Drivers want on-circuit ads removed

The same development raised a few eyebrows in Hungary a fortnight ago but a painted Foster's logo on the straight from Eau Rouge to Les Combes at Spa has brought much stronger protestations.

Michael Schumacher said: "This is a circuit where you quite often have wet conditions and in those circumstances paint becomes very slippery. Apart from that, I don't really see the point. There is plenty of space next to the circuit and I don't see why advertising needs to be on the track itself.

"The problem is that if it is allowed in one place now, it will be everywhere in the future. We know that in Monte Carlo, for example, the pavements are very slippery and I don't see why we need to do this. It's not just my opinion, it's all the drivers and we have asked for it to be removed."

The request was apparently made at a drivers' briefing at which, Schumacher claims, they were told that the offending signage would be taken away.