Should Spa and the French GP at Paul Ricard alternate?

[WhiteBlue]

It has been discussed to share the Belgian GP with France and to run it at Paul Ricard (Le Castellet). What do you think of it?

IMO it is not good for the fans. I do not miss the French GP much and I would badly miss Spa every second year. Spa is simply unique. Dropping the race every second year would be crime to F1. It is by far the greatest driver track in the world and it has very modern safety standards. Killing the Turkish race was bad, but alternating Spa would be worse.

[Richard]

Of course we all want Spa every year. However I'd rather have alternating than nothing.

[timbo]

Of course we all want Spa every year. However I'd rather have alternating than nothing.

Yeah. If it's alternate or nothing, I'd agree.

[Just_a_fan]

Keep Spa, dump Valencia. Simple.

[SeijaKessen]

Of course we all want Spa every year. However I'd rather have alternating than nothing.

Yeah. If it's alternate or nothing, I'd agree.

I agree as well.

Too bad they won't get rid of the garbage GP's in Asia and the Middle East.

[SeijaKessen]

Keep Spa, dump Valencia. Simple.

Firebomb Valencia out of existence...

[Morteza]

Keep Spa, dump Valencia. Simple.

Exactly =D>

[Raptor22]

No, we should have both.
Spa-Francochamps because it is simply the best circirt in F1 today. France should have a GP becauses its one of the biggest auto manufacturing countries in the world even if their market share is 55% diesel

[mx_tifoso]

If Spa is struggling to keep the race on a yearly basis then alternating with Magny-Cours might be a good option. It's better to have both than neither. And the fact that France isn't represented is blasphemy, considering its role in the Grand Prix era and motorsport in general.

[bhall]

If Spa is struggling to keep the race on a yearly basis then the economic model is irreparably broken. In the world of F1, it's as close as is possible to being the consensus favorite among drivers and fans alike. Such status should be enough to guarantee its place on the calendar every year.

[Richard]

I think Spa's financial problem is that it needs an update. I gather access is poor, the local grumble about disruption, it's not near a big town/city and facilities aren't up to modern expectations.

It sounds like they are going through the same issues that hit Silverstone before it got redeveloped. Not helped by Bernie expecting every circuit to be a simple green field construction project bankrolled by some wealthy sponsor. Silverstone showed it is possible to build a business model for a traditional circuit, I hope that example helps Spa sort itself out.

[scuderiafan]

I think they should alternate, not because it would be good to have the French GP back, but because the number of GP's is growing and is already too high. If I recall correctly, Spa had some financial issues as of late, and alternating with the French GP would be a good solution for them.

[spacer]

Alternating the GP's would only make things more difficult for Spa to earn back any investments made to upgrade the track.

[scuderiafan]

Alternating the GP's would only make things more difficult for Spa to earn back any investments made to upgrade the track.

I believe they hold enough races there that they could still rake in a profit, and upgrade the track or whatever they want to do, without spending ridiculous amounts to hold a Grand Prix there.

[WhiteBlue]

Spa's uniqueness should be recognized similarly as Monaco's. Monaco brings glamour but Spa brings classical racing challenges on a fun track that has been made safe by massive investment in the past decades. Silverstone cannot even come anywhere near to the dramatic whether and elevation changes that Spa regularly provides. The FiA should simply tell Bernie that Spa is protected and must be run each year. This very poll confirms the result of every poll of the past. Spa is simply irreplaceable.