Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has said against in Italian newspaper that tobacco sponsorship ban can seriously hit the sport and result in moving to Asia.
He said: "Very few other multinationals are capable of investing as much as cigarette producers. If they had to abandon the sport it would be a disaster."
Teams like Williams, Jordan and Ferrari are getting large funds from the tobacco industry. Ecclestone commented: "We have the right to cancel any race when the running of the race, for whatever reason, is put in danger. In this case, as sponsors would no longer get a decent return, we would have to reconsider our programme. We have to go where there is least difficulty. In this respect, the European races may be no more than four."
Michael Schumacher told the German magazine 'Motorsport Aktuell' that it will be very difficult to win the championship this year with the continuing problems at Ferrari. He is also not very pleased with the move forward the team is making.
He does still think that Ferrari can come to the level of Williams but: "If Ferrari can't win the world title in 1998 or 1999, when we'll be working with the new wind tunnel, then I have to say: 'I'm sorry, then you'll never manage it'."
He commented on the current championship positions: "Actually, Jacques should really have 50 points and I should be on my current 27, that's the real way things are."
The Jordan team seems to have the best cards to get the Honda engine next season when Peugeot leaves to go to Prost. The chances that Peugeot will the deliver engines to both Prost and Jordan seem non existent.
Honda does again want Shinji Nakano to be a part of the team then but Eddie Jordan wants to keep his current drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher so Nakano could become the test driver of Jordan-Honda.
It was also rumoured that Fisichella was about to leave to Benetton to replace Jean Alesi there, but Fisichella has announced that he will stay with Jordan. He added however that he will leave the team after his contract ends at the end of 1998.