ACO rejects FIA idea of F1 at Le Mans

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An FIA request about the possibility of hosting a French Grand Prix at Le Mans has been rejected by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO).

The French Grand Prix has been absent from the F1 calendar since the last edition of the race at Magny Cours in 2008. ACO president Pierre Fillon has revealed the FIA asked about the possibility of racing at Le Mans using the Bugatti Circuit but Fillon believes there is nothing to be gained by doing so.

"I don't think it would bring anything," Fillon told Le Maine Libre. "We would need to invest 17 or 18 million Euros and finance this investment via the ticket booths exclusively. At best we would be breaking even on such an event."

The Bugatti Circuit is 2.65 miles long and hosts MotoGP among other racing categories, while the Le Mans 24 Hour race runs on the 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. This year's edition of the iconic endurance race takes place on the same weekend as the inaugural Grand Prix of Europe in Baku.

2016 sees a record 21-race calendar for Formula 1, with the German Grand Prix also returning after being absent from last year's schedule.

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