Will we have a Belgian GP next year?

[cos]

The FIA are being very cunning... on the 2003 calender, the Belgian GP is down as "subject to the unanimous agreement of the F1 teams that this event can be run without tobacco advertising"

This basically means that if all the teams don't agree (and when have they ever all agreed on something... ) they'll get the blame for 'killing' the Spa race rather than the FIA!

[JonesF1]

The USGP was run without a lot of tobacco sponsorship. If its up to the teams I dont see a problem.

[Total-F1]

But F1 needs the American GP more than the American GP needs F1.

The Belgian GP is a little more expendable from the pillocks in charge point of view.

[Lee Janotta]

Honestly, I'm not willing to venture a guess on this.

Would they have a race to replace it with? None of the third-world tracks are ready to host a GP. America has tobacco regs, so there's little chance of a USGP West at Laguna Seca replacing it. Likewise with England and a race at Donnington.

I'd think Brno would be the most likely place. It's F1-grade, there are no tobacco laws, it's in Europe, and David Coultard recently gave the track a glowing review. Plus it's the right time of year, when the teams are already in eastern Europe.

Jerez and Estoril might be possibilities too.

[Wrex]

I cant see how the FIA can get the blame anyway. It's not their fault, or the teams. There is a world wide trend on the issue and F1 has to conform or look elsewhere.

Melbourne only got its GP because it allowed Tababcco advertising, but if Spa won't negotiate on this point, then fair enough.

[Mr V]

I think the difference with regards to SPA is that the tobacco legislation comes into effect in 2006, but the Belgium government wants to enforce it in their country earlier than that. But then Britain and France don't have tobacco sponsership on the cars, so whats so different about SPA?

[Wrex]

I think it's the tolerance level of the sponsors. They know in advance which races they will and wont recieve exposure.

If another race drops for them, they may want a reduction in the sponsorship costs (fair enough really) and obviously that does'nt sit well with the teams.

[f1manoz]

If the racing at Spa is going to continue to be as boring as it was this year, what's the point anyway?;(

It's not even the same track it was - it's been emasculated like every other track on the calender because apparently it's too 'dangerous.'

[Damon]

I was there this year and it was a fantastic race (behind the front two obviously). If Spa is dropped then it will further go to prove that F1 is a business more than a sport.

[Liz]

It's All About Money. I think the sponsors will be justified in reducing their contributions if they can't advertise, and so does Bernie or he would not be leaning on Belgium to cave.

I wish he'd come up here and lean on Canada. But I bet he couldn't find Canada on a map.

[Adam43]

I thought they had a plan to move Spa to May (swap it with Austria), so for next year it fell before the Aug 1st ban on tabacco advertising in Belgium.

[RWC]

I fear it's only a mater of time that this truly great track is dropped simply for the sake of pure greed.I'm sure it's been said before,but tobacco sponsorship is as addictive as the weed itself.
Where's their sense of responsability?! Every other major sport in the world has banned tobacco sponorship for obvious reasons,but 'f1' motorsport thinks they DESERVE to be able to take the money?!!!Really,bernie and his fellow addicts have the morallity of drug pushers.

And for goodness sakes ,don't anyone trot out that sad phrase 'they are selling a legal product,they should be allowed to advertise'

[JonesF1]

Originally posted by RWC
I fear it's only a mater of time that this truly great track is dropped simply for the sake of pure greed.

Yup. After the "No Tobacco" attitude of Monza and Indy theres no reason a historic track like Spa will get dumped. Except for reasons stated in the above quote. Anyway Brno seems nice and so does the planned St. Petersburg track (2 straightaways, unbelievable!). Only time will tell.

[Sato san]

When does the Tobacco ban come in for the teams to have Tobacco free liveries ?

[Red]

In 2006

[MiniMe]

The local council who run Spa have a contract with a company to run the the catering, food, drinks, ticketing and they even get the money from the toilets.

Earlier this year the British TV show Panorama did an expose of that company, which is owned by a Mrs Slavicka Mallick.

She is perhaps better known as Mrs Bernie Ecclestone.

[Lee Janotta]

Well, there ya go, _the_ problem with the Eccelstone-era FIA.

Too much power in too few hands.