JUNE 21, 2002

Moscow GP official survives second assassination attempt

YOU would not want to be Iosif Ordzhonikidze. The man who did the deal with Tom Walkinshaw to build a racing circuit in Moscow was gunned down two years ago with the Moscow police saying that they thought the attack was somehow related to the plans for the race. On that occasion Ordzhonikidze was seriously injured but survived, although one of his bodyguards was killed.

On Thursday assassins tried again, spraying his car with bullets. His bodyguards returned fire and the attackers' getaway car was later found burned out with a body inside. One of Ordzhonikidze's bodyguards was also wounded and a passer-by was also hit by a stray bullet.

Ordzhonikidze is still involved in the F1 project although things have gone very quiet in recent weeks and it is increasingly unlikely that the event will ever happen.

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