JANUARY 16, 2004

French GP is on

The Formula 1 team bosses have somehow agreed that they will have an 18th race this year and the French Grand Prix is back on again. The race will take place on July 4, its original date. It is not yet clear how the deal has come about but there is speculation that Ecclestone agreed to pay the teams extra money which he raised by getting more money out of the organizers in France, Canada and Belgium. Ecclestone will make that money back by selling the to the TV companies. For the teams it is a dangerous precedent as having done it once, it is likely that in future years there will be pressure on them to accept an 18th race again. A new Concorde Agreement will probably increase the number of races and decrease the amount of testing.