Formula One News — December 2000

RICARDO ZONTA completed his first test for the Jordan team on Friday and reported no problems as he shook-down two chassis in wet conditions at the Silverstone circuit.

THE beleaguered German car company DaimlerChrysler AG has announced that it is cutting back production at its Chrysler facilities in the United States because of falling sales.

THE main Coca-Cola company has taken on a new advertising agency for 2001 and it is interesting to note that the job has gone to the Interpublic Group, which is involved in motor racing via its ownership of the Brands Hatch racing circuit.

THE rumors have been around since last Spring that Ferrari team coordinator Nigel Stepney will be moving to Jaguar Racing in 2001 but the Milton Keynes team says that this is not the case - although denials of rumors by Formula 1 teams these teams can never be believed as more often than not they prove to be incorrect.

BERNIE ECCLESTONE has been keeping busy in recent days with a trip to New York to try to sell the Minardi team to a large merchant bank and then a rush back to London for a meeting with the deputy chairman of the Kirch Group Dieter Hahn to discuss the details of a deal if Kirch as expected takes over the flailing EM.TV media company.

NEW Jaguar driver Luciano Burti will taste the Jaguar R-1B at Silverstone on Friday and the Brazilian is relishing the return of Formula One action.

ARROWS first testing session ahead of the 2001 season turned into a wash-out at a rain-hit Silverstone circuit on Friday.

THE FIA has issued its official entry list for the 2001 Formula 1 World Championship and while most of the names are as expected it is interesting to note that Arrows has nominated Jos Verstappen and Pedro de la Rosa and Sauber has nominated Kimi Raikkonen.

SINCE we reported exclusively three days ago that Arrows team manager Steve Nielsen had departed, the Arrows team has been denying that this was the case.

JAGUAR RACING Chairman Neil Ressler believes that the appointment of Steve Nichols as new Technical Director as successor to Gary Anderson will be extremely positive for the British team.

JAGUAR RACING has announced a major restructuring of its technical departments with technical director Gary Anderson and chief engineer Andy Le Fleming among those who are leaving with immediate effect.

IF anybody thought Jaguar Racing chairman Neil Ressler and his newly appointed CEO Bobby Rahal were not totally serious about the F1 business, then they'd better think again. Big time.

THE beginning of December marks the end of many of the Formula 1 contractual arrangements and traditionally there are a number of announcements resulting from this in the course of the days that follow.