No F1 'popularity' crisis meeting for now - report

Aug.5 (GMM) F1 chiefs have now cancelled until further notice a scheduled meeting of the newly-formed 'popularity working group'.

Originally scheduled for last Thursday, it was called off when Mercedes' Toto Wolff had to see a doctor after falling ill in the wake of his recent cycling crash.

Also central to the new group - tasked with spicing up the F1 'show' amid apparent dwindling popularity - is Force India's Vijay Mallya, who was summoned to an Indian court for tax evasion.

And Bernie Ecclestone has been busy negotiating his $100 million trial settlement in Munich.

It was thought the group, also involving Marco Mattiacci and the controversial Flavio Briatore, had rescheduled the meeting for Saturday.

But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims the group, whose Red Bull boss Christian Horner is already vacationing with former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell in Italy, has now resolved to leave it while F1 is on its 'summer break'.

"Now they want to meet again either in the week before Spa or between Spa and Monza," correspondent Michael Schmidt said.

Schmidt said the urgency of the meeting probably subsided after the Hungarian grand prix.

"One can criticise a lot," he insisted, "but not that the races are boring."