France set for 2018 F1 calendar return (Update)

Start 1983 French GP at Paul Ricard

UPDATE After a 10-year absence, Formula 1 "will make its return" to France in '18, according to LE PARISIEN. But "against all odds" the race will be held at the Castellet dans le Var circuit, the site of the French Grand Prix in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and not the Magny-Cours dans la Nievre, the host of the last French GP in '08.

The official announcement will be made on Monday in Paris at a press conference organized by the Automobile Club of France. LE PARISIEN.

REUTERS' Alan Baldwin reported F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said, "Yes, I think it will happen."

He indicated that France "was likely to be scheduled for a July date rather than the late August or early September slot reported in French media."

Ecclestone: "More or less sort of the German date." Germany "has been axed" from the '17 calendar due to financial reasons, despite the country having world champions in Mercedes and Nico Rosberg, but Hockenheim still has a contract to host the loss-making race in '18.

The Castellet has been "fully renovated and is now owned by Ecclestone's family trust, which will not be involved in hosting the race."

A five-year deal had reportedly been agreed to with the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region in association with the city of Toulon, department of Var and the French motorsport association (FFSA). REUTERS

Start of the 1978 French GP at Paul Ricard. John Watson (Brabham) led into turn 1 but he was passed by Mario Andretti at the end of Lap 1 and Andretti drove to victory

12/02/16 (GMM) After a decade's absence, France will return to the F1 calendar in 2018.

That is the claim of several authoritative French-language media sources, including the L'Equipe daily, RMC and Europe 1 radio, and the Auto Hebdo magazine.

They say that although the last French grand prix was held at Magny Cours in 2008, the event will now return in 2018 at the Paul Ricard track with an late August or early September date and a five-year contract.

The news will reportedly be made official on Monday, through an announcement in Paris by the Automobile Club de France.

L'Equipe said French F1 legend Alain Prost and McLaren team boss Eric Boullier were involved with the negotiations, while Paul Ricard is owned by Bernie Ecclestone.

The news follows hot on the heels of the controversial dropping from the 2017 calendar of the similarly historic German grand prix.

Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn told Deutschlandfunk radio: "It's time for us to get better races rather than just the most money."