Two Scots took centre stage at the opening day of the Auto-sport International Show in Birmingham, but while one welcomed a new spirited sponsor, the other was doing his utmost to stub out the amount of cigarette cash now flooding into Formula One.
Jackie Stewart pitched himself head-to-head with fellow Scot Craig Pollock as the two F1 men adopted stances at opposing ends of the battle over cigarette sponsorship.
Stewart fears the sport could be plunged into a confusing situation where the identity of every teams' cars is lost in a megabuck free-for-all.
Falkirk-born Pollock awaits the FIA's decision over whether both his British American Racing cars can run this year carrying different liveries, advertising two different cigarette brands, Stewart wants each team to retain it's own identity. ''We must establish who runs the sport,'' said Stewart, as he unveiled his 1999 SF-3 grand prix car.
''We all need cash to run our teams, but at times there is too much cigarette cash. However, what Craig wants to do is against the law.''
Colin McRae's world rally championship bid will be fuelled by Martini after the 30-year-old from Lanark unveiled his Ford Focus WRC. McRae believes his new car has the potential to deliver his second world crown.
''Martini has a long, successful pedigree in motorsport having dominated the world rally cham-pionship with Lancia in the eighties,'' he said. ''Let's hope the new partnership between us can be as productive and steer me to the title.''
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