Towards an alternation between Spa and Magny-Cours?

André Maes, director of the company Spa Grand Prix, which promotes the Belgian circuit of Spa Francorchamps, has not ruled out the possibility of alternating between the Belgian Grand Prix and a potential French Grand Prix.

French officials contacted me about this. It could be interesting, so I’m waiting for news, he stated in Le Journal du Dimanche. Alternating could be a way to offset the costs of organizing the event, which are considered prohibitive, but above all to limit the annual deficit. After a net loss of more than 5 million euros in 2009, Spa needed to gather 65,000 spectators during the 2010 edition to break even, while only 52,000 tickets were sold.

A situation that had sparked strong reactions within the political class in Belgium: « Nothing has been negotiated yet for the post-2012 period, and a balanced solution must be found. Will this involve a Grand Prix alternation, or will it be done with a new global agreement? All scenarios are possible and imaginable. Moreover, various options are currently being studied, taking into account both the significant economic benefits for the Region and the fact that the Region will not be able to continuously cover the losses, especially in a period where budgetary efforts will have to be made at all levels » declared Jean-Claude Marcourt, Minister of the Economy for the Walloon Region, in September 2010.

For France, which has not hosted a Formula 1 race since 2008, this is a solution that could mark the end of a sporting and political saga and, above all, bring the Magny-Cours circuit back into the spotlight, especially now that the extension of the A77 motorway connecting the Nivernais circuit to Paris has been completed. This was one of the requirements of Formula One Management president Bernie Ecclestone.