Future of Belgian Grand Prix in doubt

The 2003 Belgian Grand Prix will go ahead only if teams agree to race without tobacco advertising, motor sport's governing body…

The 2003 Belgian Grand Prix will go ahead only if teams agree to race without tobacco advertising, motor sport's governing body said today.

The future of the Spa-Francorchamps race was thrown into doubt because it has not been exempted from domestic anti-tobacco advertising.

Belgium was included in the provisional calendar for 2003 released at today's International Automobile Federation (FIA) World Council meeting in Paris.

But an FIA statement said the event was "subject to the unanimous agreement of the Formula One teams that this event can be run without tobacco advertising".

READ MORE

Next year's race has been scheduled for August 31st, and new tobacco advertising laws come into effect on August 1st.

The rest of the calendar remains unchanged, including a three-week August break between the German and Hungarian races.

Only a week will separate the European Grand Prix at the Nuerburging (June 29th) and the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours.

The FIA also said that amendments to Formula One regulations for 2003 would be finalised by the Formula One Commission on October 28th.