The Canadian Grand Prix is set to be definitively confirmed on the 2010 F1 World Championship calendar, and my ass is now set to be definitively confirmed to go!
The popular race was removed from the 2009 F1 schedule as the result of an ongoing financial dispute between Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Management (FOM) company and then race promoter Grand Prix du Canada, run by Normand Legault. The former’s stipulation for the grand prix to be re-instated was initially a staggering $175 million (CAN) over five years – but now it appears a deal has been hammered out for just $75 million (CAN).
At the end of what has been described as a ‘marathon’ of negotiations bedevilled by obstacles and ultimatums, an agreement has been reached between Ecclestone and the three levels of government involved, with the green light set to be given later this week to confirm the currently provisional June 13 date. The new race promoter will be Octane, directed by Legault’s long-time right-hand man François Dumontier.
The Canadian Grand Prix (known in French as the Grand Prix du Canada), was first held in 1961, and part of the World Championship since 1967. It was first staged at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario as a sports car event before it alternated between Mosport and Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Quebec after Formula One took over the event. After 1971 safety concerns led to the Grand Prix moving permanently to Mosport. In 1978 the Canadian Grand Prix moved to its current home on Île Notre-Dame in Montreal. In 2005, the Canadian Grand Prix was the most watched Formula One GP in the world. The race was also the third most watched sporting event on the planet, behind the first place Super Bowl XXXIX and the UEFA Champions League Final.
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