Politics steered France return off track - Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that politics have stalled France’s return to the F1 calendar.

Until former president Nicolas Sarkozy lost the country’s recent general election, France looked destined for a spot on the 2013 calendar, with Paul Ricard thereafter alternating an annual race date with Belgium.

But the new president François Hollande had warned that he would "review" the F1 project, his sports minister Valerie Fourneyron adding that the issue "deserves more attention than ten minutes".

"I think maybe the election that has taken place might have put that back a bit," admitted Bernie Ecclestone when asked about the French project.

"When that all settles down I’m sure we’ll get back on track — literally," he told CNN in Monaco.

"I think you will have to wait and see if we see more. Only time will tell," added Ecclestone.