JUNE 23, 2009

Another problem for Flins?

Liberty, equality and brotherhood are enshrined as concepts in the French psychology, but that generally means that the French have great difficulty agreeing on anything.

Liberty, equality and brotherhood are enshrined as concepts in the French psychology, but that generally means that the French have great difficulty agreeing on anything. A bold project to save the French Grand Prix by building a state-of-the-art circuit at Flins-Mureaux became a target for opposition from the moment it was announced, despite the fact that the venue was locatd right next to a particularly ugly Renault industrial complex next to the Seine river to the west of Paris. There were the inevitable nimbys (Not In My Back Yard) who complained about the potential noise. There were the environmentalists who talked about water contamination and politicians who wanted the money to be spent on other things. Now the race has a new enemy in the local archaeologists, who are reported to have found an important archaeological site, dating from 13,000 years ago. It is said that this is one of the richest such sites ever found in France and that similar finds have been classified as historic monuments.

There is, of course, no reason why a historical monument cannot sit inside a Formula 1 circuit, indeed it might be a useful attraction to help pull in visitors all year round.