DECEMBER 1, 1997
Portuguese GP in more trouble
THE Portuguese Government's financial review body has thrown the future of the country's Grand Prix into uncertainty by rejecting the deal done between the government and the former owners of the circuit Autodril so that the race could be saved.
The Court of Accounts has now blocked all payment to contractors working at Estoril because contracts were awarded without competitive tender because the government decided it was an "emergency" situation. Stopping the building work and having a bidding contest to see who should do the work is likely to delay the upgrading and the FIA deadline may be missed as a result.
The country's new Economy Minister Joaquim Pina Moura - who replaced Alberto Mateus last week - denied that there would be any problems getting the work done on time.