Marseille to host live Formula 1 event before French GP

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The French city of Marseille will lend its streets to F1 in June next year for an event destined to promote the French Grand Prix which returns to the F1 calendar in 2018.

The showcase happening will enjoy a format similar to London's F1 Live event which took place earlier this year during the build-up to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Team and drivers shall be in attendance and treat the crowds to demo runs in the coastal city, located approximately 40 km from the Paul Ricard circuit, the venue for the eighth round of the F1 world championship.

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"There will be a big show in Marseille, in the build-up to the race, like what was done in London this year before Silverstone," French Grand Prix director Gilles Dufeigneux told Motorsport.com.

"As far as the Grand Prix itself is concerned, there will be a fan zone like the one that's been developed this year since the Spanish Grand Prix. It was very impressive at Silverstone and Spa.

"We were in Mexico last week, it was the same, the drivers will agree. It was very professional. The fan zones include simulators, tyre changing in the pits, waving the chequered flags and merchandising with a lot of F1-themed merchandise.

"The new promoters [Liberty Media] are giving it all they've got for F1 to become a lot more popular."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.