Formula One News — October 2002

The 2001 Formula 3000 Champion Justin Wilson has struggled to get a break in Formula 1 and it now seems that the tall Englishman will be switching to CART next year. Wilson tested for the new CART champions Newman Haas Racing at the 1.5 mile Homestead Oval in Miami, Florida.

The story of Jacques Villeneuve and CART is officially over. Jacques is under contract to British American Racing for next year and that is that. Or that is what is being said. And yet at the same time there remains a suspicion that we could still see Villeneuve disappearing off to America in 2003.

Ferrari's parent company Fiat has announced plans to wipe out more than 20% if its workforce as part of a plan to save the stricken Italian car company. This will mean that more than 8000 people are going to lose their jobs

<b>Japanese Grand Prix Friday Afternoon Free Practice Report</b>

The three year sponsorship deal between mobile service provider Orange and Arrows ends after this weekend's Japanese GP, and, to no one's surprise, the agreement will not be renewed.

<b>Japanese Grand Prix Friday Photos</b>

The lack of movement on the F1 driver market in recent weeks has been rather strange. Cristiano da Matta is expected to be at Toyota next year but has yet to be confirmed. Mark Webber is expected to join Jaguar but the move has not been confirmed.

<b>Japanese Grand Prix Friday Morning Free Practice Report</b>

BMW Motorsport has announced that Dr Werner Laurenz, the general manager of the F1 engine development program, is to leave the company. He will be replaced by Heinz Paschen, the lead designer of the powerful BMW V10 engines.

Mark Blundell, former Formula 1 driver and television commentator, is to make his rallying debut on the Network Q Rally of Great Britain next month. Blundell will drive an MG ZR Super 1600. His co-driver for the event will be Formula 1 journalist Bob McKenzie of the Daily Express.

David North, one of Formula 1's most experienced transmission engineers, has moved from McLaren to Renault.

Nico Rosberg is to test a Williams-BMW Formula 1 car in the near-future at the invitation of BMW. The 17-year-old Finn, the son of 1982 World Champion Keke Rosberg, won the Formula BMW championship this year

The Formula 1 circus is waiting for news of the Arrows team. No-one expects the team to be seen again and the news that the British tax authorities have now put in a winding-up petition against the team's holding company will probably put an end to the story once and for all.

The Grand Prix driver Lance Macklin has died at the age of 83

FIA President Max Mosley has written to the Formula 1 team bosses outlining his proposals for changes in the F1 sporting regulations. The list includes several ideas which are at best unlikely, including the idea of drivers rotating between the teams in the course of the season.

The suggestion that Formula 1 drivers should each drive for every team in the course of an F1 season is laughable - but it has provided the sport with a few more headlines as the leading players gear up for a major meeting

FIA President Max Mosley is currently on a world tour with visits either having taken place or being planned to Bahrain, Shanghai, Suzuka and St Petersburg. The major goal of the trip appears to be to meet the people who will be involved in the new F1 races which are planned for the next few years

The recent spat of rumors that Williams is talking to BMW about selling a stake in the company are not true. The team has always been the most independent of the independents and that is not about to change.

Nicolo Petrucci, the chief aerodynamicist of the Arrows team, has signed for Jordan. The former Ferrari engineer is seen as having been one of the major reasons for the good showings of Arrows in recent years

Jacques Villeneuve and Craig Pollock's visit to Miami over the weekend for the CART Grand Prix of the Americas caused some speculation that the 1995 CART Champion may still return to the US series, but Pollock may also be looking to the US to make his return as team owner and director.

FIA president Max Mosley has revealed more about the letter recently written to the team bosses, which discusses possible rule changes aimed at making F1 more exciting.

Red Bull's American driver search is moving forward with the final candidates readying themselves for the run-off, scheduled for October 14th through October 18th at Paul Ricard in southern France.

Frank Williams has been making noise lately, encouraging engine supplier BMW to buy into his team to provide stability and allow for long term plans. i

The suggestion that there could be a system of handicapping introduced in Formula 1 next year is not very likely to happen. Formula 1 bosses Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone have long been traditionalists in their approach to the sport and to go against everything they stand for would be a big surprise