"I genuinely don't believe that F1 induces people to smoke, but it has a lot to do with brand loyalty," Dennis said. "Clearly any ban would effect a significant part of our budget, but in the end you cut your cloth accordingly."F1 has become accustomed to the huge sums injected by tobacco companies, whose options elsewhere have been squeezed tight. Mosley, in particular, has been the target for significant criticism from the EU official Karel van Miert.Frank Williams recently pointed out the significance of that development: "It's obvious to me that van Miert could cause F1 a certain amount of trouble. He can't stop it taking place but he is a man with a lot of power. I think it's a worry, because he and Max seem to be on a collision course. They want to take each other on, they want to demonstrate which is stronger."Williams identified another key point "The argument has moved away from tobacco advertising. Sooner or later tobacco sponsorship will have gone; whether it's two years or eight, it's got to happen We all recognise that.

My understanding is that data from the bodies who suggest there is a link between smoking and tobacco sponsorship has not been forthcoming."So is there another agenda behind the scenes that explains F1's apparent willingness to change its position? Last season Ecclestone's plans to float F1 on the London and New York stock markets were uncharacteristically unsuccessful as he encountered a number of stumbling blocks, not the least of which was the suggestion from the European Union that the manner in which F1 is run contravenes several European monopoly regulations. In Melbourne Ron Dennis, whose McLaren team are backed by West cigarettes after a 23- year spell with Marlboro, said: "Max was merely reiterating what has always been the FIA's stance. We have always said that if a link could be proved between smoking and the sponsorship in F1, then we ourselves would move to stop it."This all sounds very laudable, but it is hard to see any sport voluntarily waving goodbye to an annual income estimated at more than pounds 300m, especially at a time when Mosley and Ecclestone have assiduously been courting China, Korea and Malaysia in an attempt to open up the sport in areas where the attitude to tobacco sponsorship is less evangelical. Then at the recent Australian Grand Prix Mosley appeared to indicate that the sport might after all be prepared to surrender its most lucrative means of income as early as 2002. "When all the discussion was going on we repeatedly said that, as far as we could see or knew, there was no connection between the sponsorship and advertising of cigarettes in F1, and people taking up smoking," Mosley said. "We have now been told by several governments, particularly the British government, and also by the World Health Organisation, that they can make such evidence available.

Within days, however, months of clever political chess were checkmated by the disclosure of Ecclestone's million-pound donation to New Labour, and amid scandalised headlines the phrase "giving a Bernie" became part of the vernacular. "I helped Kenya win a good race," he said.In the first race of the day, the British junior women were never in contention as Ethiopia's Yimenashu Taye won the 6km race in 19min 32sec. The winners denied Kenya the title they have won for the previous five years.. WHEN Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley, the powerbrokers of motorsport, negotiated a stay of execution for tobacco sponsorship last October, it seemed that they had pulled off the sporting coup of the year by delaying the ban until 2009. Komen was second and Paul Kosgei finished third in 10min 50sec.Kibowen, seventh-ranked in the world over 1500m last year, said he planned to attack Noureddine Morceli's world 1500m and mile records later this year.

"I had it in my mind to go fast from the start," he said.Komen said he was not disappointed at finishing second and was satisfied to be part of Kenya's team title. Fortunately, Cannock's Spencer Duval, spectating before his own race, realised the error and, by tearing down the course barrier, allowed them both to return to the correct channel.The men's 4km event was dominated by the Kenyans who took the first five places. The winner, John Kibowen, missed the Kenyan championships short-course race when he was stuck in traffic, but won selection for the team anyway.Daniel Komen, the world champion and world record holder over 5,000 metres, took the lead twice but could not summon a finish fast enough to head off Kibowen who finished in 10min 43sec. As O'Sullivan, followed by Radcliffe, forged ahead, they were both directed off the course by a marshal. All I am doing now is looking towards the future and trying to perform positively."Radcliffe, who finished runner-up for the second consecutive year, helped the British women to take third place overall in the team event.