Canadian Grand Prix saved

Next year’s Canadian Grand Prix has been saved after the organisers came up with a €17m compensation package for teams, according to reports.

The organisers will pay teams around €1.7m each to run in Montreal without tobacco advertising after the race was originally booted off the calendar because of new anti-tobacco legislation.

Race promoter Normand Legault; the Quebec provisional government and the Canadian federal government will all contribute to a compensation package, it was reported today.

If the grand prix does get the final go-ahead next year’s Formula One season will have a record 18 races.

The race, at the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve, is scheduled to take place on June 13 – one week before the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis.