A French official says he is "ready" to support the country’s return to the F1 calendar.
That is despite F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone insisting "there isn’t a good circuit in France" to host it.
"We left France because it didn’t work for anyone," he told Britain’s Sky.
The French broadcaster Canal Plus, however, quoted prime minister Manuel Valls’ sports minister Patrick Kanner as saying there are potential venues.
France’s last long-time venue was Magny Cours, but its remote location was universally unpopular, and so Paul Ricard, located at Le Castellet, was touted as an alternative.
"The grand prix de France is a complicated issue," sports minister Kanner, who recently met with Ecclestone, admitted.
"There are two potential candidates in Le Castellet and Magny Cours," he said. "Our government is ready to support the efforts under conditions that are yet to be determined."