The International Automobile Federation (FIA), world motor sport's governing body, has delayed a decision on cancelling the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix for another week.
The race is under threat because of a Belgian law banning tobacco advertising. "After the new year, either on January 6th or 7th, we will examine a demand from the race organisers to delay the ban," FIA spokesman Francesco Longanesi said yesterday.
Despite FIA maintaining the Belgian Grand Prix in their schedule for 1998, they said that unless the tobacco ban, due to come into force in 1999, was lifted, the August 30th race would be cancelled.
The cancellation of the race would be a blow to the Belgian economy as it creates 2,500 temporary jobs a year and brings in 200,000 spectators with receipts of $27 million.
The Belgian race authorities had suffered a reversal on Tuesday when a court in Veivers refused to rule whether the anti-tobacco law was unconstitutional - although the national law is far stricter than the European Union, one which allows tobacco companies to sponsor sports events until 2006.
China and South Africa on are standby to hold the race if it is taken away from Belgium.
