Germany, June 20: The Rally of Germany will remain on the 2003 world championship calendar after receiving a satisfactory safety report. Motorsport's governing body, the FIA, said in a statement on Tuesday that the World Motor Sport Council had unanimously voted to keep the rally. The decision came after a second safety inspection by FIA-nominated observers. The rally organisers were warned last month that it could be struck off after a bad report from last year's event. In August last year an excessive number of spectators lining the roads caused the cancellation of the penultimate stage of the Trier-based event. Richard Burns, the 2001 world champion, was among those who called for improved safety measures after the inaugural Rally of Germany in 2002.

The FIA has also confirmed that the Perth-based Australian Rally will go ahead in September. The race had been in doubt until last month when the FIA reached an agreement with local organisers, who had been in dispute with the commercial rights owners to the event, the Western Australian Tourism Commission, over its organisation.

Bureau Report