Formula One News — June 2001

THE Nurburgring circuit is to undergo a new facelift that will see the infamous Castrol Esses replaced by a purpose-built stadium section.

BENETTON's director of engineering Pat Symonds has said the team's run of bad form cannot be blamed on one single component.

RALF SCHUMACHER is ready to commit his future to BMW-Williams after he said that he is in discussions over a new deal.

SOFTWARE company Temenos have joined up with the Sauber team as new sponsors.

THERE is a certain amount of confusion in Britain today following the Queen's Speech, opening the new parliament.

MIKE GASCOYNE, technical director of Benetton, has said that the team will debut their launch control system in this weekend's European Grand Prix.

WITH the current vogue amongst engine manufacturers being to supply more than team - in an effort to help balance the books and to gain a little more political power - it seems that BMW may now be considering expanding their engine supply to two teams next season.

MCLAREN driver David Coulthard has admitted that Ferrari are currently better qualifiers than his team, but he is confident he can still beat his rivals.

THE paying spectator was vaulted to the top of the motor racing agenda today as Silverstone unveiled dramatic details of its five year plan to make the home of the British grand prix the best and most sophisticated formula one circuit in the world.

A masterplan for the future of Silverstone was launched on Wednesday with Sir Jackie Stewart promising that the Northamptonshire circuit will become one of the best in the world.

JAPAN's Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., owner of the National, Panasonic, Technics and JVC brands, is expected to be named shortly as the major sponsor of Toyota's Formula 1 team, which will enter Grand Prix racing next season. Matsushita is expected to use F1 to promote the Panasonic name. The deal is expected to be announced later this year.

THE Elf scandal in France has not ended yet, despite the jailing of a number of defendants in the first round of trials.

THE Sauber Formula One team have denied speculation in the German media that driver Nick Heidfeld will not race in this weekend's European Grand Prix.

HEINZ-HARALD FRENTZEN is set to be cleared to race at this weekend's European Grand Prix after recovering from the headaches and dizziness that prevented him from racing in Canada.

AMERICA's most famous engineering school, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is considering a research program to reinvent the racing car. The MIT Media Laboratory's Car Consortium is currently involved in a project with architect Frank Gehry (who designed the new Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain) to rethink the concept of the automobile allowing for modern technologies developed at MIT.

RALF SCHUMACHER is not targeting a second win in a row as he heads into this weekend's European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring because he does not believe the circuit will suit his Williams car.

BRIDGESTONE technical manager Hisao Suganuma is not expecting to experience any problems with tires in this weekend's European Grand Prix.

BRITISH AMERICAN RACING boss Craig Pollock is hoping to forget about last weekend's confrontation between Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya after describing the incident as "a bit of a mix-up".

SIR JACKIE STEWART has revealed his fears that the British Grand Prix could be dropped from the calendar next year, in a report in a British Sunday tabloid newspaper.

RED BULL, the energy drink company and current major sponsor of the Sauber team, have held meetings with Morgan Grenfell Private Equity bank over buying a 70 percent stake in the Arrows team, according to a report in the British press.

SPANIARD Pedro de la Rosa is looking forward to further improvements to his Jaguar R2 before next weekend's European Grand Prix, but believes his team are suffering with poor facilities.

JAGUAR team boss Bobby Rahal says he is happy with his current staff despite pushing to strengthen his design team with McLaren technical director Adrian Newey.

FORMER Formula One star Jackie Stewart has been given the honor of a British knighthood in the Queen's birthday honours on Saturday.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER believes Scot David Coulthard is only in a fight for the championship because he has been riding his luck this year.