From GMM
With the world in recession, the pendulum may have swung back in favour of a Canadian grand prix on circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
Bernie Ecclestone and the Montreal organisers fell out over a financial dispute, resulting in the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - or any other venue in North America - not featuring on the 2009 calendar.
But Raymond Bachand, the minister of finance in the Quebec government, confirmed to local CJAD radio that discussions with the F1 chief executive are back on.
"There's many countries that cannot hold a grand prix today that were targeted by the grand prix (authorities)," he is quoted as saying.
Bachand also acknowledged that influential F1 figures are desperate for the sport to return to the American continent.
Asked about Ecclestone's similar desire, he said: "He called us back, he brought back a proposal, we commented, he's rethinking."
Bachand said Montreal is minimally seeking a five-year deal at the "right price", but admitted that formula one is important to the government.
"We've lost money by not having a grand prix," he said.
photo:WRI2
With the world in recession, the pendulum may have swung back in favour of a Canadian grand prix on circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
Bernie Ecclestone and the Montreal organisers fell out over a financial dispute, resulting in the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - or any other venue in North America - not featuring on the 2009 calendar.
But Raymond Bachand, the minister of finance in the Quebec government, confirmed to local CJAD radio that discussions with the F1 chief executive are back on.
"There's many countries that cannot hold a grand prix today that were targeted by the grand prix (authorities)," he is quoted as saying.
Bachand also acknowledged that influential F1 figures are desperate for the sport to return to the American continent.
Asked about Ecclestone's similar desire, he said: "He called us back, he brought back a proposal, we commented, he's rethinking."
Bachand said Montreal is minimally seeking a five-year deal at the "right price", but admitted that formula one is important to the government.
"We've lost money by not having a grand prix," he said.
photo:WRI2