NEWS ARCHIVE
AND SO TO THE NEXT DISCUSSIONS
The nine FOTA teams put in their entries for the 2010 World Championship yesterday, as predicted, on the basis that the 2009 rules will be carried over in 2010.
ASTON MARTIN TO ENTER F1 IN 2012
Aston Martin is to enter F1 from 2012 as a fully-fledged manufacturer entrant, according to a report in Autocar magazine. The company will put its name on a new F1 team to be launched by Prodrive.
NO MORE MT FUJI
Fuji Speedway has decided not to continue with the Japanese Grand Prix. This means that Suzuka will become the home of the race once again, from this year onwards. In Japan the decision, which was made by Fuji's owners Toyota, is being seen as another indication that Toyota may be on the verge of quitting F1. However, the team is expected to lodge its F1 entry today and is expected to stay in F1 until 2012.
HUNGARY CONSIDERS ITS F1 BILLS
We suggested some time ago that there would be troubles with the government funding in Hungary, as the country has been caught badly in the financial squeeze. This is now becoming a reality with a government spokesman Domokos Szollar saying that while the government appreciates what the Grand Prix does for tourism in Budapest, the financing of the race between 2012 and 2016 is yet to be finalised.
DEALS DONE, NOW CONSIDER THIS...
The Monaco weekend was noted to be quiet by most of the F1 circus, with reports that corporate hospitality was down as much as 70% and the yachts looking very sparse in the harbour.
A SETTLEMENT?
It seems that the Formula 1 teams will all enter the 2010 World Championship tomorrow, after agreeing a compromise with the the FIA. They will also agree to sign a new Concorde Agreement, which lasts only until 2012
FOTA SUSPENDS WILLIAMS
Following Monday's confirmation that the team has submitted its formal entry for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, the Formula One Teams Association has today decided temporarily to suspend Williams F1 from membership of FOTA.
ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH...
The Formula 1 teams are meeting again today to try to find a solution to the ongoing problems with the FIA. Williams F1 has entered the 2010 World Championship, saying that it is contractually bound to do so and that its survival depends on racing and that it cannot risk not doing that.
COMPROMISE - AN OVER-USED WORD
For the last week or so there has been a lot of talk about compromise - but very little sign of anything close to it. This a very difficult time for Formula 1, not least because the Monaco Grand Prix is where the big deals are done and, from where I was sitting, the team principals had little time available to talk to potential new sponsors because they were too busy trying to get water out of the bottom of the F1 boat and keep the whole thing afloat.
RACE REPORT - JENSON JOGS TO VICTORY
Jenson Button's only mistake on Sunday in Monte Carlo was to park the car in the wrong place after a dominant victory. This was unfortunate as his presence was required by Prince Albert and so Jenson jumped out of his car and ran off down the start-finish straight towards the podium. With five wins in six races there was much reason to celebrate. But for Jenson the joy came because it was Monaco.
CASTRONEVES WINS THIRD INDY 500
Helio Castroneves won his third Indy 500 this past weekend, and the 15th win for Team Penske. The polesitter lead the final 59 laps to take the victory.
QUALIFYING REPORT - BUTTON AGAIN
Jenson Button took pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix and with a decent level of fuel in his car, things are looking very positive for the World Championship leader.
BERNIE TO BUY SILVERSTONE - THE REAL STORY
There were rumours knocking around at Monaco suggesting that Bernie Ecclestone is going to buy Silverstone, in order to stage the British GP at the Northamptonshire track.
PRACTICE 3 REPORT - ALONSO TOPS THE TIMESHEETS
Fernando Alonso set the fastest time of the Saturday morning session in Monte Carlo witha lap that was just a fraction faster than the best achieved by World Championship leader Jenson Button in his Brawn.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOT A LOT
The F1 team principals and assorted other parties spent Friday talking endlessly about some of the problems afflicting Formula 1 at the moment.
PRACTICE 2 REPORT - ROSBERG FASTEST
Nico Rosberg set the fastest time of the Friday afternoon session in Monaco - and then disappeared off up an escape road while trying to go even faster.
THE FRENCH GP FACES A NEW CHALLENGE
The President of the Conseil General of the Yvelines departement Pierre Bedier agreed some months ago to bankroll the construction of the new French Grand Prix circuit at Flins. It was a good plan.
BRAWN SUPPORTS WILL STEVENS
Brawn GP team has confirmed that it will continue to support the career of Formula Renault driver Will Stevens. The 17-year-old Englishman was previously supported by Honda Racing F1.
PRACTICE 1 REPORT - BRAZILIANS LEAD THE WAY
Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa topped the timesheets at the end of the first practice in Monaco, the pair beating the McLarens of Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton. Kazuki Nakajima and Nico Rosberg were sixth and seventh with World Championship leader Jenson Button eighth, ahead of Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Sebastien Buemi.
PRACTICE 1 RESULTS
Monaco GP - Practice 1 Results
WEDNESDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
Monaco GP - Wednesday Press Conference
MORE PAPER TIGERS?
Several new organisations are now rumoured to be trying to get F1 entries, but once again there is little evidence to suggest that any of them have the money to compete. It is obvioulsy in the interest of some in F1 to make these seem as serious as possible, in order order to try to offset the impending disaster of a Ferrari withdrawal - and the possible disappearance of other teams.
MCLAREN APPLIES FOR PERMISSION...
Ron Dennis, the chairman of McLaren Automotive, has announced plans to build a new factory for the planned McLaren high-performance, high-technology sports cars. This will be located adjacent to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, and will be known as the McLaren Production Centre (MPC).
FERRARI LOSES ITS CASE
Ferrari has failed in its attempt to get an injunction to stop the FIA going ahead with its 2010 plans. Ferrari says that "the existence and validity of Ferrari’s right of veto, as sanctioned in a written agreement with the FIA Senate, were recognized by the Court, as was the fact that this dispute is of a contractual nature.
WHO ARE THE NEW F1 TEAMS AND ARE THEY SERIOUS?
The FIA President Max Mosley has made much of the need to keep costs down in Formula 1 in order to allow new teams to enter the sport. His reason for this is that the car manufacturers will not make a commitment to the sport for the longer term because they believe that the teams should get a larger share of the revenues that the sport generates.
TONY MARSH
Anthony Ernest "Tony" Marsh has died at the age of 77. He had the good fortune to be born into the family that controlled the Marsh & Baxter company, famous for its pork pies and sausages. He grew up in luxurious circumstances in Dunsley Hall, near Stourbridge, and he began competing in his early twenties, having acquired a Cooper-JAP, which has been raced by Peter Collins.
A REVOLUTION COMING AT TOYOTA?
The word from Japan is that the Toyota Motor Company is about to announce a massive restructuring, following the loss of $7.7bn in the first quarter of the year. It is said that 40% of the senior management of the company will be dropped when new chief executive Akio Toyoda takes control on June 1.
NO COMPROMISE POSSIBLE
The meeting between the Formula 1 teams and the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone failed to reach any agreement on Friday. Things were not helped by the fact that FOTA chairman Luca di Montezemolo was not present because of the death of his father.
ROMAN AMBITIONS
The Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno wants to stage a Formula 1 race in the streets of the Esposizione Universale Roma (EUR) district of the city. This area was developed from 1935 onwards by Benito Mussolini to celebrate twenty years of Fascist rule in 1942 with an international Expo.
F1 TEAMS EVERYWHERE...
As the Formula 1 world looks to a meeting tomorrow to try to solve its problems, there are more and more people coming out of the woodwork and saying that they will be entering the World Championship next year.
A RACE THAT JENSON WILL NOT WIN...
Jenson Button has been the dominant force in Formula 1 this year but in August he will be taking part in a race that he has no chance of winning. The Briton will take part in the London Triathlon on Saturday 1 August.
WHAT KIMI AND FELIPE THINK
Ferrari says that it has received "numerous messages from its fans from all over the world" in support of its decision not to enter the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in 2010.
RENAULT DULY FOLLOWS...
The Renault Formula 1 team and parent company Renault issued the following statement on Wednesday:
RENAULT TO FOLLOW FERRARI
The French newspaper Le Figaro is reporting that Renault will soon come out in support of Ferrari, Toyota and the Red Bulls teams in saying that they will not enter the 2010 World Championship unless the FIA changes its regulations.
THE BATTLE BEGINS
The dispute over the Formula 1 budget cap has turned into a full blown crisis, with Ferrari announcing today that it will not enter the Formula 1 World Championship in 2010 unless the budget cap is revoked.
LEWIS VERSUS STEVE MCQUEEN
As the F1 world heads for another political showdown, it is encouraging to report that elsewhere in the sport, people are looking for ways to build for the future.
QUALIFYING REPORT - BUTTON CUTS IT FINE
Jenson Button took pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix, crossing the line to start his final flying lap just two seconds before the chequered flag came out.
TOYOTA WILL NOT ACCEPT TWO-TIER SYSTEM
Toyota Motorsport boss Tadashi Yamashina says that Toyota is not willing to accept a two-tier system in F1.
PRACTICE 3 REPORT - FERRARIS TO THE FORE
Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest times of the morning session in Barcelona on Saturday, the pair around half a second clear the two Brawns, an indication that the cars were being run very light.
PRACTICE 2 REPORT - WILLIAMS 1-2
Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima ended the second practice session in Spain with a strong 1-2 result for Williams F1.
PRACTICE 2 RESULTS
Spanish GP - Practice 2 Results
BRAWN THE TERMINATOR
Brawn GP has agreed a promotional deal with Sony Pictures to promote the soon-to-open movie Terminator Salvation. There will be imagery from the film on the team's cars.
PRACTICE 1 REPORT - BUTTON STILL AHEAD
Jenson Button topped the timesheets in the first practice session for the Spanish GP in Barcelona and with Jarno Trulli second things were pretty much as they have been in recent events. It was interesting to see the two BMW Saubers third and fourth with Robert Kubica ahead of Nick Heidfeld.
PRACTICE 1 RESULTS
Spanish GP - Practice 1 Results
USF1 HIRES NASCAR STAR DESIGNER
USF1 team principals Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor were in the paddock in Barcelona and revealed that they have begun recruitment for the planned F1 team. The biggest name is that of Dr Eric Warren, a star name from the NASCAR world.
THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
Spanish GP - Thursday Press Conference
ALEXANDER MOSLEY
Alexander Mosley, the son of FIA President Max Mosley, has been found dead at his home in St Lukes Mews, Notting Hill, in west London. He was 39. Mosley was a celebrated mathematician and studied at Oxford University before getting a doctorate from the University of London.
BMW DOES WELL-ISH
BMW has announced a loss in the first quarter of 2009 of $73.7m, but this was greeted as good news by the stock exchanges which had been expecting worse figures.
FOTA DISCUSSIONS AHEAD
The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) meets in London tomorrow to consider the latest moves by the FIA. The recent World Council meeting voted through a series of things that FOTA is not keen on, notably the budget cap and the system by which the World Champion is etablished by the number of victories, rather than by the overall points tally.
DONINGTON AND SILVERSTONE
In the next few hours the Donington Park planning permission will be under scrutiny again at a North West Leicestershire District Council meeting in Coalville. This will review the decision taken in January regarding the development of the circuit.
RICHARDS LOOKS TO QATAR
David Richards has made much of his plans to enter F1 in 2010 with a new team but it remains to be seen whether this will actually happen and what it might be branded. One option would be Prodrive although this would have no obvious economic benefit for the company and it would be much wiser to use the Aston Martin brand, which Richards also controls.
A REVOLUTION AT FIAT
The European car industry could be turned on its head if a deal being proposed by Fiat's chief executive Sergio Marchionne comes to fruition. Marchionne has done a good job in recent years reviving Fiat, but the company still has debts of around $8.8bn.
THE RATTLING OF SABRES...
The announcement of the Formula 1 budget cap and the obvious distaste of the idea on the part of Ferrari was a sign that the deteriorating relationship between Ferrari and the FIA was continuing. Now that McLaren has been humbled, Ferrari is the team that looks likely to move into the FIA firing line.
THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD...
Today was the 15th anniversary of the death of the Ayrton Senna, the last Formula 1 driver to be killed in a Grand Prix car. Today there is only one driver left in Formula 1 who was at Imola in 1994 as a F1 driver and Rubens Barrichello did not race that day because he had had a huge crash on Friday.
CHRYSLER GOES INTO CHAPTER 11
The Chrysler Corporation, one of America's Big Three car companies, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after failing to reach an agreement with its creditors. The news means that Fiat could end up owning the business.
