The regional audit office highlights a deficient management of the French Formula 1 Grand Prix at Castellet. The event, led by Christian Estrosi, has left a deficit of over 28 million euros. A debt of 12 million remains to be reimbursed, dividing the local authorities.
The French Formula 1 Grand Prix, organized in Castellet from 2018 to 2022, did not just bow out by exiting the international calendar. It also plunged its organizers into financial and judicial turmoil. The Public Interest Group (GIP) that handled the event was dissolved in March 2024. The regional audit office PACA, in a provisional report consulted by Le Monde, sheds light on a series of dysfunctions.
According to the newspaper, the document, dated December 3, 2024, mentions an “unsustainable economic model”, “governance failures”, and “irregularities” in the awarding of public contracts. The GIP was set up at the initiative of Christian Estrosi, then president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. This structure brought together about ten southeastern local authorities. Together, they funded the organization of the race on the Paul Ricard circuit, in the Var.
But the outcome is grim: 28.1 million euros in cumulative losses over four editions, for a total revenue of 137 million. The GIP ended up in liquidation, leaving behind an unsettled debt of 12 million euros. A judicial investigation has been ongoing since September 2023. It targets alleged acts of favoritism, embezzlement of public funds, and concealment.
Inequal treatment between local authorities
It is now the member authorities of the GIP that are being asked to cover the debt. The PACA region and the Nice Metropolis have already paid 20 million euros. A remaining bill of 12 million is yet to be shared. And this is where tensions rise.
The urban community of South Sainte-Baume refuses to pay the sum of 750,000 euros it is being asked for. This contribution far exceeds that required from larger communities. The department of the Var and the metropolis of Toulon Provence Méditerranée (MTPM), though each representing almost 15% of the GIP, owe only 480,000 euros each.
Jean-Paul Joseph, mayor of Bandol and president of the South Sainte-Baume community, denounces a treatment he considers “unfair and inequitable”. During a press conference held on May 5, he declared: “we represent 2.2% of the GIP. The Toulon metropolis and the Var department, which represent 14.8%, only owe 484,000 euros each. It seems unfair and inequitable to me.”
In April, his community issued a first check of 70,000 euros, or 10% of what the trustee is demanding. He considers this amount insufficient and maintains his original request. Jean-Paul Joseph speaks of “direct pressures” and calls the tactics “thuggish methods”. He claims not to understand the hostility towards his community: “I observe with great astonishment a glaring hostility from these three giants towards our small community. I do not know the reason. Perhaps bad political habits have been taken by the leaders who have been at the helm for years.”
An affair mired in a tense political context
The disagreement between the local authorities is not just a matter of numbers. It is also playing out amid political tensions. With municipal elections a year away, some elected officials fear the local repercussions of this affair. Meanwhile, the debt continues to grow each month, by about 150,000 euros according to estimates.
Moreover, the accusations are not limited to the mere sharing of the debt. Jean-Paul Joseph has shared a document with journalists present at his press conference. It mentions “the overall lifestyle of the GIP” and claims to have seen “several potential criminal offenses”. He plans to seek the public prosecutor’s opinion on the progress of the investigation and reserves the right to become a civil party.
The report of the regional audit office is still provisional. The GIP’s officials and the local authorities involved can respond before its final publication, expected in the summer. However, the initial conclusions reinforce the belief that the governance of the Grand Prix at Castellet was marred by a series of failures.
Public officials will now have to reach an agreement to settle a debt that continues to weigh heavily on local finances.
