Political storm in UK over F1

There is a new F1 political storm in the UK. Newly released documents show that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was the one to trigger a change in policy to allow tobacco advertising at the British Grand Prix.

The new elements were released in an article in 'The Sunday Telegraph'. Tony Blair personally intervened in a bid to secure a tobacco advertising exemption for F1 and this after a meeting with Formula One supremo, Bernie Ecclestone.

The British government always insisted that Mr. Blair was not influenced by Bernie Ecclestone, but secret documents show that the Prime Minister instructed the Chief of Staff, Jonathan Powell, to inform then public health minister Tessa Jowell to seek a tobacco exemption for F1 just after his Ecclestone meeting.