Vive la France!

In addition to Freedom Fries we can soon celebrate the French GP again!

The French have signed a deal with Bernie, which will put Le Castellet back on the calendar for 2013. It will then alternate with Spa and be held in La Grande Nation every other year.

Allez les Bleus!

 

I'm glad to have the French GP back, but to have it alternate with such an iconic track like Spa really puts a damper on things. If only it replaced any one of Tilke's circuits in Asia or the Middle East...

 

Agree. Love Spa!

 

+1

 

+2

Source?

And, hang on here a goshdarn minute please!..... From Autosport, today, 16:17 GMT;

A *long* way to go yet, and even if it happens I don't think (hope!) Spa will be the alternate venue.

Cheers,
Ian
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98483

 

Www.motorsport-aktuell.com

They expected an announcement today, dunno whether that happened.

Spa is the alternating venue which makes a lot of sense since that track struggles to make ends meet and is sorta French and next to France

 

spa is the best circuit on the calendar. it should never be replaced.

 

+1 agreed

 

Can't they alternate with China, Korea, Malaysia, India, Bahrein or even Hungary instead of Spa. This kind of like the sour patch kids candy commercial, but backwards- first they're sweet, then they're sour.

 

It's not about replacing Spa but about making it economically viable.

What would you prefer: no Spa or every other year?

Spa is being subsidized by the Belgium government (just as France subsidizes it's race). they can't do that every year.

 

I hear that. I'd certainly rather keep it every other year, than lose it altogether.

It's funny, my two favorite "views" in all of F1 (of the live races i've had the privilege to see) are : the uphill after Eau Rouge at Spa, and the uphill Beau Rivage at Monaco. It didn't occur to me until recently, that the uphill sections are those which last in my memory the longest.

I sure don't want to see Spa go

 

If you like uphill sections you will love the s/f line in Austin. But I'm sure you know that already.

BTW: go see Barcelona live, quite hilly

Hungary and Turkey are hilly too but there are no grandstands

 

Yes, the rise to turn 1 at Austin "promises" to be quite spectacular ... 130 feet, i think.

Haven't really considered Barcelona yet. I've been to Turkey, but only watched from the paddock. Absolutely fascinated by Istanbul ... well, there's a story there for another day.

Funny you mention Hungary ... it's on my short list, but mostly because I've never been to Eastern Europe. I need to go, before BudaPest gets removed from the calendar, too ...

 

Since you liked Istanbul you will like Budapest, trust me.

And you would love Barcelona, city and track.

Sadly you missed the best hilly tracks: Brands Hatch and the Ring

 

ya know there's just something about watching these crazy F1 cars going uphill ... it may be the way they seem to "explode" going uphill, still enjoying some compression/traction from the inverse-crest (what's the word?) that leads uphill. It's certainly true at Eau Rouge ... it's almost cartoonish how those cars explode up that hill !!! It never gets old.

Budapest, maybe this year. The wife is even fascinated with Dracula, so some sight-seeing is perhaps in order (i'm more a fan of another legendary creature, of course)

 

You're mixing cities: Dracula would be Bukarest, Romania.

 

no, i know ... i'm just suggesting that we'll take some time to tour Eastern Europe, in conjunction with a BudaPest race. It's an easy sell to the wife, if there's something other than the race to visit while we're in that part of the world (well, i knew the Drac/Romania part, but i didn't know Bukarest specifically).

 

You might want to look into river cruises: very popular from Budapest to Bukarest

 

thanks, i'll do it

What's the word on the street, concerning the longevity of the BudaPest race?

 

Laguna Seca ?

 

Source?

And, hang on here a goshdarn minute please!..... From Autosport, today, 16:17 GMT;



A *long* way to go yet, and even if it happens I don't think (hope!) Spa will be the alternate venue.

Cheers,
Ian
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98483[/QUOTE]

Ian,

You're right, of course: still a long way to go.
From here, the general impression is that we are still very, very far; the prime Minister, who is from Le Mans and, we are told, is a Motor Racing enthusisast, only said that "on principle, everything is now set allowing for a return of the French G.P, which would have to alternate with "another" european country (so, Spa is not necessary the one), and that discussions can begin".
Well, if discussions can begin, that means they have not yet begun, right? So, indeed, there is still a looooooooooong way to go...
The prime minister will loose his job in five weeks: do not forget that we have the presidential election on May 6th, and then general election for the national assembly in June.
The subject of the return of a french G.P is still controversial, and in fact a lot of people are more or less happy that there is no G.P anymore. No politician would take a firm commitment five weeks before loosing his job.

So, I agree, Ian: nothing should be taken for granted until it has been confirmed and cast in stone: with financing arranged, the name of the alternating GP and a date set.

Best

 

As regards to Spa, it's better still having it on the calender every other year than not at all.

Saying that, personally IMO it is the best track on the calender.

 

Yes, I think everybody will agree on that; what I find rather puzzling is that for about a year, everytime we heard or read something about a possible French G.P, it was always only every other year and alternating with Spa.
But as for yesterday's "confirmation" (for what it is worth...), Spa was not even mentioned, so does that mean that this alternance between the french G.P and the belgian one is now abandoned?
If so, I fear for Spa, which is not very healthy financially; I have understood that Spa needs to be consolidated, and I really would hate to loose Spa...I have already said that, taking the geographic location into account, what would make sense seems in fact alternating Spa with the Nürburgring, or even with Hockenheim.

 

Perfectly stated.

How about Valencia? That's always a snooze-fest.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Paul Ricard? I thought it was owned by Bernie.

Conflict of interests?