss. Not so much that Magny Cours was a good track, it wasn't, but F1's attraction has always been its rich history and grand traditions, and they are dropping away at an alarming rate. Recently, Bernie called Singapour the "jewel" of F1, a title held by Monaco for 3 generations. The British and South Americans races are all but gone, and the North American races are already history.The new GP's are flat, barren, and boring with a false and hollow sense of glitter and excitement. Ginger, you seem to be very knowledgeable of F1, I only wish you could have seen it in it's golden age.

    From Rich L, on Thu 16 Oct 2:11AM

  7. Well lets see. First Indy, then Canada, now France. All these races being cut from the schedule makes the season shorter than it is now. All of this is just to increase team testing ablities to make each car more aerodynamic and more equal to other teams. Cut the teams salerys nevermind the races. More races makes more drama in this sport. Force India is never going to be able to contend with ferrari or mclaren why cut races to make it seem like they will?

    From Ian H, on Thu 16 Oct 1:32AM

  8. Well, it would be nice to see a decent circuit take its place, such as Laguna Seca, maybe even Austria. Estoril hasn't had a race for a few years and produced some good action (remember Villeneuve around the outside of Schumacher on the last bend)

    From martinclitheroe@..., on Thu 16 Oct 12:34AM

  9. wont be missed im affraid

    From Marti, on Wed 15 Oct 11:59PM

  10. BARRY M,YOU ARE A COOL IDIOT!!!

    From dorin c, on Wed 15 Oct 11:55PM

  11. When are they going to give Monaco 'the boot'?
    I understand MINSK or ST. PETERSBURG are pretty 'cool' places!

    From Barry M, on Wed 15 Oct 11:35PM

  12. With all the global financial turmoil...no big surprise here...fill the slot with Virginia International Raceway or even back to Indy, or for historical nostalgia, back to a newly revised Watkins Glen...now that would fill the N. American market and sell a hell of a lot more tickets than Magny-Cours ever did!

    From George F, on Wed 15 Oct 11:30PM

  13. Let 'em all go! This B/S is getting ridiculous!
    The ideal thing, (for me anyway!), would for some of the remaining 'old school' tracks
    to tell Bernie and the FIA to 'GO AWAY'!
    F1 is not about 'PRIDE' or 'THE PINACLE OF AUTO RACING' anymore, it is just about money, greed, and power!
    (It ALWAYS was about money,greed and power!, but at least they let the people who 'pay the bills' THINK it was a sport!)

    Barry
    Toronto

    From Barry M, on Wed 15 Oct 11:20PM

  14. No major loss, its not like Magny Cours was a fantastic race anyway.

    From ginger_gitt, on Wed 15 Oct 11:20PM

  15. Nothing to do with the only French driver having his chips pissed on by the (bar) stewards last weekend then?

    From Alex, on Wed 15 Oct 10:27PM

  16. Time for a F1 coup!

    From Simon, on Wed 15 Oct 8:44PM

  17. Ha. I'd really like to see Laguna Seca as part of the calendar, actually. No idea how much work it would need to meet F1 requirements.

    From JD, on Wed 15 Oct 8:13PM

  18. If he carries on at this rate we could see Laguna Seca on the calender in a couple of years

    From Mike, on Wed 15 Oct 7:52PM

  19. Bernies eastward crusade continues apace.

    From Mike, on Wed 15 Oct 7:49PM
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