Briatore's Bold Claim: Is Paris Ready for the French GP?
Feb.20 - Formula 1 should return to France - with a race in the capital city.
That's the view of Alpine's flamboyant and famous advisor Flavio Briatore, just days after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem rued France's absence from the calendar since 2022.
"It's good to open up to new countries, but we mustn't forget where the story began," he had told Le Figaro.
When asked about that, Briatore fully agreed with the controversial FIA president, even though he doesn't think F1 should simply return to Paul Ricard.
"Not at Le Castellet (Paul Ricard) and not at Magny Cours either, where there is nothing," said the Italian. "In Paris.
"Castellet was impossible for traffic. No, Formula 1 deserves a grand prix in Paris," Briatore added. "Not necessarily in the city centre or under the Eiffel Tower, but Paris would be magnificent.
"There must be all the hotel capacity to accommodate everyone that F1 attracts - the sponsors, the people who work for Formula 1. Everyone wants a grand prix in France. Formula 1 is really missing from France."
Last year, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said he "understands" that the French government wanted to focus on the Olympic Games rather than F1.
"Maybe after that, they will have a little more time for us to come back together on this issue," he told L'Equipe mid-last year.
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Maybe in the more distant future, if ever, but in any case, a city circuit is effectively the only viable option for a future French GP return as isolated circuits with difficult accessibility have become more & more a past thing over the years.
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