Up Next
The Formula 1 paddock packed up last Sunday evening after the French Grand Prix not expecting to return to Paul Ricard in 2023. But the future of the oldest national grand prix of them all remains unclear.
When the French Grand Prix was revived after a decade-long hiatus following the final race at the Magny-Cours in 2008, a five-year deal was signed covering 2018-2022. That contract ended with this year’s race, although no event was held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
No new deal has been struck and the French GP is not expected to appear on the provisional 2023 F1 calendar, which has yet to be publicly released. That suggests any hope of it appearing next year would be dependent on a slot opening up unexpectedly, for example, if the planned revival of the Chinese Grand Prix proves impossible because of COVID-19 restrictions.
But the future beyond that seems less clear, with Grand Prix de France – the promoter of the French GP – keen to secure a new long-term deal.
As managing director Eric Boullier puts it, “being here next year or not being here next year, it still doesn’t stop the discussion about the future”. But the hope is that this year’s race being relatively successful, with 70,000 attending on race day, will further the French GP’s cause.
“There is no rush,” Boulllier told The Race. “We are discussing to put in place the right plan.
“Here, we had the nightmare from 2018 in terms of mobility. It’s a very venerable, very sensitive place. On top of this, they ask us to do the race on the 21st July, which is in the middle of the peak of holidays, the hottest time of the year with the forest fires or whatever. So there was a challenge.
“Remember, the organisation of this Grand Prix has slightly changed over the last few years. FOM wanted to make sure we are serious enough, or capable enough, of producing such an event in a difficult environment. And it seems we have eradicated most of the traffic issues.
“Then if we have proven to FOM that we can do it, then it is also another helpful step in our discussion. Wherever it is.”
While there were some traffic complaints this year, the situation has improved dramatically since the problems in 2018 that made the event a nightmare whether for spectators or those working in F1. But given the limitations of the venue and the road infrastructure, some traffic problems are perhaps unavoidable and any further gains with the existing infrastructure will likely be limited.
Given the investment in the race at Paul Ricard, it’s perhaps no surprise Grand Prix de France is keen to keep the race at the track. But the key to any possible new deal will not only be what it can offer in terms of the race-hosting fee, but also to F1 as a whole.
The Race understands that F1 is not keen on Paul Ricard as a venue, hence the ongoing rumours about the French GP being held elsewhere.
There have been suggestions of alternative circuits, such as the Le Mans Bugatti circuit or a return to Magny-Cours, as well as various potential new events such as the Nice street circuit or even a grand prix in Paris.
An F1 race on the streets of Paris can be dismissed as impractical, but with enough cash and F1’s blessing, anything is possible. But Grand Prix de France, the promoter of the French GP, is keen to keep the race at Paul Ricard where it will be most financially viable in the absence of an influx of cash from a third party.
This is not because of any unbreakable tie to the circuit, which is rented by the promoter, but because the race is established and there has been investment in the circuit and infrastructure.
There have also been discussions for some time about the possibility of adding a new motorway exit to improve access. The chances of that happening could improve if there is a new long-term deal. Likewise, F1 is keen for an increase in the crowd and VIP guest capacity, which would also require finding extra hotel rooms – for example by placing cruise ships in Toulon.
With F1 being, as Boullier puts it, on a “hype train” with a rapid growth in popularity and more candidate races than there are grid slots, much will depend on the French GP proving its worth in what is a seller’s market for F1 races.
It has the advantage of a rich history, with the very first national grand prix race being held in Le Mans in 1906, and a well-established fanbase that should ensure healthy crowds. But those factors would also apply to a race in an alternative venue in France, one that doesn’t have the limitations of Paul Ricard. So it will be down to the French GP to fit in with F1’s strategy.
“FOM has a big plan and when you put everything on the table and say we want this, we want that, you have to check your list,” said Boullier.
“You see if you tick all of the boxes at this venue, or this one maybe is a better fit. And the truth is we had a discussion about where can we do a Formula 1 Grand Prix in France.
“We have Magny-Cours, we have Le Mans, Paul Ricard. If you have a lot of money, you can maybe do Dijon or somewhere else.
“With even more money you can build another track, so you can go like the American strategy, which is going to cities so that’s why all these rumours came around. But It’s just a discussion.”
What is clear is that F1 is broadly supportive of the idea of there being a French GP, partly because of key stakeholders such as Renault Group, but not at Paul Ricard. An alternative venue, therefore, appears necessary.
For that to work, a long-term deal would be required. The Grand Prix de France is open to the idea of rotation – indeed, it proposed the idea of alternating with a race such as Spa in the first place. While the Belgian GP venue is known not to be keen on this idea, it could work for the French GP.
But it would likely need to be a long-term contract for that to be the case – as a minimum a five-race/10-year deal but potentially even longer depending on the investment required in the venue.
Boullier says a rotation could be workable for the company, with the possibility of diversifying to promote other events to ensure it is financially viable.
“It depends on the model,” says Boullier. “If you can make a sustainable model where you can survive on every two years, it’s fine.
“As far as we are concerned, we can do some other events and that’s the way we can make the core team survive.
“It’s very complicated as a promoter. We are 20 people all year round. But have 4000 today [for the French GP]. So this one event absorbs the cost of 4000.
“So if for the rest of the year, we can run some other events, [it’s possible].
“And if it’s supported by a government, you can make it system every year, or every other year.”
It’s unclear what chance there is of the French government investing money in the race and it may be that a move to another venue – particularly a street circuit – would prove too expensive.
But what is clear is the hope of the French Grand Prix continuing, albeit likely after dropping off the calendar in 2023.
And while Paul Ricard is probably the most practical option, it is also one that F1 does not look favourably on and, given the interest in staging races, has no need of.
So the question is whether Grand Prix de France can find an alternative proposal that ticks the boxes for F1 and is workable financially – ideally with government support.
If not, then the French Grand Prix could well disappear, perhaps for good.
