NOVEMBER 29, 2001

Brazilians short of cash for Interlagos safety work

THE City of Sao Paulo says it cannot afford to invest in safety work which has been asked for by the FIA for the 2002 race. The work in question is the replacement of sand traps with high-friction asphalt run-off areas. The Brazilians say that the work will be done next year but not before the Grand Prix in March as the budget does not exist to pay for the upgrading work.

It remains to be seen whether the FIA will withdraw the race from the calendar. There are commercial pressures for the race to happen as the Brazilian event is the only race run in South America but the FIA is keen to make sure that safety issues are not compromised by financial demands.

We will have to wait and see whether the safety required is a request or a demand. In all probability there will be a compromise with some of the work being done for the 2002 race and the rest being completed in 2003.