Formula One News — March 2002

The Coulthard family name may not be listed in the annals of the Australian GP but at Melbourne last weekend a New Zealand youngster called Fabian Coulthard proved that there must be something in the genes.

Ferrari's sporting director, Jean Todt, has told the Italian press that the team is considering taking both the F2001 and F2002 to Malaysia for the second round of the world championship next weekend.

As scheduled, Jean Alesi tested for McLaren at the Paul Ricard circuit on Tuesday. The Frenchman was offered the test after signing a deal to drive for Mercedes in the 2002 German touring car series (DTM).

It was clear in Melbourne that whoever was behind the Phoenix Finance Ltd. Formula 1 team did not have a very clear understanding of the way in which the sport operates.

The first major gathering of the years of the European automobile company executives will take place this week in Geneva with the 72nd Geneva Motor Show.

Michelin dominated the final standings in Melbourne, capturing every points paying position other than one.

Williams and Renault were back to work on Tuesday at Silverstone. Both teams put their test drivers to work, Marc Gene for Williams and Fernando Alonso for Renault.

Jack Fairman, one of the British Formula 1 drivers in the 1950s, has died at the age of 83.

Dieter Hahn says that he would like to find a way of keeping the investment but admitted that it might have to be sold to help Kirch through a liquidity crisis.

The business with the Phoenix Finance company trying to buy assets of the Prost Grand Prix team generated a vast number of daft stories about who might be behind the idea.

Despite the plans being laid by Arrows F1 team boss Tom Walkinshaw there are still very serious doubts that the Phoenix Finance Ltd. bid to become a Grand Prix team will result in any cars appearing this year.

Gary Anderson, has been rather vocal in criticizing the race stewards' decision not to stop the Australian GP after a first turn accident collected 8 cars.

Cosme Rogeau, the liquidator of Prost Grand Prix, seems to be a man under pressure at the moment and on Saturday afternoon he issued a second press release to try to explain the deal he has struck with Phoenix Finance Ltd.

While the attention in Formula 1 has been focussed on Melbourne and all the shenanigans going on down there, it is worth noting the results of a recent test in Japan where Honda has been trying out youngsters for its GT program.

Takuma Sato's first grand prix weekend has started disastrously, but the Japanese rookie will be given the chance to change his luck on Sunday.

Forgetting the legal and political issues involved in the takeover of Prost Grand Prix assets, the Phoenix Finance Ltd. F1 team is going to have a series of virtually insurmountable problems in the weeks ahead if it is to stay alive.

The automobile manufacturers will be meeting next week at the Geneva Autosalon to discuss the development of the planned GPWC series, which they say will replace Formula 1 in 2008.

As we revealed some weeks ago, Formula1.com has been acquired by the Formula One Group and it has now been announced that the website will become the official website of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Jordan Grand Prix is denying rumors that its technical director Egbahl Hamidy is leaving the team. Hamidy is currently "on holiday". Time will tell.

After a day of fiery exchanges between Tom Walkinshaw and Paul Stoddart over the issue of the assets of Prost Grand Prix, more facts are beginning to emerge about the deal.

Clearly feeling under pressure to explain himself the official liquidator of Prost Grand Prix has announced details of the deal over the sales of Prost's assets.

Michael Schumacher's colorful manager Willi Weber has been talking rather a lot in recent days about a bid by Stuttgart to host the Olympic Games in 2012.

Egbhal Hamidy, the technical director of Jordan Grand Prix, is currently "on holiday" and that is bad news for the Iranian-born engineer - because at Jordan when the technical director does not make it to the first race to see how his new car is doing, the relationship is clearly over.

Toyota Racing has signed a sponsorship agreement with global foreign exchange specialist Travelex. Travelex is the world's largest operator of currency exchange bureaux.