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It's October 16, 1997, at 10 Downing Street, London. Rain tapped softly against the windows

of a drawing room. Inside, a small group huddles around a polished table. Prime Minister Tony Blair

leans back in his armchair, sleeves rolled slightly above the cuffs.

He's only five months into the job, but he already looks comfortable in the role.

Opposite him sit two men who, in their own world, wield as much influence as any prime minister.

Motorsport power brokers Bernie Eccleston and Max Mosley. Sixty-six-year-old Eccleston is small,

quiet, and almost motionless, but the intensity in his eyes suggests a man accustomed to getting

what he wants. Still, it's his ally Mosley who does most of the talking. The problem is the European Union. Prime Minister

Blair smiles faintly. You won't believe how often I hear that. Mostly doesn't return the smile.

The European Commission's draft directive would completely ban tobacco advertising in sport. If it

goes through as written, Formula One will lose the majority of its

sponsorship income overnight. Well, how much are we talking here? 150 million pounds every season.

Eccleston cuts in. Prime Minister, F1 contributes 900 million pounds a year to British exports.

If the tobacco money goes, those exports could be lost.

Well, why can't the teams just find other sponsors?

They could, just not at the same price.

Mosley nods in agreement.

F1 is one of the last truly global platforms the cigarette companies still have.

That's why they pay a premium. But if Europe pulls the plug, we'll be forced to go where the money is. Meaning,

we'll have to race in markets without those restrictions. East Asia, the Middle East. Oh,

...