Three years after the last race, the debt of the French Formula 1 Grand Prix continues to weigh on local governments. A new call for funds of over 3.6 million euros has just been approved, fueling tensions and disputes.
On July 8, the board of directors of the Public Interest Group (GIP) of the French F1 Grand Prix in Le Castellet validated a second call for funds. Its amount exceeds 3.6 million euros. The goal: to reduce a total debt estimated at nearly 34 million euros. Part of this sum covers moratory interest still being calculated.
Among the contributors solicited are local governments in Var and the Nice metropolitan area. The Department of Var and the Toulon Provence Mรฉditerranรฉe Metropolis must each pay a little over 1.2 million euros. Aix-Marseille Provence, the Var Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Department of Bouches-du-Rhรดne are also called on to contribute, with amounts ranging from 110,000 to 330,000 euros.
The Sud Sainte Baume agglomeration community will have to pay 183,000 euros. This figure is lower than the 750,000 euros initially demanded from them. But local officials still denounce an unequal treatment.
Persistent tensions
This new call for funds is aimed at repaying several creditors. Some companies have been waiting for over a year for payment for services rendered. Among them are Manpower, Loxam, Comquest, as well as the national gendarmerie, amounting to 300,000 euros.
In February, a first call for funds of 1.25 million euros allowed part of eight creditors to be paid. The liquidator of the GIP, Bernard de Froment, talks about a “small steps policy.” The idea: to move forward step by step, waiting for all the disputes to be resolved.
Not all cases are closed. The company Excelis, manager of the Paul-Ricard circuit, contests the refusal to pay for certain services, notably a press room costing around one million euros. A legal battle is underway, between the Administrative Court of Toulon and the Tribunal of Conflicts. An amicable agreement is anticipated by the end of the year.
In Sud Sainte Baume, anger remains strong. Its president, Jean-Paul Joseph, publicly expressed himself on May 5: “we represent 2.2% of the GIP. The Toulon metropolis and the Var department, which represent 14.8%, are only asked for 484,000 euros. It seems unfair and inequitable to me.”
He also mentions “direct pressure” and “thuggish methods.” He says he does not understand the attitude of the main government partners of the project, which he describes as “mastodons.”
In this tense climate, the provisional report from the regional chamber of accounts for the PACA region, dated December 2024, adds to the confusion. It mentions an “unsustainable” economic model, governance failures, and irregularities in public procurement management.
An ongoing judicial investigation since September 2023 targets alleged acts of favoritism, embezzlement of public funds, and concealment. The final report is expected this summer. Meanwhile, the debts are accumulating. Each month, the interest would increase by approximately 150,000 euros.
