Belgium senators bid to save Spa from F1 axe

Belgian senators made a bid on Thursday to save the country's grand prix at Spa, which race officials axed last month because of a government ban on tobacco advertising.

The Senate's Social Affairs Commission voted 8-7 in favour of postponing until 2006 the date when legislation against cigarette advertising comes into effect.

The bill has to be passed by the upper and lower houses of parliament before it becomes law.

Formula One's governing body removed Spa-Francorchamps from the 2003 calendar last month, trimming the championship to 16 races instead of 17.

"We're lucky in that our grand prix has not been given to someone else," said Senator Jean-Marie Happart.

Although Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has not completely shut the door on Spa, some Formula One sources have dismissed the idea of the race being reinstated.

They outlined that Belgium was not a major market for the carmakers who now dominate the sport and suggested that Spa had not done enough to move with the sport's technological advances.

Belgian politicians in the southern Wallonia region, where the grand prix is held, are especially loath to let the race go.

According to some estimates, the four-day event reaps about 25 million euros ($25.18 million) a year for the local economy.