According to a published report in Toronto on Wednesday, Jacques Villeneuve escaped serious injury after crashing his Williams-Renault during a test session in France on Tuesday.

The Toronto Sun newspaper quoted Craig Pollock as saying, "Basically he just lost it - in fourth gear, 180 miles per hour, and hit a very solid wall. Jacques didn't say if he was knocked cold, but his trainer told me his eyes were pretty heavily dilated.

Villeneuve was testing the new grooved tires mandated for 1998 using a slimmed down version of the 1997 Williams-Renault. Pollock emphasised that it was a routine training crash and there was no serious injury.

Supplied and Copyright by: John Marchesan tsn.ca

Max Mosley has stated that it's almost impossible for the French Grand Prix to be entered in the 1998 calendar now, even if the television rights dispute is settled.

The FIA has send a letter to the French government that they need to amend the laws which state every channel can broadcast the events.

Mosley stated: "All reasonable deadlines having passed, it is now virtually impossible to insert an extra race into the 1998 calendar. What is now urgently needed is a determined effort to clarify French television law as quickly as possible so the 1999 French Grand Prix can be included in the 1999 FIA Formula One world championship."