Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly defend the French Grand Prix

At the end of the contract at the end of the season, the French Grand Prix is ​​threatened by the new destinations planned on the calendar of the Formula 1. The arrivals of Losail (Qatar) and Las Vegas (United States) for next season thus pose the following problem: by adding these two races to the 23 in 2022 (Russia still needs to be replaced), the next year will exceed 24 dates held by the Concordes Agreements, signed by all the teams in August 2020. The future of the events which expire at the end of the year is therefore uncertain. 

« Some promoters have expiring agreements, and probably some of the current Grands Prix will no longer be part of the calendar, explained F1 boss Stefano Domenicali during the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain (March 20). Others will remain but in a different form, such as a rotation between different circuits. The picks we make will be announced soon, and you can expect new Grands Prix. However, it is still not easy to plan everything in advance. If we take China for example, we will have to try to understand what the situation will be regarding the Covid issue in the future, as we did last year in view of 2022."

“As a Frenchman, I will always support the French Grand Prix”

Among the suspended destinations, we find Belgium, the Netherlands, Mexico and even France. A situation which worries the two French pilots on the field: Esteban Ocon et Pierre Gasly. “I'm very happy to discover new circuits, but seeing the French Grand Prix threatened... I will do everything I can to try to keep it on the calendar. It’s very special for us to go there every year”, declared the pilot Alpine in a press conference on the sidelines of the Australian Grand Prix.

His compatriot at Alpha Tauri also took a stand in favor of its national Grand Prix. « As a Frenchman, I will always support the French Grand Prix, declared Pierre Gasly. The motivation, the energy, the atmosphere, it's something you can only feel in your home country. I really hope we can see the French GP in the next few years.” The winner of Monza in 2020 assures him, if it were up to him, the « contract would already be signed. »

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