Heinz-Harald Frentzen arrived in Belgium saying that he had 99 per cent recovered from the food poisoning which he suffered in the Hungarian Grand Prix two weeks previously. "It was salmonella," said the Williams driver who went on to provide excessively intimate details of the results of his ailment at a press conference which had Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Mika Hakkinen roaring with laughter. After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Frentzen flew to Austria where he spent three days in hospital before beginning his recuperation at the Willi Dungl clinic. His illness no doubt reduced time available for Frentzen to negotiate for next year. An announcement might have been made at Spa, but nothing has been forthcoming. Williams have said that they will make an announcement in the middle of the month.

Arrows will be using the D-version of their V10 engine in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. Pedro Diniz tested the latest specification engine at Silverstone during the week before the Belgian Grand Prix, and although there was a small problem with the engine, he was most impressed by the unit, setting a time within half a second of Mika Hakkinen's best. Diniz's teammate Mika Salo has ben most impressed by the development rate of the engine, but is still pushing Tom Walkinshaw to go for a supply of Mecachrome engines for next year, to let another team handle the development of the Arrows engine so that it could emerge as a winning unit in 2000.

Damon Hill has given the distinct impression that he will be staying with Jordan next year. While his teammate, Ralf Schumacher, seeks to move to Williams, Hill has all but said that he will be staying with the Silverstone team, impressed by the turnaround in fortunes that has resulted, he says, in work by the team, but particularly by Mugen-Honda and Goodyear. No official announcement is expected before the Italian Grand Prix, on either Hill's or his teammate's intentions.

The future of Alex Zanardi, reigning IndyCar champion, should be decided during the week leading up to the Italian Grand Prix. The Italian flew to Europe with his pregnant wife after the Hungarian Grand Prix, saying that he hoped to get things sorted out in the next four weeks. He has allegedly been offered a seat at Williams, but his IndyCar team Chip Ganassi Racing, has apparently offered him more money to stay in the USA.

Ralf Schumacher has taken out an injunction against the Jordan Grand Prix team to establish his freedom. Eddie Jordan believes that Ralf has signed for his team for next year, while the young German doesn't believe he has. The injunction has been taken out by London solicitors and while both parties hope that the matter can be sorted out at the Belgian Grand Prix, there is the possibility that it will go to the High Court in early September. Schumacher's name has been connected with Williams, for whom some say he has signed for four years - although Frank Williams's reaction was "when have I ever signed a drive for four years?" However, it would be a coup for BMW to sign one of the Schumacher brothers; the German car company is supplying their engines to Williams from 2000 onwards.