Friday 7 March at 14:31 : The boss of motor racing in France has played down reports that the country's annual grand prix could be moved to Paris in 2009.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone said recently that he was pushing for a race in the French capital, after vowing not to return to current venue Magny Cours after this year's running in June.

But the French news agency AFP on Thursday quoted racing federation (FFSA) chairman Nicolas Deschaux as saying that no decisions have yet been made.

"It is nothing new that Mr Ecclestone is calling for an approach on Paris but as things stand there is nothing finalised regarding next year," he said.

"Once the 2008 race is out of the way we will see about the future," Deschaux added.