MARCH 14, 2008

Election throws Versailles F1 race into doubt

The first round of the French municipal elections took place last weekend and the results in Versailles suggest that unless there is a huge upset in the second round this weekend, there is little chance that the French Grand Prix will take place there in 2010.

The first round of the French municipal elections took place last weekend and the results in Versailles suggest that unless there is a huge upset in the second round this weekend, there is little chance that the French Grand Prix will take place there in 2010. The pro-Grand Prix candidate Bertrand Devys managed to pick up 24% of the votes in the first round, but his republican rival Francois de Mazieres scored 39%. He is opposed to the proposal of a Grand Prix. The socialists are also against the race and their candidate Catherine Nicholas scored 18% so there is little chance that Devys will be able to make up the difference in the second round.

This means that the French Grand Prix is once again in doubt as Magny-Cours has reached a point at which the race cannot be run without the Federation Francaide du Sport Automobile (FFSA) losing money. There are hopes that there could be other projects in the Paris area but the socialists have a firm grip on the city with the city's mayor Bertrand Delanoe, a rising star of the left and one of France's most popular politicians, received a resounding thumbs-up for his pro-environment policies. He is an alliance with the Green party and thus the idea of running a Grand Prix on the streets is unlikely at best.