Formula One News — June 2001

DAVID COULTHARD has revealed that he had a problem with his McLaren car before the start of the Canadian Grand Prix and was considering withdrawal until an engine blow-out made the decision for him.

KIMI RAIKKONEN was delighted to equal his best ever Grand Prix finish with fourth in Canada, despite an early clash with stand-in Jordan driver Ricardo Zonta.

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Adrian Newey, says he hopes that his friendship with Jaguar boss Bobby Rahal could still survive.

FIA race director Charlie Whiting has warned rival drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve that they will face a two-race ban should their bitter feud continue.

RON DENNIS spoke in public about the Adrian Newey affair for the first time on Saturday and made it clear he believes McLaren will win their High Court battle with Jaguar.

EDDIE IRVINE hit out in all directions during an amusing appraisal of various issues on Saturday after qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix.

RON DENNIS has said that neither he nor Norbert Haug threatened Enrique Bernoldi at the Monaco Grand Prix despite reports to the contrary, although he did admit that they had approached the driver after he held up their man David Coulthard.

FERRARI have been fined $10,000 after team mechanics were forced to illegally work on the stricken car of Rubens Barrichello in the pit-lane during qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix.

RICARDO ZONTA has said that he extremely nervous as he prepares to take the driver's seat in Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.

CANADIAN Jacques Villeneuve had to be pulled away from Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya in a drivers' briefing on Saturday when the pair clashed following a war of words.

JORDAN driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen will not be competing in this year's Canadian Grand Prix due to illness.

BRITISH AMERICAN RACING driver Jacques Villeneuve's restaurant in Montreal has caused a stir after its official opening this week.

ADRIAN NEWEY, man who shook the sport last week by apparently signing a multi-million pound deal to move to Jaguar, then to change his mind and agree a similar deal to stay with McLaren, is staying back at base this weekend.

BRITISH AMERICAN RACING boss Craig Pollock says he has not been in contact with engine suppliers Honda over their future together for next season.

THE fight over McLaren technical director Adrian Newey intensified on Thursday in Canada as his current employers and Jaguar Racing issued new statements about his future in the sport.

EVERYONE in Montreal was talking about Adrian Newey.

EDDIE IRVINE is hoping he and his Jaguar Racing team can solve a recurring steering problem on the R2 before Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.

ALLAN MCNISH put the Toyota Formula One car through its paces as the team completed a three-day testing session at the Imola circuit on Thursday.

JAGUAR RACING team chief Bobby Rahal has used a quote from McLaren counterpart Ron Dennis as the tug-of-war over the services of technical director Adrian Newey stepped up a gear in Canada.

THE Inside F1 organization is pleased to announce the acquisition of the GrandPrix.com domain name on the World Wide Web. The existing InsideF1.com website will now be renamed GrandPrix.com.

ITALIAN racer Gianni Morbidelli has denied claims that he will replace Tarso Marques at Minardi after rumors that the Brazilian driver is out of favor with the team.

FINN Mika Hakkinen is already counting down the races in this year's world championship hoping that he remains within mathematical possibility of re-gaining his world crown.

JAGUAR boss Bobby Rahal is expecting his former driver Luciano Burti to improve with the Prost team in the future.

NIGEL MANSELL has been voted Britain's most favorite motor racing icon in a recent fans' poll.