French GP has asked FIA to approve track changes

Promoted to managing director of French Grand Prix, Eric Boullier is hoping that FIA gives approval to a redesign of the Circuit Paul Ricard’s first sector.

Last year’s French GP was heavily criticised by drivers and fans alike as a boring race.

As such Paul Ricard officials vowed to make changes. Those, however, first have to get the go-ahead from the FIA.

“We are going to redesign all the first sector, basically,” Boullier said in an exclusive interview with RaceFans.

“There is a target which is to make the lap time a bit faster and maybe push the F1 teams to run lower downforce level.

“But we [will] also create another big opportunity for overtaking.

“Clearly this one help also the second one, which is before the chicane.”

But while changes could be made to the circuit, one thing that won’t be altered is the chicane on the Mistral Straight.

Boullier says that will stay in place.

“We don’t want to change the DNA of the track. We have this famous Signes corner [Turn 10] which maybe is the fastest one in the whole calendar, plus the double Beausset Turn 11],” he added.

“So we have keep the DNA of the track. But we have found some opportunities to improve drastically the capacity of the cars to overtake each other.

The organisers have the race have already approached the FIA about the changes.

“We have sent our proposal to the FIA in order to obtain the homologation,” Boullier told France’s L’Equipe.

The 2020 French Grand Prix will take place on 28 June.

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