President of the Var Jean-Louis Masson has called on France’s Sports Minister, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, to invest the money necessary to bring back the French Grand Prix.

The French Grand Prix, most recently held at Le Castellet, to the north-west of Toulon, was dropped from this year’s calendar and, as of now, there are no tangible plans to resurrect this Grand Prix location. However, the country’s Sports Minister has expressed a desire for Formula One to return to the Paul Ricard Circuit.

“I think it’s positive that the boss of Formula One (Stefano Domenicali) has recently expressed such a desire for France. Therefore, we will work on a roadmap. This is a really great opportunity so we will do whatever we can to take advantage of it,” said Oudéa-Castéra.

However, amidst the discourse of a potential return, Masson, the president of the Var region, in which the Paul Ricard Circuit is situated, has called for real action.

“Let the state put €10 to 15 million like Italy with the Italian Grand Prix. That’s 10 times more than in the past,” said Masson.

However, before any progress can be made on a potential return of the French Grand Prix, the accounts need to be settled. The Public Interest Group, in charge of hosting France’s former Formula One destination, reportedly has “colossal” debts and an audit has just begun, which will either highlight financial misconduct or, on the contrary, validate the hosting of the Formula One race.

Whilst there may be a desire amongst certain parties for the French Grand Prix, the return of the Formula One paddock to La Hexagone currently feels a long way away.

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Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office