By piptpass.com (22/08/2003)
August 23 2003

The Canadian GP has been thrown a lifeline by British American Tobacco the company that owns BAR. The company has issued a press release in which it states that it is willing to run its cars in Canada without a tobacco livery. The Canadian round of the Formula One World Championship has been dropped for 2004 as a result of Canada's anti-tobacco policy. The five tobacco sponsored teams had previously said that they were unwilling to run without their tobacco liveries and consequently Bernie Ecclestone dropped the event. A delegation including the Minister for Justice, the mayor of Montreal, the promoter Norman Legault, the Quebec Minister of Sports and the president of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce is in Hungary for talks aimed at saving the event. In addition to meeting the various team bosses the delegation will present its case to leading sponsors and even the tyre companies.

As part of its argument the delegation is pointing to the deal made with Ecclestone seven years ago that exempted tobacco in addition to the fact that Canada is now the ninth biggest market for car sales in the world and that that therefore it's important for constructors to be there.

The delegation is also understood to be having lunch with Ecclestone today.

This article was written by pitpass.com and is used with permission.