F1
Laurent Rossi defends the French Grand Prix: “France is a bastion of racing”
Laurent Rossi during the 2022 French Grand Prix. © DPPI / A. Vincent
While the Alpine de Fernando Alonso et Esteban Ocon stole fourth place in the Manufacturers' championship McLaren on the overheated track of Paul-Ricard (Var), the boss of the Bleus Laurent Red spoke about the imperiled future of the French Grand Prix Formula 1.
The CEO ofAlpine takes a very dim view of the possible withdrawal of the tricolor event from the calendar from the 2023 season. According to him, the French Grand Prix is a flagship event in Formula 1, and more broadly in world motorsport, which it's about preserving.
Goodbye France, you were amazing! 🇫🇷#FrenchGP pic.twitter.com/HGZ0PSRal4
—BWT Alpine F1 Team (@AlpineF1Team) July 25, 2022
“Yes, I would be very disappointed (to note the disappearance of the race. Editor’s note). And I'm not talking about it as the manager of a French team, nor even as a French citizen. I think France is a stronghold of racing. This country has given a lot to sport. He has a big audience, a big fan base. I think it would be a bit unfair, I would say, to remove an important stage like the French Grand Prix from the calendar. I think it would be strange but I hope he stays on the program. »
The French Grand Prix has been in the spotlight for several months. Liberty Media, owner of Formula 1, is emphasizing more exotic destinations in a calendar that tends to expand. At the end of the contract, the French meeting seems to be in unfavorable balance in the face of new requests whose financial contribution is more considerable.
Unable to provide the same financial guarantees as the new events like Miami this year or Las Vegas from 2023, the French Grand Prix could enter a rotation system. The idea would be that Paul-Ricard, or another circuit in the event that the location were to change, would host F1 every other year, thus making it possible to vary the GPs in the years to come.
Questioned on the subject last weekend in Var, Esteban Ocon is campaigning for the presence of his Grand Prix in 2023. “In Grand Prix there is Grand Prix, it’s a French word. Motorsport enjoys a large community in France. We have some of the best cars. We could find another location if this does not materialize with Paul-Ricard. I saw some comments from Stefano regarding the topic and I was happy to see them. »
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Medhi Casaurang
Passionate about the history of motorsport across all disciplines, I learned to read thanks to AUTOhebdo. At least that's what my parents tell everyone when they see my name inside!
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