DECEMBER 14, 1998

San Marino is on

THE San Marino Grand Prix has been confirmed on the 1999 Formula 1 calendar following talks between FIA President Max Mosley, Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo and the Italian Minister of Justice. Ferrari had been adamant that the race - held at the Autodromo Enzo & Dino Ferrari - should not be cancelled because of political problems in Italy and we believe that the FIAT empire asserted pressure on the government, which has now given assurances that the question of criminal liability in dangerous sports will be looked into next month.

The Italian government was asked to exclude dangerous sport from criminal law in June 1997 after the Association of European National Olympic Committees held a symposium on the matter. Nothing happened and the FIA decided to make the Imola race provisional in order to force the issue.

At the moment whenever F1 teams race in Italy they are leaving themselves open to criminal charges in the event of an accident in which a driver is killed. This happened to members of the Williams team and to race organizers after AyrtonÊSenna died at Imola in 1994.