NEWS ARCHIVE
...AS DOES JORDAN
EDDIE JORDAN hopes that his 1998 will finally give the Silverstone-based team its first victory in Formula 1 racing, but Jordan was cautious when he launched the new Jordan-Mugen Honda 198 during a superb event at London's RoyalÊAlbertÊHall.
BERNIE TO TELL ALL?
WE hear from book publishing circles in London that Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has recently concluded a deal with a major British publisher to write a book about his life.
ENGINEERS PLAY MUSICAL CHAIRS
THE Formula 1 race engineers have been having a major shake-up amongst themselves in recent weeks with the departure from Williams of Heinz-Harald Frentzen's race engineer Tim Preston, who has moved to Sauber.
FERRARI STRUGGLING IN TESTING
THE Ferrari team has had nothing but trouble with the new F300 since serious testing of the car began at Fiorano on JanuaryÊ12.
FRANCE BIDS TO REGAIN GRAND PRIX
THE French National Assembly, in Paris, last week passed a new bill to overcome the problems related to the television coverage of the French GP.
HONDA AND BRITISH AMERICAN RACING
THINGS have gone very quiet in recent months regarding the engine supply of British American Racing in 1999, but we hear that a deal has already been struck although no-one involved in the new team will say anything to identify the engine.
PROST AIMS FOR 1998 VICTORIES
ALAIN PROST launched his 1998 package last week at Barcelona and said that the team's intention was "to win the WorldÊChampionship as quickly as possible".
SAUBER'S VIENNESE WALTZ
PETER SAUBER unveiled his new F1 car in Vienna last week with the gentle accompaniment of a Viennese waltz in the magnificent setting of the Orangery at the Schonbrunn Palace.
THE NEW MINARDI RUNS AT MUGELLO
THE new Minardi-Ford M198 ran for the first time last week at Ferrari's Mugello test track near Florence, in Italy, with Argentina's new rising star Esteban Tuero at the wheel.
WHO DRIVES FOR TYRRELL?
THE Tyrrell team unveiled its last Formula 1 car at the Bluebird Cafe in London last week but the team, which will close at the end of the 1998 season, was unable to name a driver to partner Japanese new boy Toranosuke Takagi.
...BELGIUM FIGHTING TO SURVIVE
THE battles over the Belgian Grand Prix continue with the FIA having granted the organizers until February 15 to sort out the problems which have arisen from a Belgian government decision to ban tobacco advertising from the start of 1999.
BENETTON JUMPS TO BRIDGESTONE
THERE have been rumors that Benetton would switch to Bridgestone for some months and last week the Enstone-based team confirmed that it will switch from Goodyear to begin "a long-term relationship" with the Japanese tire company.
FERRARI STRUGGLING WITH THE F300
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER began serious testing work with the new Ferrari F300 at the Fiorano test track last week but things did not go well with technical problems and bad weather meaning that very little could be achieved.
FORD PROMISES BIGGER PUSH FOR STEWART
STEWART GRAND PRIX launched its new SF2 chassis last week at Ford's Research and Engineering Center at Dunton, Essex, with high hopes for the season ahead - the team's second in Grand Prix racing.
MALAYSIANS HOPEFUL
THE economic disasters which have affected the Far East will not disrupt plans to hold a Malaysian Grand Prix in 1999 - at least not if the Malaysians can help it.
MCLAREN GETS SCHWEPPES BACKING
THE McLaren Formula 1 team has concluded a major new sponsorship deal with Cadbury Schweppes PLC, the London-based confectionery and drinks company.
PORTUGAL IS OUT...
THE Portuguese Grand Prix has been canceled and will be replaced in the 1998 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
THE "RATBAGS" OF PARIS
AUSTRALIA's Health Minister Michael Wooldridge is clearly not a man given to subtle expression of his opinions.
...AND A NEW WINDTUNNEL
FERRARI used the launch of the F300 to unveil it long-awaited 150mph half-scale windtunnel at Maranello.
...BUT VILLENEUVE HAS HIS SAY
JACQUES VILLENEUVE told the German magazine Das Bild last week that contrary to the impression which he says is being created by Michael Schumacher the two drivers are not and will never be friends.
F1 LAUNCHES COME THICK AND FAST
THIS week will see no fewer than six Formula 1 teams unveiling their cars for the coming Grand Prix season with StewartÊGrandÊPrix leading the way on Tuesday with the launch of the SF2 at Ford's Dunton Research and Engineering Center, near Basildon, in Essex.
FERRARI REVEALS ITS F300...
FERRARI unveiled its new F300 Grand Prix car on Tuesday at Maranello and team principals put their necks on the line, saying that the team would have no excuses if it did not win the World Championship this year.
HESKETH ATTACKS TOBACCO POLICIES
LORD HESKETH, the British politician and former Grand Prix team owner, who is currently head of the BritishÊRacingÊDriversÊClub - which owns Silverstone has said that the European Union tobacco sponsorship ban is "demented". Hesketh said that the policy is "bad, cheap, single issue politics and it will cost us jobs".
KYALAMI TEST TO GO AHEAD
THE Formula 1 teams have agreed that they will be allowed to go testing at Kyalami in South Africa if they choose to take advantage of the opportunity to do warm weather testing with the new grooved slick tires.
MULLER CONFIRMED AS SAUBER TESTER
THE Sauber Petronas team has announced that it has reached agreement for German Jorg Muller to be its test driver for the coming season.
NO CASE AGAINST SCHUMACHER...
THERE was a brief flurry of activity in Germany last week following confirmation that German state prosecutors were investigating whether or not they could bring criminal charges against Michael Schumacher for his maneuver against Jacques Villeneuve at Jerez at the end of last season.
NO PROBLEMS FOR DANKA!
DESPITE a crushing drop in share price and legal actions against the company and its management DankaÊBusinessÊSystems - the title sponsor of the Arrows team in 1997 - says that it is planning to continue to support Tom Walkinshaw's team in 1998.
WELTI LEAVES SAUBER
MAX WELTI, the team director of Sauber Petronas, has left the Swiss team.
WILLIAMS GOES RED - AUSTRALIANS WHINE
WILLIAMS GRAND PRIX ENGINEERING last week used Pinewood Studios to reveal its 1998 color scheme to a small selection of journalists and guests flown in from countries where the Winfield cigarettes - the new title sponsor - is sold.
BELGIAN GP PROBLEMS
A Belgian court ruled during the holiday period that it could not overrule the country's tobacco advertising ban.
DANKA SINKS FURTHER
DANKA BUSINESS SYSTEMS, the title sponsor of the Arrows Formula 1 team, continues to experience serious financial difficulties and it is extremely unlikely that the American company will continue to support Tom Walkinshaw's team.
MICHELIN SAYS NO TO 1999
THE Michelin tire company has officially announced that it will not be entering Grand Prix racing in 1999.
NEW CAR SCHEDULES
BENETTON may have been the first team to have had a 1998 car running, but Ferrari was not far behind.
NEW TEST DRIVERS
THE Christmas period has seen several of the Formula 1 teams reaching decisions about their test drivers for the coming season with Williams nominating Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya as the replacement for Jean-Christophe Boullion and Ferrari announcing that Luca Badoer will replace Nicola Larini.
THE FIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION - BATTLE NO 2
THE European Commission has warned the International Automobile Federation (FIA) that it intends to take action against the existing contracts between the governing body of the sport and Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Holdings regarding the promotional rights to Grand Prix racing.
TUERO SIGNS FOR MINARDI
THE Minardi team has signed up Argentine teenager Esteban Tuero for the coming season. Tuero is expected to be partnered by Brazilian Tarso Marques.
VILLENEUVE'S SKI ACCIDENT
WORLD CHAMPION Jacques Villeneuve ended 1997 with a bang when he crashed heavily while skiing at the resort of Pra-Loup, near Barcelonnette in the French Alps.
WHO DRIVES WHERE IN 1998?
WITH eight weeks to go before the start of the 1998 FIA Formula 1 World Championship in Melbourne, Australia, there are only two drives still officially open in the Grand Prix field, which will comprise 11 teams fielding 22 cars.