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Canada want grand prix back

The relevant authorities in the Canadian government have said that they would very much like the Canadian Grand Prix to return in the near future, and that it is a strong possibility.

The Montreal event was axed this year after the authorities and F1’s commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone failed to come to a financial agreement. The news dismayed fans in North America and around the world because the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve consistently produced exciting, incident-filled races. But Raymond Bachand, a minister in the regional Quebec government, confirmed to local CJAD radio that he had re-opened negotiations with Ecclestone.

“He called us back, he brought back a proposal, we commented, he’s rethinking.”

Ecclestone is thought to have re-opened discussions because of the possibility that proposed new events will be scuppered by the global economic crisis. Bachand appeared to confirm that view.

“There’s many countries that cannot hold a grand prix today that were targeted by the grand prix (authorities),” he went on to say, although he would not specify particular cases.

Bachand finished by saying that the event was economically important to the region, and that there were many voices across the country willing the race to return to Canada.

“We’ve lost money by not having a grand prix,” he said.

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