The future of the Canadian Grand Prix is all but secured following discussions between race organisers and Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of the Formula One Group. According to the Englishman, only small finalisations now stand between a decade-long race deal.
Earlier this year, Ecclestone explained that the Montreal race would need to freshen up its facilities, especially the outdated pit building; organisers responded quickly, acknowledging that the necessary modifications would be made prior to the 2013 event. This follows a disagreement ahead of 2009, when the race was taken off the calendar for the season.
“We have agreed on the annual fee, which will soon be paid,” Ecclestone told Canada’s La Presse. “That is not a problem. We just want the agreement for a rebuild. We are talking about an upgrade, but it doesn’t have to be another Abu Dhabi. If the Montreal facilities can compare to what they did at Silverstone, that would be good. Canada is an important country for us and we intend to keep going there.”
On the other hand, Ecclestone shows little sympathy for students whose protesting disrupted parts of the F1 race weekend, including the cancellation of Thursday’s pit lane walkabout.
“I am a bit disappointed by the events going on there,” he continues. “I find it all a bit misplaced after what happened in Bahrain. Moreover, they (the Province of Quebec) has the lowest tuition fees in Canada and studying here in general is cheaper than in many other parts of the world.”
The circuit made its debut in 1978, with Gilles Villeneuve winning for Ferrari before the circuit took adapted his name following the tragic accident at Zolder in 1982.
Series
Formula 1
Personalities
Bernie Ecclestone
Other
Get your official Formula 1 tickets at Sportstadium.com
| Bernie Ecclestone | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
| More Bernie Ecclestone photos | |||
English
Nederlands
Español
Italiano
