By Elmar Dreher, DPA
Magny-Cours (France) : Formula One left the Magny-Cours track in the French provinces for good Sunday after 17 years, and hardly any tears were shed.
"Magny-Cours is not a place for Formula One," said F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in the run-up, not even bothering to attend the final race.
Toyota's John Howett simply said: "We have to drive here because the commercial rights holders say so."
The drivers had a little more sympathy for the track.
"It is beautiful out here. It is nice that you can relax. I regret that we are no longer racing here," said German driver Ralf Schumacher, younger brother of former F1 world champion Michael Schumacher.
World champion Fernando Alonso wondered why Magny-Cours was scrapped because of its location but a long-haul flight to Singapore, where a night race is scheduled for the future, was fine for everyone.
"I don't really know what's better," Alonso said.
Formula One made its debut on the then new Circuit de Nevers, some 270 km from Paris and Lyon, in 1991, taking over from the Le Castellet track which no longer met modern requirements.
The driving force behind the new track was then Nevers mayor Pierre Beregovoye, who hoped to boost the regional economy with the Formula One weekend.
But a low-key infrastructure, too many low class hotels and the overall location in the provinces now led to the end of the event.
France will have no race at all next year, and it remains to be seen where a new event in the country will fit in, given upcoming new races in Singapore and Valencia and that Imola wants to get back on the calendar. A new French Grand Prix may take place near Paris.
But everyone agrees that France is an important country in the business, having local automobile giant Renault as one team in the sport which won the drivers title with Alonso and the constructors title in the past two seasons.
"France is one of the most important European countries. It is important for Renault to have races here. We don't care about the infrastructure," said Renault team boss Flavio Briatore.