Williams driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen was released home today from hospital, after he spent the last three days there due to a gastric virus. The Austrian news agency, APA, reported today that Frentzen, still weak though feeling much better, will be staying with his family untill the Belgian Grand Prix next weekend.

FOA boss Bernie Ecclestone announced today that South Africa will host a Grand Prix by year 2001, following a meeting he held today with President Nelson Mandela.

South African television station, SABC, reported today that the agreement was made after the cellular phone company, Vodacom, committed to sponsoring the event, thus bypassing the strict tobacco ban rules South Africa has, which prevented the Formula One circus from returning there in the first place.

SABC further reported that South Africa will host official testing sessions as soon as 1999, and might even host a Grand Prix before 2001, should a vacancy be made in the Formula One Calendar. Ecclestone himself referred to this, when he told reporters in Cape Town today: "Who knows, maybe we will have a race here before 2001. I will put a race in South Africa as soon as it is possible."