NEWS ARCHIVE
FIA TO CHANGE STEWARDING SYSTEM?
The word in Singapore is that the FIA is planning to change the way in which the stewards operate, but this is not in recation to the recent controversies, but rather a work which has been in progress for some time.
FORMULA 1 AND THE WORLD ECONOMY
Amid all the fun and games of Singapore, FIA consultant Tony Purnell was doing the rounds talking to the Formula 1 team bosses about the current economic problems in the world and whether or not they will have an effect on the funding of the sport.
RACE REPORT - ALONSO'S SHOCKER
There was more than a little irony in the result of the Singapore Grand Prix. Nelson Piquet has seemed out of his depth this year and in Singapore he crashed heavily on lap 13. But in doing so he handed victory to his team-mate Fernando Alonso, who had gambled on a very short 12-lap first stint. He was thus perfectly positioned to take advantage of the situation.
RACE RESULTS
Singapore GP - Race Results
QUALIFYING REPORT - GOOD NIGHT FELIPE!
Felipe Massa took pole position for the first Formula 1 night race with a scintillating lap around the streets of Singapore. He ended up six-tenths of a second faster than Lewis Hamilton's McLaren a gap which made it fairly certain that the Ferrari was running with a lighter fuel load than the McLaren.
HEIDFELD GETS A THREE-PLACE GRID PENALTY
Nick Heidfeld has been given a three-place grid penalty for getting in the way of Rubens Barrichello. The penalty means that the German will drop behind Sebastian Vettel, Timo Glock and Nico Rosberg
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Singapore GP - Qualifying Results
PAUL NEWMAN 1925-2008
Paul Newman, the film star, racing driver, team owner and humanitarian entrepreneur has died at the age of 83. Newman was the parrt-owner of the Newman Haas Lanigan Racing team in the Indy Racing League.
PRACTICE 3 REPORT - FERNANDO STILL AHEAD
Fernando Alonso is either enjoying the greatest comeback in modern Formula 1, or he has been running with virtually no fuel in his Renault in practice for the Singapore Grand Prix. We will know the answer to that soon enough as the teams prepare for qualifying.
PRACTICE 3 RESULTS
Singapore GP - Practice 3 Results
PRACTICE 2 REPORT - YELLOW FEVER (WELL, SORT OF)
Fernando Alonso hustled his Renault round to the fastest time of the second session in Singapore on Friday night, although his best time did not beat the best lap set in the early evening session by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.
SINGAPORE IS THE 800TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
Singapore will be the 800th World Championship Grand Prix, although some would argue that the 11 Indianapolis 500s that were included in the World Championship in the 1950s and were ignored by the Formula 1 teams should not be included in the overall total.
PRACTICE 2 RESULTS
Singapore GP - Practice 2 Results
TRULLI GETS A FINE
Jarno Trulli has been fined $14,600 for driving his car in the opposite direction on the race track in order to enter the pits and for crossing the pit entry line. Trulli had spun his Toyota at the last corner and decided to drive back up the track to enter the pits rather than complete a new lap.
PRACTICE 1 REPORT - SHINING ARMOUR IN THE NIGHT
Lewis Hamilton set the pace in the first practice session for the Singapore GP on Friday evening. The British driver took his McLaren around the floodlit track just fast enough to edge out his World Championship rival Felipe Massa, in his Ferrari.
PRACTICE 1 RESULTS
Singapore GP - Practice 1 Results
INDIAN GP POSTPONED?
Bernie Ecclestone says that plans to hold a Grand Prix in India in 2010 may not be possible. India announced plans for a race at a new purpose-built circuit near New Delhi, but Ecclestone says that he would prefer to see the race in 2011.
ANOTHER FRENCH GP VENUE
There are already at least five projects for the French Grand Prix and later this morning there will be another as the departement of the Yvelines throws its hat into the ring with a project at Mureaux, in the Seine Valley to the west of Paris, between Maisons-Laffitte and Mantes-la-Jolie.
TORRENTIAL RAINS IN SINGAPORE
Singapore was hit by huge storms in the course of Thursday night with torrential downpours that lasted for more than six hours. The weather began to clear up in the early afternoon and the first practice will probably take place in dry conditions now that the humidity has been reduced significantly.
EU REJECTS GREEN DELAYS
European Union legislators have rejected an attempt to delay planned limits on carbon dioxide emissions from cars. German and French politicians have led the campaign to put off the European Commission's plan to cut emissions by 17% by 2012, arguing that the proposal threatens thousands of jobs in the automobile industry.
THE MONSTER KERBS OF SINGAPORE
The general reaction in F1 to the new Singapore circuit has been good, but there are several drivers who are worried about Turn 10, the chicane at the end of the back straight, in front of the Old Supreme Court building. The kerbs in the chicane are spectacularly high and drivers fear that any mistake will result in serious damage to the cars.
THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
Singapore GP - Thursday Press Conference
BLACK FLAGS AT NIGHT
The Singapore Grand Prix will highlight the development of the new digiflag system to warn drivers with lights rather than flags.
CREGAN GOES TO ABU DHABI
Richard Cregan, the team manager of the Panasonic Racing team hs joined Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM) as the "team manager" of the new Formula 1 circuit.
NO BIG SURPRISES IN PARIS
The FIA Court of Appeal has rejected the McLaren appeal from the Grand Prix of Belgium on the grounds that Article 152 of the International Sporting Code states that drive-through penalties are "not susceptible to appeal".
MATESCHITZ TO REBUILD ZELTWEG
Work is underway at the old Osterreichring near Zeltweg to create a new Formula 1-standard testing facility, which will be funded by Red Bull's Dietrich Mateschitz to the tune of $100m.
WORRYING REVELATIONS
Tony Scott Andrews is a man who has a great deal of credibility in Formula 1 circles. You need only to look at the man to know he is honest and thus the claims being made in the FIA Court of Appeal in Paris on Monday were very disquieting.
THE QUESTION THAT THE COURT CANNOT ANSWER
The FIA International Court of Appeal will give its ruling tomorrow on the question of Lewis Hamilton's penalty in Belgium. The court met today in Paris to listen to the arguments about whether the appeal was admissible and then the details of the case itself.
NEW TV DEALS FOR A1GP
A1GP World Cup of Motorsport is due to hit the ground running with a full line of up of both new and renewed TV deals ensuring continued worldwide exposure for the series that kicks off Season Four in less than a month.
A REALIGNMENT AT HONDA RACING F1
There has been a restructuring of the management at Honda Racing F1, which has resulted from the arrival of Ross Brawn almost a year ago.
F1 FIDDLES ON AS WALL STREET BURNS
The insular world of Formula 1 eats money, which is fine as long as money is available to spend. The upheavals in the financial world in recent weeks will have an effect on confidence in the business world and that will probably result in companies being less likely to invest in expensive F1 sponsorships.
SARCELLES BIDDING FOR A GRAND PRIX
The Parisian suburb of Sarcelles is best known these days for the riots that took place in the public housing districts in the south of the commune in November 2005 which brought to light the plight of France's young immigrants. Ever since the commune has suffered with that reputation.
HOW TORO ROSSO BEAT RED BULL RACING - AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE VICTORY
Scuderia Toro Rosso's victory at Monza was a popular one, but now that the spray is settling there are going to be some questions asked about how that victory was achieved - and whether it was something that is acceptable in F1 circles.
A1GP STRUGGLES ON
The news that hedge fund RAB Capital has removed its chief executive Philip Richards is not good news for the A1GP Series, as it is a sign that RAB recognises that the investment made in the series was not a good idea.
A SIGN OF THE TIMES
McLaren's head of race operations Steve Hallam is leaving the team at the end of the current season to take a senior role in NASCAR. There are currently no word on what that role will be, but it is a significant hiring nonetheless as few Formula 1 engineers have gone to NASCAR in the past.
MORE ON FORMULA 2
Jonathan Palmer has been giving more details about the new Formula 2, which will start in May next year. Palmer has won the FIA tender process to not only supply the cars to the championship, but also to be the commercial rights holder to the new series.
COLLAPSE OF LEHMAN BROTHERS COMPLICATES F1 OWNERSHIP
Lehman Brothers, the fourth biggest financial institution in the United States, has applied for bankruptcy protection with debts of around $750bn and assets worth only $639bn.
RACE REPORT - VETTEL BLOWS THEM AWAY
You have to laugh sometimes in Grand Prix racing. Pretty much everyone was delighted to see Sebastian Vettel win the Italian GP. It is always nice to have a new winner and Vettel is a popular guy. He's naturally funny and not in the least bit precious.
FIA PICKS PALMER AS F2 SUPPLIER
The FIA has awarded the tender to supply chassis and engines for the new FIA Formula 2 Championship to Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision company. MSV will become the promoter of the series in addition to operating all of the cars.
A SOURCE OF EMBARRASSMENT
The News of the World newspaper may not be popular reading in FIA circles, but it does seem to have developed more of an interest in Formula 1 as a result of the Mosley Scandal and is now hot in pursuit of Belgian Grand Prix steward Surinder Thatthi, claiming that the Tanzanian, who represents Kenya on the FIA World Motor Sport Council, fixed the results of the 2007 Safari Rally.
THE FUTURE OF FERNANDO ALONSO
The news at Monza that Kimi Raikkonen will stay with Ferrari for another two seasons came as a surprise in Monza, given the Finn's poor performances this year.
A GRAND PRIX IN PALM SPRINGS?
There are discussions going on with the aim of taking Formula 1 to a purpose-built racing circuit near Palm Springs.
SAFETY CAR START AT MONZA
There will be a Safety Car start at Monza as there is light rain falling as the cars go to the grid.
QUALIFYING REPORT - SAINT SEBASTIAN
There are some who think that Formula 1 would benefit from the tracks being sprayed with water at random moments. They are probably right. Whether that turns the sport into a circus is another argument but if entertainment is the only criterion then qualifying at Monza was a good example of what can happen.
PRACTICE 3 REPORT - SPEED BOATS AT MONZA
The rains returned to Monza on Saturday morning to disrupt the morning session, leaving teams with little real idea of what to do for qualifying and having to guess set-ups for the race. The times were pretty meaningless again as the rains increased before everyone had gone for a fast time.
PRACTICE 2 REPORT - KIMI RE-SIGNS AND GOES QUICKEST
Kimi Raikkonen's future at Ferrari is secure and to celebrate the announcement of another two years to come, the Finn set the fastest time of the second session on Friday at Monza. He was chased by Robert Kubica in his BMW Sauber and Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren-Mercedes.
PRACTICE 2 RESULTS
Italian GP - Practice 2 Results
MCLAREN APPEAL TO BE HEARD ON SEPTEMBER 22
McLaren's appeal against Lewis Hamilton's 25-second penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix will be heard by the FIA International Court of Appeal on September 22. The court will have to decide whether or not McLaren has a right to appeal the decision.
FERRARI CONFIRMS RAIKKONEN AND MASSA UNTIL 2010
Ferrari has announced that Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa will remain its drivers until the end of 2010.
PRACTICE 1 REPORT - MONZOON!
The first practice sesson for the Italian Grand Prix was disrupted by a rain storm of tropical proportions which left the teams fighting to stop the pits from flooding as the drains overflowed. In the end the session was red-flagged.
PRACTICE 1 RESULTS
Italian GP - Practice 1 Results
THOUGHTS AFTER THE YELLING AND SCREAMING
There continue to be different opinions about Lewis Hamilton's penalty in Spa, including some rather bizarre comments from Surinder Thatti, the Tanzanian steward (who represents Kenya), who was part of the decision-making process.
FOTA LAYS OUT ITS STALL
The 10 Formula 1 teams have agreed to execute the articles of association of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA). The group announced the appointment of Luca di Montezemolo has been appointed as the first Chairman of FOTA with John Howett of Toyota as Vice-Chairman.
MCLAREN REACTS TO PENALTY
McLaren has issued some more statements about the decision of the FIA Stewards in Belgium.
A PETITION SUPPORTING LEWIS
The fans of Formula 1 are clearly upset about the decision by the FIA Stewards at Spa on Sunday night and in just 36 hours have amassed a total of 22,000 signatures on an Internet petition.
RACE REPORT - F1 SHOOTS ITSELF IN THE FOOT
Lewis Hamilton scored a wonderful win over Ferrari at Spa on Sunday, snatching victory from Kimi Raikkonen in the dying moments of the race, as rain began to fall on the Belgian circuit. It was a terrific race, with plenty of spectacular action.
PATRESE TO TEST FOR HONDA F1
Riccardo Patrese was for many years the most-experienced Formula 1 driver of all time with 256 race starts. His record was finally broken this year by Honda's Rubens Barrichello, after Michael Schumacher fell short of the record when he quit the sport at the end of 2006 with 251 Grands Prix behind him.
MALLYA SEES FORCE INDIA AS UNDER CONTROL
Vijay Mallya says that there is nothing wrong with relationships inside the Force India F1 teams, although he admits that commercial boss Colin Kolles and technical boss Mike Gascoyne are not getting on very well.
PUTTING AMERICA BACK ON THE F1 CALENDAR
There continue to be stories that Formula 1 will be going back to the United States next season, although the only workable venue is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The track is happy to host a race but it does not want to pay the fees being demanded by the Formula One group.
F1 TEAMS LOOK AT NEW CUSTOMER CAR PROPOSAL
Formula 1 teams are studying a new proposal from the Formula One group that will allow for the continued use of customer cars in 2010 and beyond.
LOOKING BEHIND THE HAMILTON DECISION
The reaction in the international media to the decision of the Belgian Grand Prix stewards has been as damning as expected. Reaction to this website from fans has been equally damning.
FIA STEWARDS TAKE AWAY HAMILTON WIN
The FIA Stewards have given Lewis Hamilton a 25secs penalty for cutting a chicane during his battle for the lead of the Belgian Grand Prix with Kimi Raikkonen.
GLOCK LOSES HIS POINT
Timo Glock has been penalised 25secs for ignoring waved yellow flags during the Belgian GP. The penalty means that Glock drops behind Mark Webber and loses his point.
QUALIFYING REPORT - A GREY DAY IN SPA
Lewis Hamilton crushed the opposition on Saturday afternoon in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. Hamilton drove a brilliant lap to take pole position by three-tenths of a second over World Championship rival Felipe Massa.
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Belgian GP - Qualifying Results
PRACTICE 3 REPORT - NICK IS QUICK
The third practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa did little to reveal who is competitive for the weekend, with Nick Heidfeld fastest in his BMW after a wet/dry session.
PRACTICE 3 RESULTS
Belgian GP - Practice 3 Results
PRACTICE 2 REPORT - ALONSO GOES FASTEST
Fernando Alonso set the fastest time of the second practice session at Spa in his Renault. The session was disrupted by a rain shower after which there were several accidents as drivers pushed too hard on a damp track.
IN MEMORY OF PAUL FRERE
The Spa Francorchamps authorities have announced that they are to name the track's Turn 15 (currently known as Stavelot) is to be renamed in honour of racer Paul Frere, who died earlier this year at the age of 91.
CHANGES AT DONINGTON PARK
Lee Gill, Donington Park's chief operating officer and one of the partners in Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, the company that operates the track, has ended his involvement with the circuit.
PRACTICE 2 RESULTS
Belgian GP - Practice 2 Results
THE SINGAPORE TIMETABLE
The timetable for practice, qualifying and the race in Singapore have been a closely-guarded secret up to now, but we can reveal that the action will not begin until 7pm each day.
PRACTICE 1 REPORT - MASSA ON TOP AT SPA
Felipe Massa set the fastest time of the first practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix with a time that was three-tenths of a second ahead of his team-mate, World Champion Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn was two-tenths of a second clear of Lewis Hamilton's McLaren, with his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen next up.
PRACTICE 1 RESULTS
Belgian GP - Practice 1 Results
MCLAREN EXPANDS TO AMERICA
McLaren Electronic Systems, the specialist electronics arm of British Formula 1 racing and automotive company McLaren, has launched McLaren Electronics Inc, a North American subsidiary.
THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
Belgian GP - Thursday Press Conference
A MESS IN LEICESTERSHIRE
East Midlands Airport is complaining about alleged abuses of Donington Park's licences. The airport General Manager Neil Robinson told a hearing that a fairground ride TV broadcast platforms, mobile phone towers and other constructions led to the airport being forced to close down a 400m section of runway and divert two big cargo planes which could not land because of the hazards.
MAJOR CHANGES PLANNED AT SPA?
There are rumours in Belgium that the Spa-Francorchamps circuit could be drastically changed before the Belgian GP in 2009. Much work has been done on the circuit in recent years, but it remains the longest on the Formula 1 calendar and this means that it has a number of disadvantages.
NEW TV DEAL IN ASIA
ESPN Star Sports has agreed to a new five-year deal with Formula One Management (FOM) for the exclusive rights to broadcast the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in 24 Asian markets.
WHAT GAMES ARE THESE?
Bernie Ecclestone has told the BBC that he would welcome Max Mosley back into the Grand Prix paddock after the sado-masochistic sex scandal in March, which has kept Mosley out of F1 for most of the year. The FIA President made a brief appearance at Monaco, but this was simply a photo opportunity designed to give the impression that it was business as usual.
TORO ROSSO LOOKS TO WELL-CONNECTED RACERS
Scuderia Toro Rosso is in need of a new driver line-up in 2009 and with Red Bull supplying much of the budget in 2009 the team will soon test Red Bull's latest favourite Sebastien Buemi and F1 veteran Takuma Sato at Jerez.
OUT AND ABOUT IN FRANCE
On Sunday Sebastien Bourdais took a tour of the city of Paris - at the wheel of his Toro Rosso-Ferrari. The midday drivers in Paris had a shock as the Frenchman hurtled through the streets, accompanied by a fleet of nine police outriders.
CREGAN TO LEAVE TOYOTA
Richard Cregan is leaving Toyota F1 at the end of November. The 48-year-old Irishman, who runs the team, has been with the organisation for 24 years, after joining Ove Andersson's organisation as a rally mechanic. Cregan is moving to a new project, the details of which are yet to be made public.
JUSTIN WINS IN MOTOWN
Justin Wilson won his first Indycar victory on Sunday on the Belle Island track in Detroit. The former F1 driver, who races for the Newman Haas Lanigan team, beat Helio Castroneves (Penske Racing) and Tony Kanaan (Andretti Green). Wilson is the ninth different driver to win an IRL race this year.
