Former Ferrari driver Jean Alesi appointed as new director of Circuit Paul Ricard. Jean Alesi appointed as new director of Circuit Paul Ricard.

While the 2023 Formula One season at the Paul Ricard circuit has just begun with McLaren and AlphaTauri involved in the first Pirelli testing session of the year, an important novelty with a nostalgic feeling arrives from the circuit Paul Ricard in France.

Jean Alesi, who even today remains one of the most loved Formula 1 drivers in the history of Scuderia Ferrari, has been appointed as the new director of Circuit Paul Ricard after having been its ambassador since 2017. The former French driver had made his Formula 1 debut with Tyrell right on the track near Le Castellet, collecting his first championship points thanks to a splendid fourth place at the checkered flag, a moment which still remains in the memory of many French fans.

“I am very honored by this appointment. Circuit Paul Ricard marked the beginning of my career and confirmed my passion for motorsport. Looking back on my years as a young driver, I never imagined I would hold this position years later, this track is linked to my destiny”, explained Jean Alesì at the moment of the announcement, bringing back to mind the moments from that 1989 French Grand Prix.

The new President will work alongside General Manager Stéphane Clair, with the aim of bringing Formula 1 back to France after having lost the event at the end of 2022. Behind the scenes, work is being done to bring the race back onto the calendar of the most prestigious motorsport category, as already done in 2018 after years of negotiations, perhaps starting again from the next seasons alternating with other appointments whose future could be at risk.

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A mission that will clearly not be easy at all, given the busy schedule that Liberty Media has planned for the next few years, focusing on expansion beyond the European borders. The first step will be to work on the infrastructure surrounding the track, such as the road system, which has always been one of the weak points of the race weekend for Formula 1 fans.