Bernie Saves French GP

[SurfaceUnits]

Mere weeks after declaring that Magny Cours will never again feature on the formula one calendar, Bernie Ecclestone has revived the hopes of the French grand prix venue.

source: GMM

According to reports on Tuesday, F1's 76-year-old chief executive has in a meeting with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon shown a green light to the race for 2008 and possibly also 2009.

And "the venue will be kept for 2009 if there are no solutions for an alternative," Ecclestone is quoted as saying by the BBC.

A statement from Fillon's office confirmed: "Mr Ecclestone said he agreed in principle with keeping the French grand prix at the Magny Cours circuit."

Ecclestone said after this month's French grand prix that there was "no future" for the rural venue Magny Cours, and that he wanted to see the race in a centre such as Paris.

Thank you Mr. Ecclestone. you are a great human being. Thank You.

[TrueBrit]

Why?

Move it to Paul Ricard, heck most teams test there so it's gotta be up to FIA snuff...and at least it provided real racing...

Magny Cours is dreadful...

[ferrarigod]

Why?

Move it to Paul Ricard, heck most teams test there so it's gotta be up to FIA snuff...and at least it provided real racing...

Magny Cours is dreadful...

if it moved to P.R. it would be that 'V.I.P. only' grand prix race. There are no stands, and Bernie doesn't want to put any up to hold people. He has spoken about the possibility of just making a complex for say 50000 people, with idiotic ticket prices but with more access for all..

:thumdown:

[Accipiter]

Bernie is part owner of Paul Ricard. If he moved the race there, he'd have to feel the pain of spending hunderds of millions upgrade the track, and then pay the promoters fee on top of that. And he's just way too smart a buisnesman to do somting that stupid.

[jonovision_man]

Have you guys even seen Paul Ricard recently??? It's a test track, nothing more... those crazy ass blue lines would give people headaches.

jono

[jonovision_man]

http://www.agsformule1.com/de/rennstrecken-formule-1/rennstrecken_f1/httt.jpg

[Dirty Sanchez]

magny-cours is very underrated. it has the best track surface in europe, probably the world, has a nice mix of corners and consistently delivers exciting races.

paul ricard is a weak alternative. it's very close, geographically, to another F1 race already on the schedule with zero grand stands and it has all the same infrastructure problems that magny-cours supposedly has.

[JohnHKart]

Speaking of underrated, while watching the race Sunday I started to realise the new Nurburgring is actually quite good. Of course it's nothing compared to the old track, and nothing new built next to that could possibly compare.

John

[Rogue Leader]

Speaking of underrated, while watching the race Sunday I started to realise the new Nurburgring is actually quite good. Of course it's nothing compared to the old track, and nothing new built next to that could possibly compare.

John

I like that track as well, at least it has elevation changes!

I will never understand why when Tilke is building all these tracks he cant do a little earth moving and make some REAL elevation changes in the tracks, its part of the skill involved!

[Andrew Longman]

And "the venue will be kept for 2009 if there are no solutions for an alternative," Ecclestone is quoted as saying by the BBC.

In other words, until the French govt ponys up millions of euros for a downtown Paris race, or some oil rich/asian nation with an inferiority complex forks over barrels of money, he will continue to take Magny Cours' money.

[Lux Interior]

I've always liked magny as well. Plenty of good races there over the years.