François Hollande advocates alternation between Magny-Cours and Le Castellet

On May 1st, while the presidential election’s runoff campaign was in full swing, François Hollande chose to go to Nevers to pay tribute to Pierre Bérégovoy, who was the Prime Minister under François Mitterrand from April 1992 to March 1993 and who had committed suicide on May 1, 1993, following legislative elections lost by the Socialist Party.

But Pierre Bérégovoy was also one of the instigators and stakeholders of the Magny-Cours circuit project in Nièvre, in the early 1990s, as the deputy mayor of Nevers. This was enough for François Hollande, who was then just a candidate for the highest office, to be questioned on the thorny issue of the French Grand Prix. The daily newspaper La Provence thus reveals that journalist Gilles Gaignault gathered the confidences of Serge Saulnier, a former member of the Peugeot Sport program, who met the future president of the Republic during this tribute ceremony.

Passed unnoticed during a period not conducive to the development of Formula 1 news in France, an interview given by Mr. Hollande in the *Journal du Centre* on May 1st mentions a solution little considered until now, that of a Franco-French alternation: « In principle, I am in favor of the return of a French Grand Prix. It is a sport that attracts a large audience and has economic consequences. There is also a debate on the ecological impact of this type of competition. […] The [Fillon] government has evidently made its choice. I believe there might have been a better way than pitting Le Castellet against Magny-Cours. It would be better to see how we could have a F1 circuit alternated, which is fully utilized. […] We are fortunate to have two major circuits, in two different regions, that can attract a large audience, » he indicates before clearly stating his view. « Yes to the return of Formula 1 in France, and no to exclusivity being granted to a single circuit. »

The question of alternating between the two French circuits had apparently already been raised as early as February by the General Council of Nièvre, reports Vincent Darbeau, a motorsport specialist at the *Journal du Centre*. However, one unknown remains: Bernie Ecclestone’s desire to visit Nevers again. Bernie’s position on the Magny-Cours circuit is often reported, except that he has never directly spoken about Magny-Cours, which now has direct motorway access from Paris to the circuit. As for the works, they only involve enlarging the pits and covering the main grandstand.

Questioned by the newspaper *L’Equipe* on April 27th, François Hollande also expressed his desire not to see the State invest a single cent in these projects. V. Darbeau details the costs and the financiers for each circuit: « For the funding, the only contribution from the State to the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours was a subsidy of 300,000 to 400,000 euros paid to the FFSA (promoter of the event, editor’s note). The deficit was covered by local authorities. […] In the Castellet arrangement, the State does not pay anything but acts as guarantor, which would oblige it to cover a certain deficit, likely at least 10 million euros. »

This idea in the form of a proposal comes at a time when the solution of alternating between Le Castellet and Spa-Francorchamps seemed established, at least in the minds if not contractually. When asked about the issue by the special correspondent of Motorsinside.com in Barcelona, Benoit Fraikin, Heikki Kovalainen stated: “I like both circuits, I think Magny-Cours is not bad… Is it scheduled for Magny-Cours or somewhere else?” When our journalist indicates to him that the alternating project must go through the Castellet circuit, he is quite critical: “(He grimaces) Oh, Paul-Ricard… I’m not really a fan so I would prefer to go to Spa-Francorchamps every year.”

For the record, Germany already alternates between Hockenheim and the Nurburgring, while Spain, in order to reduce the costs of organizing two races on its soil – the Spanish GP and the European GP – will soon host only one Grand Prix, which will take place either in Barcelona or Valencia.