We're not sure what has more clout: Mickey Mouse, Alain Prost or 60 million euros, but the combination of the three was still not enough to get the French Grand Prix back on track. The race, previously held at the Magny Cours circuit in rural France, was removed from the 2009 calendar after organizers couldn't cough up the cash, and almost immediately other parties began filing queue to acquire the rights. The leading tender was spearheaded by Prost, the French former world champion, and backed by promoters Lagadere Sports and Euro Disney. Lagadere would provide the 60 million needed to finance the project, while Disneyland Paris would provide the land for the new circuit to be constructed. The theme park is just a 30-minute drive from metropolitan Paris, and already has plenty of hotel accommodations on site. However, the plan has now fallen apart due to lack of funding and following protests over the prospect of noise and environmental pollution by local residents who intend instead to go back to force-feeding geese and chain-smoking Gauloises.

The Euro Disney proposal was seen as the only viable option for getting the French GP back on for 2010, and its collapse means that Formula One will in all likelihood will not return to France until 2011 at the earliest. Still, the idea has merit, and makes us wonder if the US Grand Prix couldn't do well in Orlando or Anaheim.

[Source: F1-Live]

Euro Disney Grand Prix plans shelved originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click above for a high-res gallery from the 2008 French Grand Prix.

The 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship had its standings mixed up yet again as the world's best duked it out for victory at the French Grand Prix at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.

This year's race could, however, prove the last to be held at the historic track which has hosted the event for the past 17 years. With the facilities falling below the standard demanded of F1 circuits, discussions will now begin on whether the race will continue there next year, move to an alternative location (possibly at EuroDisney near Paris or Bernie Ecclestone's Paul Ricard circuit in the south), or ultimately be removed from the calendar entirely to make room for another race in Asia.

Follow the jump to read how the swan song played out.

Gallery: 2008 French Grand Prix

Continue reading 2008 French Grand Prix: Domination from Start to Finish

2008 French Grand Prix: Domination from Start to Finish originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.