End Of Dispute May Clear Way For F1 Canadian Grand Prix Return

GPF1 Says Settlement Has Been Reached In Its Financial Dispute With F1 Administration

F1 Canadian Grand Prix promoter Grand Prix F1 du Canada (GPF1) yesterday announced a settlement was reached "in its financial dispute with the Formula One Administration" and F1 Management Chair Bernie Ecclestone, overcoming the "last chicane in an effort to bring back" the race next season, according to Randy Phillips of the Montreal GAZETTE. GPF1 CEO Normand Legault yesterday said an announcement is "forthcoming to the effect that the Canadian Grand Prix will be back on the FIA calendar as of 2010." This year's race was cancelled "because of a dispute between Legault and Ecclestone, with the latter reportedly having said he was owed" C$12M by GPF1 for the last three races in Montreal. GPF1 VP/Marketing Paul Wilson said that "no details of how the dispute was resolved would be made public because of 'a confidential agreement' between Legault and Ecclestone." Wilson: "Let's just put it this way, it's to our very great satisfaction." The '09 season "marked the first time in more than 20 years that the race in Montreal was dropped from the F1 calendar," but Ecclestone last month confirmed that a race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve "had been listed on the F1 world championship's 2010 provisional calendar." Yesterday's announcement "also officially marks the end of Legault's involvement as promoter of the Canadian Grand Prix." Legault: "I had already announced last fall that I no longer wished to fill that role, in view of the economic model currently prevailing in Formula One, which has now made it impossible to put on an event like this strictly with private investors, and no government assistance" (Montreal GAZETTE, 9/15).

YELLOW FLAG: Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay and Quebec Minister of Finance Raymond Bachand, who have been "involved in negotiations to bring the Canadian Grand Prix back to Montreal," said that "talk of a deal is premature." The two said that they are "being prudent in the face of" Legault announcing the "imminent return of the popular Formula One race" (CP, 9/15). Bachand: "The negotiations are actually over, but we haven't signed anything yet but we're very confident" (CBC.ca, 9/14).