Brazilian GP Gets Green Light for 2004

Next year's Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix is set to go ahead as planned after a judge lifted a court injunction against it.

The sports secretary for Sao Paulo said on Tuesday that judge Sergio Coimbra Schmidt had ruled there was no justification for an injunction 11 months before the season-ending event in the city.

"We have this event here for years, and we have never had a problem. The race in 2004 is in no danger," Nadia Campeao told Reuters, a day after the ruling.

She said Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone had sought clarification about the Grand Prix's status and the city would tell him that it would go ahead on October 24.

A local prosecutor last month questioned the need for the race, arguing that the city government would have no financial gain from it. The case is still subject to ruling at a later date but officials played down the threat.

"I don't believe the case will be judged before the race, but we want to end the controversy immediately so we will try a deal with the prosecutor's office", said Luiz Tarcisio Teixeira Ferreira, the city's legal secretary.

Sao Paulo invested some $7.86 million in the race in 2003 and Campeao said the city gained considerably.

"The city doesn't invest in sports events to make a profit, but we have more job vacancies and it's important for the tourism and for the image of the city," she said.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) is due to issue the definitive 2004 calendar next week after a meeting in Paris.