The aforementioned department was supposed to provide the base for a newly-constructed circuit – known as the Flins-Les-Mureaux project – to replace the old and unattractive Magny-Cours circuit on the map of Formula One. However, the political turmoil caused by this project has made Schmidt abandon the whole idea of building a new F1 facility in France.
“I really feel that we were not as supported as I had hoped,” said Schmidt, according to a bunch of reports in France, as presented by the GMM news agency.
“Having consulted all the stakeholders, I have decided, in agreement with the Conseil, to abandon construction of a Formula One circuit,” added the president of the Conseil General of Yvelines.
Ever since the Flins-Les-Mureaux project was officially launched in France, it encountered plenty of criticism from local environmental associations. In addition, although the French PM Francois Fillon officially declared his personal support for the project, the large part of the French parliamentarians decided against the launch of the building process due to environmental issues.
Therefore, yesterday's announcement was more like of a “Chronicle of a Death Foretold,” as it never really benefit from a strong support from the French politicians.
Under the circumstances, France's comeback to F1 in 2011 becomes an unlikely prospect for the F1 fans, the only solution for that problem being a potential restoration of the Magny Cours circuit with a huge money input from either the French government or private investors.
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