Formula One News — August 2001

FORMULA 1 testing got underway yesterday (Tuesday), with Ferrari refusing to allow itself to rest on the combined drivers' and constructors' laurels accrued in Hungary.

THE Cologne-based Toyota test squad ended another solitary test, this time on home ground at the Nurburgring.

PETER SAUBER has given a stern warning to anyone seeking to lure either Nick Heidfeld or Kimi Raikkonen away from his team: no way!

IS it just a silly season rumor, or is VW finally starting to get serious about going Grand Prix racing?

JACQUES NASSER is being forced to take drastic action to keep Ford Motor Company competitive, and there is little or no solace for its Jaguar Racing team.

NIGEL MANSELL today crashed heavily at Donington Park competing in a demonstration race while carrying a passenger in a special two-seater F1 Minardi.

ITALY and Germany have gone Formula 1 crazy after Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello scored their 1-2 finish in the Hungarian Grand Prix, netting both the drivers' and constructors' world championships.

MUCH to the amusement of Ferrari president Luca Montezemolo, McLaren was forced to capitulate the 2001 season after the drivers' and constructors' titles were both sealed in a 1-2 finish in Hungary.

WHEN Jaguar entered F1 at the start of the 2000 season its arrival was heralded as a marketing tour-de-force, capitalizing on possibly the most magical marque name after Ferrari in the pantheon of high performance car makers.

THE European Minardi team is staging a big promotional event on Tuesday at Donington Park at which there will be the first ever two-seater F1 race.

THE Chinese are still dreaming of hosting a Grand Prix, despite the failure of Zhuhai to impress the Formula 1 authorities.

BRITISH AMERICAN RACING says it will have two full-time test teams next year but that it intends to cut back on its four test drivers.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER could easily win another twenty F1 victories before he retires from motor racing according to Alain Prost, the man whose record of 51 wins and four world championships he equalled with his victory in Sunday's Hungarian grand Prix.

PATRICK LONG, the Inside F1 Young Driver of the Year, won Sunday's round of the Slick 50 British Formula Ford Zetec Championship and has now moved to the head of the championship standings.

AN explosion is expected later this week at Jaguar Racing with a shake-up of the management of the team looking like an inevitability. That will mean that either Bobby Rahal or Niki Lauda is going to be out.

AS the victorious Ferrari team members hugged each other, sprayed champagne and danced jigs around the base of Michael Schumacher's victory podium, the rest of the formula one fraternity was left licking its wounds and, briefly at least, allowing itself a touch of self pity.

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY owner Tony George turned up in Hungary to have a look at the circuit and to have a number of business meetings with Formula 1 people, including F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

GIANCARLO FISICHELLA is likely to remain a Renault driver next season, despite the fact that the Regie opted against coming to an agreement before the Roman's option to re-sign expired.

ALAIN PROST left Formula 1 observers speechless on Friday in Budapest when he said that his team has no problems paying for his Ferrari engines.

THE curb that launched the McLaren of David Coulthard out of the running in Friday's Free Practice session was ground down to size after discussions between several teams and drivers and the FIA's Charlie Whiting.

BERNIE ECCLESTONE was presented with the Midcross Honor of the Hungarian Republic on Friday afternoon, in a ceremony at the Hungarian Parliament.

DOMINANT championship leader Michael Schumacher is positively impatient for the action to get underway this weekend, which could well see him seal his fourth world championship.

THE senior member of Prost grand Prix's junior program, its Formula 3000 team, has signed Norberto Fontana to partner Zsolt Baumgartner for the remainder of the 2001 season.

DARIO FRANCHITTI has resolved to stick with his current employers, Team Kool Green, in CART Champ Car racing until the end of 2003.