Prost speaks out over added races

(22-Jul-98) - A 20-race Grand Prix calendar is infeasible for 1999,
according to team boss and former World Champion Alain Prost.

Prost believes the amount of organisation needed to add more dates to the
calendar means it is already too late to have major changes in place for
next season.

"Grands Prix in China, South Africa and America are very
international, good for sponsors and great for the image of the sport, but
we can't add four more races," said Prost, "We can't finance it
and it would be impossible in the timescale left to organise it."

The former world champion-turned-team-owner did stress however that he
wasn't altogether against the idea.

The Frenchman does not believe that teams should banned from testing
outside a Grand Prix weekend, but says he is in favour of a 20-race
calendar if F1 events are turned into two-day meetings.

Max Mosley, president of the FIA, has proposed an extended calendar next
season and has already facilitated a change in the rules so that it could
happen.

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