France back on F1 calendar for 2013

[truefan72]

I suppose this will take the place of the axed Valencia/Barcelona slot

but with the inclusion of Russia ( and possibly a return of Turkey)
that would make 21/22 races?
I'm not complaining. I think 22 races would be just fine

but it seams like the track under consideration is Paul Ricard, which to me is a joke of an F1 track in both length and layout

thoughts?

[DBell]

I think this is going to alternate with Spa. At least that is what I've seen written about it. Great for French fans to have their GP back, but the loss of Spa to only every other year on the calender stinks. My interest in F1 will take a hit in the years when Spa isn't on the schedule.

[truefan72]

I think this is going to alternate with Spa. At least that is what I've seen written about it. Great for French fans to have their GP back, but the loss of Spa to only every other year on the calender stinks. My interest in F1 will take a hit in the years when Spa isn't on the schedule.

agreed

spa is a classic that should always be on the calendar
suzuka and spa are my fav tracks

[F1boat]

France deserves to have a race...

[P3ws]

SPA and Monaco are the number ones in the calender for me.
If i had to choose it would be SPA although i recognize Monaco to be very classic.
Without Eau Rouge with all its stories in the past until now.....
F1 would not be the same.
Eau Rouge was/is? a curve to differentiate mens from boys.
Take that away and you got what?
If F1 wants to hold its title as pinnacle of motorsport, it can not afford to loose challenges like Eau Rouge.

[steveaki13]

Agree with you all.

France deserves a fixed place on the calender, along with Monaco, Spa, Monza, Silverstone.

The others can move around or alternate but In my opinion these 5 should stay put

[anthonyvop]

France deserves to have a race...

Why does France "Deserve" an F1 race?

[Tazio]

Hey Tony what's up. There are so many levels to argue whether or not France deserves a Grand Prix. Hey wait a second Grand Prix is a French phrase, I wonder how that came to be?
I think that in the context of what most people write in forums, they don't appreciate having traditional venues trashed so Bernie can line his pockets with the "Non traditional Races.”
It's easy to argue that nobody deserves any current Grand Prix shoot there is that French phrase again. I think what you are hearing are the grumblings of discontented Europeans that feel like their racing series is being taken away from traditional venues, just to line one b@stards pockets, and I agree.


In the beginning...

France is the birthplace of Grand Prix racing. The first Grand Prix was held on the Le Mans cicuit in 1906, and it was won by a French car - a Renault - driven by Hungarian Ferenc Szisz. However, France officially counts this as the 9th Grand Prix because they consider the earlier city to city races to be Grands Prix too. George Boillot would be the first Frenchman to win the French Grand Prix, in 1912 in a Peugeot.

The 1914 race at Lyon was considered one of the greatest Grand Prix races ever. 37 cars from 13 manufacturers in 6 different countries competed and after 7 hours, German Christian Lautenschlager won in a Mercedes
http://www.f1-grandprixhistory.net/France.html

It's a form of nostalgia, and allows some degree of the evolution of the tracks they've generally gotten shorter I don't need to name those tracks and how cars drove them all the way back to the 30's and earlier.
As for facilities, there is a challenge there (as with just about all the tracks) Bernie threatens
to take away.
Personally I really liked Magny Cours I understand it is in the middle of nowhere, but one of the greatest performances I have seen was the 2004 French GP. In closing I'm pretty sure you never went to Ebbets Field. There are a lot of people that went to their graves (and many still alive), resenting the Dodgers management and ownership over the move to L.A. and were talking domestic sports here. That's my take. France has a great history of motor racing, and F1 is not their only auto racing interest (as you know)
I can appreciate the notion that many people feel differently than me. But,
I would be happy if they went back to Magny-Cours, I really like that short pit in and out. :)

[Mark]

France deserves to have a race...

It has the Monaco Grand Prix. The fact that's in another country is a technicality. For all intents it is in France. So why should France have two races?

[Tazio]

It has the Monaco Grand Prix. The fact that's in another country is a technicality. For all intents it is in France. So why should France have two races?Mark this is where things get murky. My guess is that a good wage earner could afford to attend a race in France proper. I think very few can afford to hang in Monaco for the weekend

[truefan72]

Mark this is where things get murky. My guess is that a good wage earner could afford to attend a race in France proper. I think very few can afford to hang in Monaco for the weekend

still does not resolve the issue of why any country "deserves a race"

No country deserves a race imo
no driver deserves a seat imo

F1 is what it is, and as much as i hate that bernie guy, and his bloodsucking ways that is making pretty much every F1 race a losing propostion for the track owners, it still isn't enough for me to say that any one particular country deserves a race.
To me it is more about the tracks than the country.
Istanbul should always be on the schedule, not because it deserves it, but because it is a magnificent track.
Magny Course never really did it for me, although I felt less disdain about it than most folks.
Paul Ricard is a joke IMO
the only track that should be on there (in a modified version)should be LeMans.
I would wait 2 extra years for them to make some addition to the course allowing for a proper F1 race.
It should retain about 70% of its distance though making a lap around the 2:30m mark

Now if that gets done, then LeMans "deserves" a race

[steveaki13]

I get why people say "No one deserves a Race"

Clearly only the richest 20 countries deserve a race, but if you want a historical, passionate, well participated, interesting and quality Formula 1 championship then all these factors play a part.

France is the Origin of Grand Prix Racing as such, Monza has so much history and is a great track, same for Monaco, Silverstone, Suzuka and Spa.

Canada, Brazil and some past US tracks offer variation and great tracks.

While Malaysia, Singapore, China offer spectacular facilities and settings.

My basic point is that a World Championship has to encompass many things, but most importantly for me it should have the best tracks and classic venues. Fine have new tracks and wonderful facilities, but the basic centre of my love of F1 is the historical legacy that lives through these classic tracks I mentioned.

Bernie's perfect F1 is the 20 tracks who pay most.

But a calender which in a future season cuts out Spa, Monza, Monaco, Silverstone and Suzuka for 10 races in UAE, Bahrain, Russia, Korea, and other future Tilker dromes will leave me cold.

Just a personal opinion but keep the classics and historical venues 10-12 and then that leaves 8-10 venues open each year for up to 20 countries to alternate.

While France might not have a classic track asuch it has a place on a F1 calender for me.

[odykas]

If the track is NOT Magny Cours, then it's fine by me ;)

[DBell]

If the track is NOT Magny Cours, then it's fine by me ;)

Have you seen the modern Paul Ricard? It makes Magny Cours look like Spa by comparison.

[christophulus]

Have you seen the modern Paul Ricard? It makes Magny Cours look like Spa by comparison.

Does it even have any grandstands? It doesn't look like it from the aerial photos.

I have discovered from the website that it does have a sprinkler system though...

[steveaki13]

Does it even have any grandstands? It doesn't look like it from the aerial photos.

I have discovered from the website that it does have a sprinkler system though...

At last a track that truly fulfill Bernies dream of random wet corners. :rolleyes: :p

[truefan72]

I get why people say "No one deserves a Race"

Clearly only the richest 20 countries deserve a race, but if you want a historical, passionate, well participated, interesting and quality Formula 1 championship then all these factors play a part.

France is the Origin of Grand Prix Racing as such, Monza has so much history and is a great track, same for Monaco, Silverstone, Suzuka and Spa.

Canada, Brazil and some past US tracks offer variation and great tracks.

While Malaysia, Singapore, China offer spectacular facilities and settings.

My basic point is that a World Championship has to encompass many things, but most importantly for me it should have the best tracks and classic venues. Fine have new tracks and wonderful facilities, but the basic centre of my love of F1 is the historical legacy that lives through these classic tracks I mentioned.

Bernie's perfect F1 is the 20 tracks who pay most.

But a calender which in a future season cuts out Spa, Monza, Monaco, Silverstone and Suzuka for 10 races in UAE, Bahrain, Russia, Korea, and other future Tilker dromes will leave me cold.

Just a personal opinion but keep the classics and historical venues 10-12 and then that leaves 8-10 venues open each year for up to 20 countries to alternate.

While France might not have a classic track asuch it has a place on a F1 calender for me.

Can't really argue with this post
well said,

if they should hold a race in France, I'd rather it be magny course than paul ricard

although I would say that there is a thin line between nostalgia and historical significance in a modern series.

[N4D13]

I wouldn't mind not having a French GP at all, as has been the case these last years. Paul Ricard doesn't look that great, and while Magny-cours is an historical circuit and all that stuff, it usually is a very boring race, unless it rains. Perhaps it's a nice circuit for the drivers, but it's a boring circuit in a boring place, and I don't miss it.

[Mark]

Magny Cours first F1 race was 1991. Not that historic.

[N4D13]

Magny Cours first F1 race was 1991. Not that historic.
Thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't following F1 at that time (due to biological reasons mostly), but I thought that Magny-cours was used in F1 before then.

Who knows - maybe in ten years someone as informed as me (or is it "I"?) will start complaining because Bernie wants to remove Sepang and that's an historical circuit as well! :p

[DexDexter]

Thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't following F1 at that time (due to biological reasons mostly), but I thought that Magny-cours was used in F1 before then.

Who knows - maybe in ten years someone as informed as me (or is it "I"?) will start complaining because Bernie wants to remove Sepang and that's an historical circuit as well! :p

When they built Magny Cours, they tried to incorporate corners from different circuits into the track but the result was quite boring, although to me the long right hand turn into the backstraight after the start/finish line was quite interesting and offered chances to overtake at the end of the straight.

[Jefe Máximo]

If the track is NOT Magny Cours, then it's fine by me ;)

Always disliked Magny Bores.

[truefan72]

When they built Magny Cours, they tried to incorporate corners from different circuits into the track but the result was quite boring, although to me the long right hand turn into the backstraight after the start/finish line was quite interesting and offered chances to overtake at the end of the straight.

with all the land around that track, you would have thought that they would have modified and stretched the layout by now.

[f1kid1987]

Always disliked Magny Bores.

totally agree, its one of the most boring races everytime it was on

[jens]

Yeah, it is a tricky question. France is a traditional motor racing country, yet they don't have a truly great circuit. The tradition of French GP's comes from old road-based circuits, like Monthléry, Reims, Rouen, etc, which have all died out. While the tradition of, say, Silverstone, Monza or Monaco has carried on. Maybe they could race at Le Mans circuit. :) It has not been related to F1, but nonetheless it is a legendary circuit in motorsport in general and with its length would be quite unique for modern F1 calendar - an alternative challenge. :)

At Magny-Cours the most legendary place was the hairpin, which has produced several memorable moments. And in general the stunning wet weather race in 1999. Other than that, not much to remember. :)

[ArrowsFA1]

Have you seen the modern Paul Ricard? It makes Magny Cours look like Spa by comparison.
Circuit Paul Ricard - Les pistes (http://www.circuitpaulricard.com/fr/le-circuit_pistes-et-infrastructures_les-pistes)

http://www.circuitpaulricard.com/views/public/images/photos/grandes/les-pistes_01.jpg

[ArrowsFA1]

This is how it looked from the cockpit in 1983:

SJH342PnxaM

[Tazio]

At Magny-Cours the most legendary place was the hairpin, which has produced several memorable moments. And in general the stunning wet weather race in 1999. Other than that, not much to remember. :) I always wondered why nobody else thinks the 2004 GP was not a memorable race, until I watched a UK (I don't know which broadcasting co, was doing F1 at the time) replay of the race. It mentioned almost nothing of this brilliant strategy that Brawn, who MS gave credit to, pulled off. I watched it on Speed TV. This is the race that MS did an improvised 4 stopper to do a pit stop pass on Alonso. Pit stop three was a very short fill. MS had something like 15 laps to gain 17 seconds on Alonso. On the original U.S. broadcast the announcers were counting the time gained each lap until he reached the delta to make the pass. It was really edge of your seat kind of stuff. It is also the race that Rubens passed JT on the final corner of the last lap to take a podium, and the topper was the dumbfounded look on Alonso's face in the post race interview.

[steveaki13]

Yeah, it is a tricky question. France is a traditional motor racing country, yet they don't have a truly great circuit. The tradition of French GP's comes from old road-based circuits, like Monthléry, Reims, Rouen, etc, which have all died out. While the tradition of, say, Silverstone, Monza or Monaco has carried on. Maybe they could race at Le Mans circuit. :) It has not been related to F1, but nonetheless it is a legendary circuit in motorsport in general and with its length would be quite unique for modern F1 calendar - an alternative challenge. :)

At Magny-Cours the most legendary place was the hairpin, which has produced several memorable moments. And in general the stunning wet weather race in 1999. Other than that, not much to remember. :)

I agree completely. My point was like your first one a tradition of the French GP is a long one, but they do need a better track.

[aryan]

Istanbul should always be on the schedule, not because it deserves it, but because it is a magnificent track.


+1. Soon we are all going to forget Istanbul, but it truly was a great track.

How ironic that the one Tilke track that was good has been axed.

As far as France goes, I think they already have a race, it's called the Monaco Grand Prix. Does anyone really buy that Monaco is a different country? Most US states have more autonomy from their federal government than Monaco has from Paris.

I also agree that Monza, Monaco, and Spa are the 3 tracks that are indispensable to F1. Interlagos, Suzuka and Silverstone are also very important. Everything else can come and go but these are the heart of F1 and should be featured every year.

[ShiftingGears]

If the track is NOT Magny Cours, then it's fine by me ;)

Careful what you wish for, could end up with another Valencia-quality street circuit.

[ShiftingGears]

Circuit Paul Ricard - Les pistes (http://www.circuitpaulricard.com/fr/le-circuit_pistes-et-infrastructures_les-pistes)

http://www.circuitpaulricard.com/views/public/images/photos/grandes/les-pistes_01.jpg

Having the cars take Signes Corner after spending the whole of Mistral Straight on the throttle would be a different sight. Too bad if grandstands were put there and a race was held, it wouldn't happen.