Organisers of the returning French Grand Prix in 2018 at Paul Ricard have defended the decision to include a chicane just after the halfway point of the famous Mistral Straight.

The well-respected test circuit will host its first Formula 1 race since 1990 next season as France returns to the calendar for the first time since Magny-Cours ended a 17-year stint on the schedule in 2008.

At its full length, the Mistral Straight would have become the longest single straight of the year, although longer flat-out sections exist at Spa and Baku, but instead a bid to improve the racing at the technical circuit led to the decision to split it in two.

"The FIA did some research and the speed before the chicane will be 343km/h [213mph], so the chicane is useful," French GP managing director Gilles Dufeigneux told Autosport.

"The chicane has been added to prevent the engines from running at full speed on a straight uphill line of 1.8km and we also wanted to facilitate the creation of an additional overtaking area.

"It will provide three straight lines where the cars can go at full speed before two massive decelerations, at Turn 1 and Turn 8, and a flat out turn at Signes.

"According to the FIA, cars will reach 344km/h before the chicane and 343km/h at the apex of Signes."

Dufeigneux also claimed the inclusion of the chicane met with approval from drivers, who's opinion was taken into consideration before the final decision.

"They have told us the chicane will probably be an opportunity for non-DRS overtakes during the race," he said.

"We presented the new configuration of the circuit during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend to several drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.

"They liked it and said the 5.8km configuration was a nice option."

With Paul Ricard more famous as a testing venue, indeed only welcoming racing events back around a decade ago after closing to become simply a test track following the 1990 F1 race, the biggest challenge facing organisers is being ready to accommodate the fans that will head to the race next June.

"The FIA had an inspection visit a couple of months ago and it's just minor changes with respect to the kerbs, which we'll do this winter," Arnaud Pericard, another member of the organisation team for the French Grand Prix. "The circuit is already F1 graded for a long time, so it's not massive change.

"The most important investment will be the stands, they are a big deal."

He would put a conservative estimate of capacity at around 65,000 of which two-thirds will be in the form of grandstand seating.