The return of French Grand Prix has been put forward by the nation’s President Emmanuel Macron, who has suggested that a F1 street race in Nice would be a suitable alternative.
The possibility of the French Grand Prix returning to the calendar has not been ruled out by Emmanuel Macron, who stated that he “shared the ambition” of the mayor of Nice to do the same.
The historic race’s contract with F1 expired last year and has not been extended for the coming years so far. The revival of the race to Le Castellet under the direction of Nice’s mayor, Christian Estrosi, from 2018 through 2022, seems to have Macron’s endorsement.
An F1 street race in Nice had already begun to gain traction as a potential substitute even before Ricard’s termination from the Formula 1 calendar was made official, though some analysts believed that F1’s interest was partly influenced by its ongoing contract negotiations with Monaco, which have since concluded.
Nice mayor Christian Estrosi recently wrote to Macron, requesting his support and emphasizing the significance of the French Grand Prix, according to the publication Nice-Matin.
He offered a positive response and delegated Estrosi and Nicolas Deschaux, president of the FFSA the duty of engaging with F1/Liberty Media and starting a feasibility study for the reintroduction of the race, without committing to a specific location. Before that, both guys helped bring the event to Paul Ricard.
“Be sure that I fully share your ambition,” French president Emmanuel Macron wrote. “Indeed, as you point out, our country must be able like the other major international sporting events it organises every year to reconnect with F1 for the pleasure of all.
“It is an issue of attractiveness for our country, the influence of our automotive industry and innovation to support the decarbonisation of this sector.
“As such, you will be able to study the different possible F1 venues [in France], identifying for each their economic model, their compatibility with our ecological commitments and their possible contribution to regional and national development.
“In this context, you will focus on engaging in discussions with the holders of the rights to F1.”
Estrosi’s connections in Nice make it a clear contender and it is unclear which other cities will receive substantial consideration.
The endorsement from Macron is essential because current Paul Ricard CEO Jean Alesi believes that the venue’s removal from the schedule was accelerated by a lack of political backing.
The Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, close to Marseille, has historically served as one of the race’s venue; however, it was absent from the calendar between 1990 and 2018 as Magny-Cours hosted the event for the better part of 20 years.
