Russian GP Not Threatened, Say Government

The Russian Grand Prix project will not be threatened by plans for a housing construction in the Nagatino lowlands, the head of the Moscow City Government's Science and Industrial Policy has said.

Yevgeny Panteleyev told Moscow's Interfax news information agency that proposals to build houses on the Nagatino Island area of the city will not affect the area set for the new Formula One circuit.

Media reports had suggested that the plans for the circuit in Moscow had been shelved in favour of the housing project with claims that the City Government had gone back on their plans to bid for a Grand Prix.

Panteleyev said that the housing construction will go ahead in what now is the industrial area and the race course construction will take place in the wasteland area.

The circuit is expected to be completed next year with officials hopeful that the new track, which is been built by Tom Walkinshaw's TWR company, will host a Grand Prix in 2004.