Motor racing: Fisichella makes move to Benetton

Giancarlo Fisichella will drive for Benetton next season, the Italian Formula One team announced yesterday. Fisichella, currently with Jordan- Peugeot, has so far gained eight points in the drivers' championship and helped his team reach sixth place in the constructors' list.

A Benetton spokeswoman said that one, or possibly both, of the team's current drivers - Gerhard Berger or Jean Alesi - would be dropped for 1998.

The Portuguese Grand Prix, rescheduled for 9 November, has been cancelled after the teams failed to agree on adding the event to the calendar. The race had originally been scheduled for 26 October, but was replaced with the European Grand Prix in Spain after it appeared that required safety work at Estoril would not be completed in time.

Although the Portuguese government said the track would be ready for November, the sport's governing body, the FIA, announced the event would go ahead only if there was unanimous approval among the F1 teams.