David Douillet, the French sports minister, has insisted that plans for the return of a French Grand Prix to the Formula One calendar are still on track for success, despite a relative lack of movement on the issue over recent weeks.
France has been pushing for a return to the F1 calendar in recent years, with the French prime minister Francois Fillon setting up a 'task force' last year to work on reviving the race.
The French Grand Prix is the oldest GP race in motorsport, dating back to 1906, but the race vanished from the F1 schedule after the 2008 race.
Efforts to revive the race have struggled, but reports from earlier this year suggested that a new deal was close.
The current plan is to host the race at the Paul Ricard track, sharing a slot on the calendar with the financially-troubled Belgian Grand Prix.
And despite a lack of recent headlines on the proposed deal, Douillet has insisted that the plan to bring the race back is still alive.
"[It] is not dead," he told the French TF1 channel recently, "We have three new French drivers in F1 and so we have to have a Grand Prix de France."
He explained that FOM chief Bernie Ecclestone was prepared to negotiate a new slot-sharing deal between France and Belgium.
"France is the land of the grand prix," he bellowed, "I met with Bernie Ecclestone and he is totally willing to share it between Belgium and France.
"He has mobilised and motivated local governments for the financing of the event, even if we are yet to have all the details from our Belgian friends.
"There are also some details to go with one or two of the close cities. We are almost there."
He did not suggest a timeframe for the race's return, but earlier this year Le Figaro newspaper in Paris suggested that a September 2013 date had been pencilled in.
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