Thursday May 4th, 2000

Organisers of last month's problematic British Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone have been summoned to appear before international motor racing chiefs.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said on Thursday that Silverstone organisers would appear before the world motor sport council at its next meeting in Warsaw on June 21.

"Having examined the reports of its observer regarding (i) incidents during qualifying practice and the race and (ii) the treatment of the general public during the 2000 British Grand Prix, the FIA has summoned the organisers of this event to appear," an FIA statement said.

Silverstone had to apologise to fans after thousands missed out on the grand prix due to traffic chaos and bad weather. During practice on the Saturday there were major problems with the car parks having to be closed because of flooding.

The bad weather during practice also raised serious issues, with questions being asked about the safety of driving in such conditions and about the ability of marshalls to react promptly in an emergency.