SEPTEMBER 14, 2002

Hungarian GP pushed back

The 2003 Hungarian GP will be pushed back until August 24 next year, creating a new three-week gap in the F1 calendar so that teams can take a break between the German GP on August 3 and the Budapest event on the 24th. The Belgian GP will remain (for the moment) on the weekend of August 31, which will mean that there will be a bit of a rush between the two events but it is anticipated that Belgium will remain provisional on the F1 calendar until there is a solution with the Belgian authorities over the question of tobacco advertising. If the Belgian politicians do not sort themselves out the race will be dropped from the calendar and there will be a second three week break between the Hungarian event on Aug 24 and the Italian GP on September 14.

The changes to the F1 calendar are expected to be announced after the FIA World Council meeting in Paris on October 1.