Former French GP criticised over ’flawed’ management
"Everyone knew that it would be loss-making"
The organisation of the former French GP has come under renewed scrutiny after a regional audit found what it described as "flawed" management of the event.
A report by France’s Regional Chamber of Accounts examined the public interest group that organised the Formula 1 race at Paul Ricard from 2018 until its removal from the calendar after 2023.
The report concluded that 103 million euros in public money was spent staging four grands prix, while questioning whether the economic benefits had been overstated.
"Everyone knew that it would be loss-making and would require public money," Xavier Lefort, president of the chamber, said.
However, he added that "the economic benefits have been significantly overestimated", with the report estimating them at 75 million euros compared with projections of 120m.
The auditors also criticised what they described as "irregular procedures" in the awarding of several contracts, generous executive remuneration, and governance failures.
The report comes as a judicial investigation opened in 2023 into alleged favouritism and misuse of public funds linked to the organisation of the French GP remains ongoing.