The World Motor Sport Council met in Paris on 25 June, 2003. The following decisions were taken:

FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Reserved the following dates for events in the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship:

March - 7th and 21st
April - 4th and 25th
May - 9th and 23rd
June - 6th and 20th
July - 4th, 11th and 25th
August - 15th and 29th
September - 12th and 26th
October - 10th and 24th

WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Asked the World Rally Championship Commission to consider the following recommendations for implementation from 2004 and to report back to the World Motor Sport Council as a matter of urgency:

i) Testing: each manufacturer to choose one country where they will test. Any other testing by the team (or associates) outside that country to be banned;
ii) Flexi-service: extend the concept of flexi-service to all services so that teams can only service one car at a time;
iii) Mille Pistes concept: the integration of the reconnaissance and the rally. Reconnaissance in the afternoon with the rally car for the following morning’s stages. The rally will have four competitive days, giving one extra TV day. Three days will be eliminated from the current event schedule. Recce and gravel cars will be eliminated;
iv) Telemetry ban: all base-to-car and car-to-base telemetry to be banned.

Other measures intended to significantly cut costs including the possible introduction of a control tyre, improved durability of components and the sealing of components will also be considered by the WRC Commission for implementation from 2005. Naturally aspirated engines to be considered for 2006.

The World Motor Sport Council believes that this package of cost cutting measures plus the saving of 42 competition days, will enable the number of events in the World Rally Championship calendar to be increased from 14 to 16 events.

Manufacturer’s third car
Decided that any third nominated driver in a manufacturer’s team must not have been placed in the first three positions in an FIA World Rally Championship event in the previous three calendar years.

SPORT IN THE EU

Approved the FIA’s adoption of a common position on sport in the EU treaty, together with the IOC, FIFA, and UEFA.

The FIA, IOC, FIFA and UEFA will present a draft treaty article to the European Convention this summer and subsequently to the next Intergovernmental Conference of EU Member States.

TOBACCO SPONSORSHIP

On legal advice the FIA has withdrawn the ban on tobacco sponsorship in motor sport voted in October, 2000 (for implementation in 2006) and substituted the following as a recommendation:

that motor sport promoters and competitors (including circuit owners, event organisers, teams, and drivers) should cease all forms of tobacco sponsorship from October 1, 2006.