Looks like F1 are trying to include a french track for 2013.
I will try to find an English link.
Here is a French link for the mo. http://sports.orange.fr/infos/f1/201204/la-france-a-faim-de-f1_409703.html

Mmm Now having read it through,its an outside chance really. Swapping on a yearly basis with Spa !!!. Where is Jim when i need him ?

Yes. the chance of it happening does look a bit remote.

It looks like an interministerial meeting has agreed in principle to form a committee to finance a Grand Prix with public money. It talks of the big question being negotiating with F1 paymaster Bernie Ecclestone.

It seems that Spa could be taken off the calendar after 2012 as it's contract expires then and the Walloon government has to be prepared to make financial guarantees to the ownners of Formula 1 which could be difficult with far east rivals being prepared to pay a lot for the privilege of hosting GPs.

The French want to bring it back to the Paul Ricard circuit at Castellet in the Var which held GPs until 4 years ago, alternating with the Belgian Spa- Francorchamps circuit.

F1 wouldn't be the same without Spa. Why can't they alternate Paul Ricard with 1 of the more boring tracks.

I really hope the other teams come up with a more elegant solution to the new nose regulations than Caterham have. That thing looks like a duck billed platypus from the front 3/4!

Ferrari reveal new Highland dancing team .......scroll down to the photo!

I'd rather not know how the guy with the beard is lifting Filippe Massa off the ground

He's clearly not using his hands....!

Sutil, complete with criminal record; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16810585

Muppet!!!

(Sutil, not you, Stan )

Re: earlier comments about French GP - petep has it bang on, except it's been a lot longer than 4 years since the last GP in the Var!
It's a lovely spot, Le Castellet, but the traffic will be nothing short of horrific if there isn't major infrastructure upgrading.

Beginning to get excited about the season ahead. I think the cars are going to be interesting, if not exactly classically beautiful!

Ferrari seem to have committed to a different design, with shortened sidepods. Will the gamble pay off?

Yes, you are right Jim it was Magny Cours near Nevers that hosted the last French GPs wasn't it.

Magny Cours was a lovely track.

Years ago, when I was involved in keeping the Canal de Nivernais open I used to go to a village cafe in the area run by a family named Magny.

McLaren launch today, sorry no link as I'm using my phone to post this! Looks like they have a much more elegant solution to the nose issue than Caterham!!

Here's one link..... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/16831074

"McLaren have not won the constructors' title since 1998."

Bloomn eck! Has it really been that long?!

If it goes as well as it looks Ferrari have it in the bag!

My word, that is one ugly nose!

You think? Commendably brave and innovative, but that broken nose spoils the looks for me. I think the McLaren is a prettier beast.

? more like

I'll admit it now......we don't have a sarcasm smiley

Oh Stan, you old joker!

(I don't have any smileys!)

Talking of crooked noses; Force India seem to have been in a fight too!

Has anyone listened to Gary Anderson's view on the new McLaren via the iPlayer?

He seems to think they've gone down the wrong path with their 'pretty' interpretation of the new rules.

Could be McLaren are the odd ones out

heres a few more Force India

(not sure if oyu need a facebook login??)

Can I propose negative points for having a car that's sodding ugly? To be decided by the Coupe Club F1 threads. Make F1 a bit more like QI.

Seriously, F1 wants to be a global sport. And has chosen to achieve this by having a grid of cars that look like they have been in a fight. And lost. WTF?

Hmmm. So that's Caterham, Ferrari and Force India all going down the duck billed platypus route, and only McLaren (so far) building something 'pretty'. I hope the old adage of it looks right it goes right works here, and the others soon adopt a similar approach. Or hav McLaren got it badly wrong for the sake of aesthetics?

Time will tell I guess.

Lotus copy the broken nose design....... but it doesn't look quite as bad as some of the others.