APRIL 11, 2001

Foot-and-mouth still spreading

THE latest British government figures on the spread of foot-and-mouth disease reveal that the outbreak has now spread to a total of 1164 sites, up from 700 two weeks ago. While the outbreak has been largely contained in Britain, there are 20 cases reported in Holland but the two in France seem to have been caught before the disease spread further.

It remains to be seen whether the disease will have any effect on the Formula 1 calendar this summer but there remains a possibility that the British Grand Prix could be affected if the authorities decide that a gathering of 90,000 in a rural area is not a good idea. Obviously this is not something which the race organizers want to see happening and at the moment the mood appears to be one of optimism that the race can go ahead as planned.