Four-time world champion and former team owner Alain Prost has spoken of his frustration that his country still lacks an F1 presence, in terms of a home race, a team or even a driver.

France last hosted a round of the world championship in 2008 at Magny-Cours, the organizers ending their contract a year early due to economic reasons. Since then, various alternative venues have been mooted, including one near Disneyland Paris, but all came to nothing.

The Renault F1 team is likely to be re-named this season after the French manufacturer effectively ended its involvement at the end of 2009. The F1 team is now in the hands of Luxembourg-based Genii Capital with Group Lotus, which is owned by Malaysian car manufacturer Proton, set to take a further stake and, according to widespread speculation, naming rights.

Then there is the fact that France, which gave motor sport Grand Prix racing, currently doesn't have a driver on the grid, Romain Grosjean being drafted in to replace the disgraced Nelson Piquet Jr midway through 2009 before being unceremoniously dumped at the end of the year, another victim of the scandal that was Crashgate.

All this is highly frustrating for four-time champ Prost who sees despairs of the situation, believing that politicians are avoiding what they ses as a poisoned chalice..

"It must not be buried now," he said of the plans to take F1 back to its spiritual home, according to ESPN. "There was a great opportunity last year at the time of the regional elections, and a first draft for Disney which in hindsight was perhaps a bit complicated. But Flins was an exceptional site with a real project, a real business plan, and Formula One to happen for only eight hours in a year, to appease the critics.

"There was a real programme for the utilisation of the circuit, with an economic and social advantage," he continued. "There would have been 100,000 extra people near Paris. Everyone was enthusiastic, especially Bernie Ecclestone. But the project was abandoned when everything was ready and financed, because of the regional election and an environmental problem that was essentially political."

While not naming names, the F1 legend blames the current situation on the politicians, claiming they lacked the will. "Do we want a grand prix of France?" he asked. "Today, there are no French drivers in F1, Renault will soon not be called Renault - it's a bit complicated and a financial issue.

"The price asked by Ecclestone is variable, "he continued, "about 15 million euros a year in Europe. Abroad, it is between 30 and 40 million euros, as in Abu Dhabi. It's an economic equation: how many spectators can you get? If it's about 50 or 60,000, and the price is 15 million euros, your losses are about 8 million.

"Who can put up 8 million euros? If the politicians or the government are not saying 'it's important for France to have a grand prix', it's not worth talking about. It's rubbish when I hear that what is needed is a promoter. The promoter of the Disneyland Paris project) was the Lagardere group and myself.

"Above all what is important is that the economics are sustainable," he added.