Estrosi believes that F1 should come back to Paul Ricard instead of Paris.

      A key figure from the now-defunct French Grand Prix has dismissed the idea of the sport making a return to France with a race in Paris. Flavio Briatore, influential advisor to Renault's Formula 1 team Alpine, made headlines last week by claiming a race in the French capital would be "magnificent."

      "Not at Le Castellet (Paul Ricard) and not at Magny Cours either, where there is nothing," the Italian remarked. "In Paris. Castellet was unmanageable due to traffic. No, Formula 1 deserves a grand prix in Paris."

      The most recent French GP took place at Paul Ricard in 2022, with Christian Estrosi playing a significant role. Estrosi, who is also the mayor of Nice, had been involved in efforts to establish a grand prix in that city as well. However, he stated in an interview with Le Parisien that neither Paris nor Nice appear to be viable or timely options.

      When asked about other alternatives, he mentioned, "Le Mans, but the Bugatti circuit needs extensive renovations. Magny Cours suffers from poor accessibility and a limited hotel capacity," Estrosi noted. He concluded that Paul Ricard, located about an hour's drive from Marseille in Le Castellet, remains the most sensible option for hosting the French GP again. "This is still the best opportunity today to hold the French GP once more," Estrosi asserted.