The new Secretary of Sport for the French government, Bernard Laporte, comes from a sporting background, where he carried out his entire career as both a player and then club trainer (Bègles Bordeaux, Stade Français) for the French Rugby team.

Laporte’s inexperience, compared to certain issues he will have to deal with in the next month, is in many ways compensated by his knowledge of the sport and the mysteries of the federation; by his prize portfolio (French Champion, victories in the six nations tournament, including two grand slams), which testifies to the value of the man and the sportsman.

Wounded by the French’s failure to England to host the 2012 Olympic Games, Bernard Laporte does not make a point of doing the same when it comes to the French Formula One Grand Prix….

“Like the Tour de France and Rolland Garros, the French GP belongs to the French people,” he explained to members of the team. “It is necessary to fight. For insufficient hotel resorts offer and road accessibility in particular, Bernie Ecclestone does not want to race at Magny-Cours. On the spot, people thus proposed a Magny-Cours project. It will be closely studied. Alternative projects, in Paris in particular, are also considered.”

Magny-Cours, Versailles, or another site, it won’t matter at the end of the day but it is essential for Laporte to completely satisfy the criteria of modern F1 so that the French GP is ever present on the calendars to come in Formula One.

“We do not know yet which will be the best option. Simply, let’s just do what it takes to save the French GP. Today there are competitors who are knocking on the door of the championship. We can regret it, but Ecclestone is free to do what he wants. If he says tomorrow that we do not have what is necessary, tears will flow. As for Paris 2012, one will say, ‘It is a pity’, but I do not want to cry anymore.”

He has promised that the future of the French GP will emerge in the coming months. At a time when Silverstone has for the thousandth time been put boosted by both the FIA and the FOM, France seems to have a sufficiently heavy and voluntary artillery in order to successfully ram the calendar of the F1 World Championship.  

“This is likely to end very quickly. He won’t wait long, especially as he has to give answers to other candidates. The Prime Minister, François Fillon, recently discussed this with Bernie over the telephone. There is no worries for 2008. But for 2009, we do not know. Ecclestone awaits a project worthy of this name, be it Magny-Cours, Paris, or elsewhere. He wants to see evolution. Let the people work. The State (Government) will support the best case, whatever it may be. We should see things more clearly at the end of the first quarter of 2008. I suppose that people who want to invest themselves in this project will come forward with solid cases.”