Prost: Do the French like F1?

If the reintroduction of a French GP in F1 would delight many spectators, it remains to be determined the impact of the discipline on the French population. For Alain Prost, the game is not yet won.

Published on 21/12/2010 à 13:24

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The departure of Renault as a manufacturer further reduces France's involvement in F1. If the Losange remains present as an engine manufacturer, France has no longer had any drivers on the starting grids since Romain Grosjean (seven GPs in 2009). So, is the French enthusiasm for F1 still the same?

To Alain Prost, quadruple F1 World Champion, the answer is obvious and easily explained. “The answer is clearly no since the audiences are relatively low,” remarks the former World Champion for AUTOhebdo.fr. ?But it?s not abnormal since there is no competitive French driver. We know very well that it is the human aspect, the pilot, that counts the most. To move forward, we would therefore have to start with the pilot before setting up a few tricks on the side. »

The Dacia driver of Andros Trophy thinks that the interest of the French would essentially come through the presence of a national driver in F1. But Alain Prost's thinking goes further. “You need success for people to be interested in it. You don't just need a pilot, you also need it to work. It?s not abnormal, people are not stupid; they always go for sports in which you can win, where there is competition with other nationalities. »