AUGUST 8, 2001

Diniz returns to Europe

PEDRO DINIZ has returned to Europe after a trip to Brazil and there is speculation that he will shortly bid $75m to buy the remainder of the Prost F1 team. We hear that the team's bankers have given Alain Prost a week to sort out his problems or else the team will have to apply for protection from its creditors.

It is worth noting that our spies say that Jean Alesi's contract is not with Prost Grand Prix directly but rather with a British-based company owned by Alain and so the sale of his contract to Jordan will probably go ahead without too much trouble as this is not directly linked to the race team.

Whatever the case we expect the next few days to be decisive.