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Losing F1 ‘a huge mistake’ says man behind French Grand Prix’s revival

Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull during practice for the French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard.
Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull during practice for the French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard.Photograph: Charles Coates/Getty Images

Named in honour of the fearsome wind that blows from southern France into the Mediterranean, the Mistral straight is one of Paul Ricard circuit’s defining features. The French Grand Prix’s return here after 10 years is at a circuit with a real sense of heritage for local fans. It also heralds further progress for a wind of change slowly blowing through Formula One.

The unloved Magny-Cours, in the centre of the country, hosted the last French GP in 2008 but, unable to meet F1’s demanding costs, it fell from the calendar and a decade was to pass before a financially viable and sustainable return could be forged. That they have done so at Ricard, where France’s Alain Prost took four of his six French Grand Prix victories, is no coincidence.

The organisers of this race are at the vanguard of F1’s new way of doing business. Gilles Dufeigneux is the general manager of the public-private partnership that has resurrected the race. A senior civil servant and France’s under-secretary of sport between 2008 and 2012, he worked extensively on bringing F1 back but was ultimately successful when part of the organisation led by the man who is now mayor of Nice.

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Christian Estrosi is a former professional motorcyclist who once vied with Barry Sheene and Phil Read. Then the president of the authority of Provence and the Côte d’Azur, it was Estrosi who put together the €14m in subsidies required from seven local authorities, to reach the €33m needed to host the race.

Dufeigneux was convinced it was the right thing to do. “It was a mistake losing it in 2008, a huge mistake,” he says. “That’s why we worked so hard to bring it back.”

The return to Ricard comes after what is an age in F1. The last race here was in 1990, when 10 of the current 20 drivers on the grid had yet to be born. Only Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel have previously competed in a French GP.

Against the trend of races receiving huge state backing to meet hosting fees, the achievement here cannot be underplayed and shows how F1 is changing. Dufeigneux stresses the assistance they received from other promoters, including Silverstone, Mexico, Singapore, Montreal and Spa. “We are back in the family,” he says. “They helped us a lot. It gives us a great feeling of satisfaction.”

This acting in concert is a new development in F1, far from the divide and rule practised by Bernie Ecclestone, and the sharing of information has had further effects. The biggest cost promoters face is the fee charged by F1’s owner, under Ecclestone negotiated track by track. It was one of the sport’s major sources of income but had for many circuits become unsustainable. This is changing, with Dufeigneux offering definitive evidence Liberty Media is willing to negotiate.

“Quite a few new promoters are trying to convince them [Liberty] they have to help,” he says. “I know that promoters who had to renew their contract recently had a very tough negotiation but with nice results and I think they have succeeded in cutting the fees drastically. Spa had a drastic fee cut, it’s confidential and I don’t know the figures, but it was cut.”

The famous old Belgian circuit, another public-private partnership, has just renewed its contract until 2021, Liberty’s first new deal and a major step forward in ensuring the sustainability of the sport in the European heartland. France has addressed it further.

On Thursday, race organisers bussed-in about 8,000 school children to experience F1 for free. It was a policy wholeheartedly endorsed by Mercedes’ Hamilton. “The organisers have done a great job,” he said. “They have brought a bunch of kids in which is really important. When I was at school people didn’t understand what I meant when I said I was going racing. They knew what football camp was and wanting to play for Arsenal but of racing they had no comprehension. The more kids we educate in that respect would be great.”

To ensure there is a French Grand Prix for the next generation to enjoy, Dufeigneux’s team have set themselves a serious target. Their contract is for five years and despite an estimated €65m in economic benefits to the region, public money will not last for ever. Looking forward, they have already secured a new deal with Liberty to share profits from selling secondary levels of hospitality.

The long-term plan is to be privately funded and profitable within five years. Their optimism will be of great interest to Silverstone and other circuits now negotiating their F1 contracts. Dufeigneux, for one, believes a sustainable future is possible with the sport’s new owner, Liberty, at the wheel. “I want to work with Formula One management,” he says. “I am sure we can do it with benefits for everybody. The money around F1 is huge.”