FEBRUARY 17, 2001

Bernie meets the Russians

BERNIE ECCLESTONE last week met with Grigorij Antjufeev, one of Moscow's deputy mayors to discuss the possibility of a Grand Prix in Moscow. Tom Walkinshaw Racing, which has gone into partnership with the Moscow City Government to build a racing circuit on Nagatino Island, is trying to play down the recent attempted assassination of Iosif Ordzhonikidze, the man with whom the deal was negotiated, saying that the shooting may not have been related to the F1 plan, despite the Moscow police suggesting that this was the case.

Ecclestone spent an hour in discussions with Antjufeev and admitted afterwards that Moscow is "unique". In the past Ecclestone has made it very clear that he is not interested in going to Russia because of the associations of the country with organized crime. However, if the Russians offer enough money it is possible that Ecclestone might be swayed.