Stoddart: Canadian GP Reprieve Unlikely

The Canadian Grand Prix is unlikely to be given a reprieve and put back on the calendar for 2004 despite claims from the organisers of the race that their campaign for its return is going well.

The promoter of the Montreal race, Normand Legault, met with Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone at the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis last week and said he was encouraged by the outcome.

The future of the race, which was thrown out because of a new ban on tobacco advertising, could be decided in a team bosses discussion at Heathrow on Thursday ahead of a meeting of the Formula One Commission on Friday.

But Minardi chief Paul Stoddart, whose team is not backed by a tobacco company, said: "We had five hours of team meetings over the course of the Indianapolis weekend and it has not been discussed at all.

"The chances of it coming back are not good I am afraid. The best thing they could do is to sort out their tobacco legislations to fit into 2006 like the rest of the circuits."

Ecclestone, however, admitted in Montreal's La Presse newspaper that the race could fight its way back on the 2004 schedule if they can raise alternative funding to compensate the teams who would have to run without tobacco liveries.

"If the Canadian government refuses to touch the law the only thing that one can do is find around $30million (US Dollars) to reimburse the teams for what they will lose with the ban on tobacco advertising," Ecclestone said.