Five alternatives to replace Magny-Cours in 2010

UPDATE #2 The Parisian suburb of Sarcelles is best known these days for the riots that took place in the public housing districts in the south of the commune in November 2005 which brought to light the plight of France's young immigrants. Ever since the commune has suffered with that reputation. There are plans to use Formula 1 to change the image of the area with a bid to the French GP in 2010. This has been put forward by the mayor of Sarcelles Francois Pupponi and is supported by former F1 winner Jean-Pierre Beltoise.

The project is to be part of a development called the "Pole Val de France" and will be built on 270 acres of state-owned land, with a circuit of around three miles in length with a technology park alongside. The project will be funded with private money and it is reckoned that the construction costs will be around $280m. The long term goal is to create around 10,000 new jobs in the area. There are believed to be at least four other projects which include Le Bourget (an executive jet airport, which is close to Sarcelles), Evry in the south of Paris and two in the east at Melun and Disneyland Paris. Magny-Cours is also hoping to retain the race. Beltoise and Pupponi argue that their project will help develop a region which needs help while the Disneyland idea will simply add to an area which is already on the up. The project will include a $170m stadium complex with 150,000 seats, 40,000 of them under cover. This would be used for the race and for other sports. The site is located close to the D104 Paris ring road, known as La Francilienne, and is very convenient for Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. The area lies under the western flight path of the airport and so noise will not be as big a problem as might be the case in other locations. Grandprix.com

09/09/08 (GMM) The French commune Sarcelles, in the northern suburbs of Paris, could be ready to host the French grand prix by 2011.

That is the information of Frenchman and former grand prix driver Jean-Pierre Beltoise, who is closely involved in the Sarcelles bid.

"We are very well located," Sarcelles mayor Francois Pupponi said recently. "We are 20 kilometers from the Eiffel Tower, near hotels and the airport, and well served by the highway."

Beltoise questioned reports that an alternative venue for the French grand prix, currently held at Magny-Cours, could be ready by 2010.

"Who is going to be ready for 2010? We will be ready for 2011," he said.

The future of the French GP is set to be discussed by the French motor racing federation, and representatives of up to five alternative venues, at a meeting in October.

09/08/08 It is no secret that Bernie Ecclestone is eagerly trying to find an alternative to host a French Grand Prix as Magny-Cours' infrastructure is found outdated. Five different alternatives are currently known and will be evaluated by the French automobile federation to determine the best option.

At the time of writing, 5 projects are the most likely to be chosen from: those of Marne-la-Vallee (Disneyland which is favored by Bernie Ecclestone), Le Bourget, Evry, Melun and Sarcelles.

The leading opinion is a revolutionary circuit at Marne-la-Vallée is under consideration, local governments have confirmed. The project involving Disneyland Paris is backed by Formula One champion Alain prost and the Lagardère group which would operate as the event promoter. It involves an investment of at least 50 million Euro, partly because it very much takes the environment under consideration. Architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte went to the drawing board. He also worked on the Melun project, putting forward a genuine desire to build the first "green circuit" of history: photovoltaic cells to produce electricity site, plants absorb CO2 emissions, noise walls, etc…

EuroDisney itself meanwhile, "formally denies being involved" in a draft circuit in Val d'Europe. "We are happy to make our land a future devolved to the third Disney park," said an official of the leisure giant, which denies having been approached by Lagardère. However, Arnaud de Belenet, the chairman of Val d'Europe: "Last spring, I have learned with amazement that the direction of Disney had commissioned studies on flows Road and absorptive capacity of public transit in the metropolitan area, for an annual event type Grand Prix F1".

Four outsiders are also still in the race. The Sarcelles project set up by former driver Jean-Pierre Beltoise is codenamed "Pôle Val de France". The details of which have only recently been uncovered: drawn under the direction of the architect Gilles Terrones, the complex aims to qualify HQE (high environmental quality) and would be built on 110 ha of land currently owned by the state.

The circuit, whose layout is yet to be determined, would comprise of 150.000 seats, 40.000 of which covered. The project is particularly supported by the former president of PSG, Charles Biétry.

Little is known on the remaining possibilities. All that is known from the Evry entry is that it is located in an oval with a road course in the centre of it.

The site chosen by Melun is close to the Villaroche airport. It should be 5.2 km long and requires an investment of approximately 140 M€. Source: leparisien.fr