Hope still remains for French GP
PARIS, France (Reuters) -- Next year's French Grand Prix has not yet definitely been called off, France's sports minister said on Saturday.
Earlier this week Marcel Charmant, president of the local council in the Nievre region, said the company running Magny-Cours could not pay Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone the guarantees he required ahead of the race.
Minister Jean-Francois Lamour said that a decision had yet to be taken by the "competent authorities."
He said he would be supporting efforts by the French motor racing federation to persuade the sport's ruling body, the FIA, to keep the race on the 2004 calendar "for the good of motor sport."
In an interview with the local newspaper Journal du Centre on Saturday, Charmant said the 2003 Grand Prix had made a loss for the second year running.
According to the L'Equipe website, the department in central France which contains Magny-Cours will be asked next month to stump up 4.5 million euros ($5.34 million) to cover the 2003 deficit.
When the FIA announced their 2004 calendar in September, the Magny-Cours race was said to be "subject to contract."
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