Formula One News — July 2004

Hellman & Friedman, the private equity fund that bought part of the Formula One group some years ago and made a sensible profit on the deal, has just closed a new $3.5bn investment fund and is looking for businesses in which to invest.

Mika Hakkinen retired from Formula 1 at the end of 2002 saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family and admitting that he did not want to take as many risks as previously, after a huge accident in Melbourne at the start of that year after his McLaren a suspension failure.

McLaren technical director Adrian Newey will be free to leave McLaren at the end of July 2005 and that means that we are likely to see a battle for his services. At the moment Newey says that he isn't even thinking about contracts because he is busy working on next year's car.

The Kyalami racing circuit, home of the South African Grand Prix for many years, has been sold for $7.1m. The new owners are a consortium of businessmen including both businessmen and property developers.

The British Grand Prix attracted 85,000 people more than it did in 2003, attracting a total of 195,000 spectators over two days and with very few complaints about traffic jams the race seems to have been a big success, evidence perhaps that changing the pricing structures is the way forward for race promoters.

It is nice to listen to the German national anthem on a Sunday afternoon. It is a magnificent piece of music. Frederick Handel knew how to scribble a decent tune. The only problem is that after listening to the same tune for the 80th time on a Sunday afternoon is becoming a bit too much of a habit.

Preliminary talks are now taking place for the construction of a major new racing facility on New York's Staten Island.

Sebastien Bourdais won the Toronto Molson Indy on Sunday, his third Champ Car victory in a row.

Vitantonio Liuzzi started the season as the favourite to win the FIA International Formula 3000 Championship but his success this year has been much more stunning than anyone expeced it to be and with each new victory Liuzzi's name is being heard more and more in the Formula 1 paddock.

The support races at Grands Prix are rarely given much attention up in the Formula 1 Media Centres but at Silverstone on Sunday there was some excitement when Matthew Marsh, sometime Formula 1 Correspondent of the South China Morning Post, won the Trofeo Maserati race at Silverstone.

Qatar is the latest country in the Middle East to open its own international motorsports venue. The Losail International Circuit of Qatar will host a round of the MotoGP series later this year.

British GP - Race Notes

British GP - Sunday Photos

British GP - Sunday Press Conference

British GP - Race Results

British American Racing engineers Jock Clear and Tristan Timmins will be out of action this afternoon following a road accident this morning on their way into the Silverstone circuit.

The driver market was on the move again at Silverstone with much ducking and weaving going on in the paddock as the Formula 1 teams try to work out who is going where next year.

British GP - Qualifying Report

Bernie Ecclestone spent Saturday afternoon going around the teams after the qualifying at Silverstone trying to get the format changed after the pre-qualifying session was marked by teams trying to go slower than their rivals.

The Winston Salem Journal has come up with an interesting story about NASCAR star Jeff Gordon, suggesting that the multiple champion is "the subject of more hot Formula 1 rumours, this time linking him to a possible ride with the super-star Williams team and with Bernie Ecclestone possibly willing to pay part of the salary".

British GP - Saturday Photos

British GP - Saturday Press Conference

British GP - Qualifying Results

Eddie Jordan is keeping his cards close to his chest about negotiations that are going on for the Irishman to sell part of his team to the Dubai royal family. Working out what is going on is not easy because there are a large number of members of the Al Maktoum dynasty.