Soon a Nice Grand Prix? The city already had one 90 years ago

• "There is an incredible project with Nice, which wants a Grand Prix," Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali told

  L'Equipe

  .

• It would not be a first for the capital of the French Riviera, which hosted its own automobile Grand Prix on the Promenade des Anglais in the 1930s and 1940s.

Tiers installed with their backs to the pebbles and racing cars at top speed on the seaside?

In mid-June, in

, Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali hinted that the French Riviera capital could host the future French Grand Prix as the contract with the Le Castellet circuit expires this year.

“There is an incredible project with Nice, which wants” its own stage, he explained, while reaffirming the possibility of alternating between several destinations.

In any case, this would not be a first for the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture.

From 1932 to 1935, then in 1946 and 1947, the Grand Prix automobile de Nice, sometimes referred to as the “Grand Prix international de la ville de Nice” or more simply “Grand Prix de Nice”, already attracted the best racers of the time.

In 1934, 50,000 spectators on the prom'

The event had met with some success with the public, especially in its early days.

In the columns of

dated August 20, 1934, which

was able to consult on Retronews, the site of the National Library of France, Jean Rouillot wrote that "the crowd had flocked to Nice by train, cars, coaches, boats" and this "from the early hours of the morning".

In total, that year, "more than 50,000 people crowded into the various venues" to witness the coronation of Italian Achille Varzi, driving an Alfa Romeo.

Organized on the Promenade des Anglais and around the Albert-1er garden, on a 3.2 km loop, the event had been nicknamed "the brake race", also reported

of August 19, 1935. "All cars had finished, indeed, with this important organ, completely worn out”, it was written.

A petition already online to oppose it

A demanding city circuit.

And an organization signed Jean Médecin, deputy-mayor, also president of the Festival Committee and of the Nice Côte d'Azur Automobile Club, which Christian Estrosi would therefore like to revive?

Asked, the city councilor, who is also president of the Public Interest Group Grand Prix de France, does not deny.

He is simply pleased that Nice is "at the center of all interests as a destination for the organization of the most prestigious sporting events".

“You will know more by the end of July,” promises Stefano Domenicali.

The Castellet circuit will host (for the last time?) the Grand Prix de France on the 24th of the month.

The Citizen Collective 06 for its part did not wait for a possible formalization to say “no” to this hypothetical Grand Prix de France in Nice.

A petition has collected just over 1,500 signatures on change.org.

“While the city is very noisy and polluted, the mayor is multiplying projects in the opposite direction of environmental, health and social emergencies”, advances the collective.

A vision shared by the former elected PS of Nice Patrick Allemand, who adds: “This Grand Prix [in town] can never seem anything other than the poor relation of […] that of Monaco”.

Sport

Formula 1: Towards a French Grand Prix in Nice?

Sport

Formula 1: “We are not going to put a pillow in the car”… the phenomenon of porpoising agitates the paddocks

• Sport

• Nice

• Formula 1 (F1)

• Grand prize

• Paca