Formula One News — March 2005

Ron Walker has come out attacking Paul Stoddart for his recent stand in Melbourne. This is ungrateful at best given that Stoddart had the good grace to withdraw his legal action and allow the event to go ahead.

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker says that his preferred date for next year's event would be April 30, several weeks later than usual.

Bernie Ecclestone says that he has three teams "signed up" to the new Concorde Agreement. The remarks, made in the German newspaper "Welt Am Sonntag", are aimed at underlining the fact that there is a split in the sport and can only be Red Bull Racing and Jordan,

Formula 1 aspirant Ryan Hunter-Reay has signed to drive for Paul Gentilozzi's Rocketsports in Champ Cars this year, closing down one of the few remaining opportunities on offer for exiled European drivers.

Formula BMW Asia Champion Marchy Lee Yin-Kin is rumoured to be on the verge of a deal to become the third driver of the Minardi team. If confirmed the deal would be a massive boost for F1 in China.

Formula 1 has a very high profile in Germany thanks to the exploits of Michael Schumacher but it is also vital in the marketing battle that goes on between BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The Melbourne Grand Prix weekend is over and Formula 1 got off to a half-decent start to the new season, despite some obvious shortcomings in the new regulations and a political battle which was so complicated that very few people understood what was going on.

They say that Formula 1 teams will invest in anything that will give them an advantage in a race. In 2005 the unfair advantage will come from the weather. Thus the best possible weapon in the F1 battle at the moment is a rain-making device employed on a Saturday just after a team's car has run in qualifying.

Australian GP - Race Notes

Australian GP - Sunday Photos

Australian GP - Sunday Press Conference

Australian GP - Race Incidents

Australian GP - Sunday Team Quotes

Australian GP - Race Results

Australian GP - Qualifying Session 2 Report

Australian GP - Starting Grid

Australian GP - Qualifying Session 2 Results

Formula 1's idea to have aggregated qualifying proved to be a complete mess in Melbourne on Saturday as a rain storm in the middle of the session screwed the hopes of some of the big stars.

The FIA's press release about motor racing in Australia went down like a lead balloon in Melbourne on Saturday.

Australian GP - Saturday Photos

The FIA spent most of Saturday coming up with a four paragraph statement about the decision of the Victorian Supreme Court which granted Paul Stoddart of Minardi an injunction to race 2004 cars in the Australian Grand Prix.

Australian GP - Saturday Press Conference

Australian GP - Saturday Team Quotes

Australian GP - Qualifying Session 1 Results