FIA hope to stage Grands Prix

Formula One chiefs plan on going ahead with this season's three remaining grands prix despite the terrorist attacks in the United…

Formula One chiefs plan on going ahead with this season's three remaining grands prix despite the terrorist attacks in the United States.

FIA, the sport's governing body, said today that the races in Italy on Sunday, the United States on September 30th and Japan two weeks later would take place - at the moment.

In a carefully-worded statement, FIA left themselves the possibility of either cancelling the races - the grand prix at Indianapolis would appear to be still under threat - or rescheduling them.

"There is no plan to cancel the future grands prix," said spokeswoman Agnes Kaiser this afternoon.

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Most of the teams' personnel are already in Monza for Sunday's final European race which was set to be a glorious homecoming for Ferrari's world champion Michael Schumacher.

They got on with the job of setting up the paddock and garages as Max Mosley, president of FIA, returned to Europe from a trip to Peru.

But the celebrations are likely to be more subdued given the huge Italian community in the United States, many of whom were surely caught up in Tuesday's horror attacks in New York and Washington.

German Schumacher, who clinched the world title in Hungary last month, has himself called off a planned charity football match which was due to take place tomorrow.

Even if FIA do go ahead with the US Grand Prix as scheduled, getting the cars - which would be airfreighted out a week earlier - as well as the hundreds of team members, media, television crews and other personnel to Indianapolis could prove a logistical nightmare if travel restrictions are still in force.

PA