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South Africa Turns Down F1 Return

Shortly after the FIA and the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) made peace for the well-being of Formula One, the latter started discussing the return of historical venues into the Great Circle. After the FOTA publicly announced their new plan, some of the old circuits became increasingly hopeful that they'll once again see F1 action in their back yard.

Such was the case of South Africa, who last hosted a Formula One event back in 1993, at Kyalami. Since the last South African Grand Prix, not a single word came out about the possibility of the African country making a comeback into the series until a few months ago.

Considering Formula One's new policy towards historical circuits, it was then reported by the GMM news agency that “the Gauteng Motor Sport Company, set up by the provincial government, had enlisted the services of an independent analyst to perform an economic-impact study on what the sport could bring to the region (of province Gauteng).”

Unfortunately for the South African fans, all those reports seem to have turned to dust late last week. It was the very Gauteng Economic Development minister Firoz Cachalia that confirmed the fact that the money for such a project will be used for job creation (not that the building of a major circuit to host F1 races would require a whole lot of jobs).

It seems the latest reports coming from Europe – especially the ones from Germany (Hockenheim Ring) and France (Magny-Cours) – as well as from the Japanese officials of Fuji Speedway have made the South African representatives look the other way. Most of the European venues that are currently hosting F1 races are now struggling with financial problems, arguing that the F1 events are money-losing to begin with.

Even Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, who was recently promised a spot in next year's Formula One calendar by Bernie Ecclestone, is yet to decide on their F1 return. According to Montreal's mayor Gerald Tremblay, Bernie's latest offer is simply “unacceptable”.
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