Motor racing: Round-up

The Portuguese government said yesterday it had reached a deal with the owners of the Estoril race track to allow work to begin on improvements to the circuit and sustain hopes of a Portuguese Formula One Grand Prix event this season. The FIA, the world governing body, said if the pounds 3.6m improvements are carried out by the end of August it will propose to the Formula One teams that a race be held at Estoril on 9 November. If all the teams agree, the race will be an official championship event, the 18th of the season.

Following consultation, full points are to be awarded in the wake of last Sunday's curtailed 14th round of the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship at Croft. The race was stopped following an accident involving the Honda driver James Thompson, with the results declared after 17 of the scheduled 25 laps, and originally only half points allocated.