2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

[Flibster]

Aguri - Not honda 'B' team

Former F1 driver Aguri Suzuki has denied that the team he hopes to power onto the F1 grid next year will be Honda's 'B' arm.

Notwithstanding earlier media observations to the contrary, the ex-Arrows and Ligier driver - who even raced once for Jordan in 1994 - said 'Super Aguri F1' would be independent.

"We are not Honda's B-team by any means," the 46-year-old added at a Tokyo press call.

Even so, he remained tight-lipped about potential sponsorship, but did reveal that Honda would be a key ally.

Asked about commercial sponsorship and funding for the 2006 season, that will have to - at least - eclipse $100m, Suzuki said: "I can't make specific comments until we've received the FIA's approval."

'Super Aguri' do already have the ability, however, to attempt to woo Japanese driver Takuma Sato, who has been dumped by Honda's works team.

"We are at a nice stage in talks with Takuma," Suzuki confirmed.

 

[Flibster]

Rosberg signs for WilliamsF1

Nico Rosberg has signed to drive for WilliamsF1, partnering Mark Webber, in 2006.

Frank Williams: I believe I am only one of many in Formula One who is genuinely excited about the prospect of Nico Rosberg.

"Given the attention he commands, I am delighted he is making a contribution to Formula One history and has signed with us for next season.

"His natural talent in the cockpit is equally matched by his intelligence out of it, demonstrated by his depth of technical understanding and communication of data over the months spent as a test driver this season," a team statement said.

"Despite his youth, his wealth of experience reflects the early start made by contemporary drivers and it is significant to note that Nico has recorded more race starts by the age of 20 than his father...recorded in an entire career."

Nico Rosberg: "I am really looking forward to starting work at the end of this month and learning as much from the team as I possibly can.

"I have always wanted to become an F1 driver and be a great F1 driver."

The announcement will no doubt signal the end of Antonio Pizzonia’s relationship with the Grove team.

Hmmm...

Good as a test driver - race driver?? Not sure about that.

 

[Flibster]

New Formula 1 team Super Aguri has appointed former Arrows and McLaren engineer Mark Preston as its technical chief, according to autosport.com.

Preston had previously considered starting his own F1 team, but is now overseeing Aguri Suzuki’s new project, which will be based in former Arrows premises at Leafield.

“I can confirm that I am Chief Technical Officer, but I cannot say more than that," Preston told autosport.com.

"I am putting together a team of staff and work is underway."

Suzuki admitted at his team’s launch that getting two cars on track in time for the start of the 2006 season will be a daunting task.

He has already lined-up a supply of Honda engines and Bridgestone tyres, and is hoping that BAR and Honda will provide some additional help.

 

[Flibster]

Little bit of info about GP Masters

14 confirmed for GP Masters

The organizers of the GP Masters - to be held at Kyalami next weekend - have confirmed the names of the 14 drivers who will take part in the inaugural event.

Rene Arnoux (France)
Eddie Cheever (USA)
Christian Danner (Germany)
Andrea de Cesaris (Italy)
Emerson Fittipaldi (Brazil)
Alan Jones (Australia)
Stefan Johansson (Sweden)
Jan Lammers (Netherlands)
Jacques Laffite (France)
Nigel Mansell (UK)
Hans Stuck (Germany)
Riccardo Patrese (Italy)
Patrick Tambay (France)
Derek Warwick (UK)

Four-time World Champion, Alain Prost, has opted to withdraw from the event.

The race will run alongside a Minardi F1x2 event, which will see drivers such as Johnny Herbert, Tarso Marques, David Saelens, Zsolt Baumgartner, Patrick Friesacher and Champ Car race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, racing with 'celebrity' 'teammates' on board.

It's worth noting that Christina Aguilera is one of several acts supporting the race weekend - as is Diana Ross and The Violent Femmes. Bet the Minardi boys would enjoy strapping 'Ms Dirty' in the back of one of the two-seaters.

 

[Flibster]

France to celebrate 100 years of Grand Prix with ticket deal

The new date for the 2006 Grand Prix de France, 14-16 July, was officially announced by the FIA last week at a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

The 2006 Grand Prix de France will coincide with the French independence day weekend, thus offering race fans an 'historic' three-day racing weekend.

"We could not have chosen a more prestigious date than the July 14 to celebrate the 100 anniversary of the Grand Prix de France", said Jacques Regis, President of the Federation Française du Sport Automobile. "Given the superb 2005 season, next years' Grand Prix promises to be even more spectacular than ever and full of surprises."

Ticket sales for this once in a lifetime event go on sale Monday, 7 November on the official website, or through the international ticket sales hotline +33 1 41 57 31 97.

Tickets purchased before 10 March 2006, benefit from a 10% discount.

Memo to Bernie: Got that... "100th anniversary of the Grand Prix de France", that's Grand Prix, the term you claim to own, yet you're only 85.

 

[Flibster]

BAR-Honda clocks 415kmh

BAR-Honda test driver Alan van der Merwe clocked an average speed of 415kmh at Mojave airport in California last Friday.

Although unofficial, the F1 speed record attempt - moved from the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah due to heavy rain - proved the team's claim that 400kmh could be cleared by an aerodynamically-tweaked grand prix car.

Friday's runs up and down a runway were billed as a 'shakedown' of parts ahead of a May or June 2006 return to Bonneville for an official effort.

'It was an encouraging day,' said BAR's deputy technical director Gary Savage, 'and we are confident that we can achieve this speed ... at Bonneville.

'(But) we know that its salt surface is a much more difficult proposition.'

 

[Flibster]

Foster's, F1 and 'A1'

Speculation is mounting that Australia's international beer brand, Foster's, is steering a course away from F1.

It was earlier reported that the brand's title sponsorship of the British grand prix would be withdrawn, and that the Melbourne race was also in doubt.

Reports had indicated that Foster's may turn to international surfing contests. The latest news, however, appears to indicate that motor racing is still on the radar.

At the Eastern Creek (Sydney) track, Foster's announced that it would sponsor Team Australia - run by 1980 F1 champion Alan Jones - throughout the 2005/6 'A1' season.

'This renews an association I had with Foster's when I was driving Formula One,' said Jones.

'This is truly a momentous announcement.'

Significantly, Foster's usually sponsors either a driver or a circuit - indeed, it is sixteen years since the blue and yellow logo has been seen on a race car.

The Australian public, however, is unlikely to show similar portions of enthusiasm for 'A1', because it is not broadcast on free to air TV.

For the record, Nicolas Lapierre dominated in Sydney, with 51,000 spectators attending the three day event.

 

[Flibster]

November 7 is the twelfth anniversary of late triple world champion Ayrton Senna's last F1 race win.

The Brazilian, also in his last race for McLaren before switching to Williams for 1994, beat both Williams cars of Alain Prost and Damon Hill, on the streets of Adelaide (Australia), to the flag.

 

[Flibster]

Newey confirms McLaren departure

The Red Bull Formula One team have confirmed that McLaren technical director Adrian Newey will join them for the start of next season.

Newey will team up again with Scottish driver David Coulthard, with whom he worked at both McLaren and Williams.

A Red Bull spokesman said: "Newey will join the team as chief technical officer at the end of February 2006."

The 46-year-old Englishman won four world titles with Williams before joining McLaren and winning two more.

BBC motor racing correspondent Maurice Hamilton said the move would destabilise McLaren in the long term.

"It's not just the fact that he's designing the car, it's building up the structure within that team," he said.

"If you take the king pin away, you get a knock-on effect. Other people might leave and some people might go with him."

In their first season after taking over the Jaguar team, Red Bull finished seventh in the constructors' championship in 2006, with Coulthard 12th in the drivers' championship.

Newey came close to joining the Jaguar team from McLaren in 2001 but changed his mind at the last minute, prompting a legal battle between the two.

And Red Bull Racing's press release:

Red Bull Racing is delighted to announce today that Adrian Newey will join the team as Chief Technical Officer at the end of February 2006.

This is a big surprise. I knew he was bored with F1 and was only on a year by year contract - but last I heard he wanted to go design F1 Powerboats..

???

 

[Flibster]

Monteiro announcement imminent?

Sources indicate that Tiago Monteiro, who finished all but one race in 2005, and completed more race laps than any other driver, is on the verge of signing with Midland F1, effectively the team he raced for this season.

We hear that an announcement could be made within the next 24-hours.

The Midland team has already announced the signing of Dutch duo of Christijan Albers and (test driver) Nicky Pastorelli.

 

[Flibster]

Horner delighted with Newey signing

Red Bull Racing boss, Christian Horner, has expressed his delight at having secured the services of Adrian Newey, designer of Formula One championship winning cars for both WilliamsF1 and McLaren.

"It's a massive recruitment for us," he told Reuters, adding: "Given the choice of Adrian Newey or Michael Schumacher, I'd go for Adrian every time. It's of that kind of magnitude.

"I think it sends out exactly the right message," he continued, "in that we are totally serious about what we want to do and what we want to achieve."

Ironically, Newey's move to Red Bull Racing is something of a 'mission accomplished', the Englishman having previously come close to joining Jaguar Racing, which was bought by Red Bull at the end of 2004, following Ford's decision to withdraw from Formula One.

"Adrian is comfortable with his decision," said Horner. "I am not familiar with the full detail of what happened last time around but he has informed McLaren and he is a free agent as of the end of January. His motivation wasn't money or fiscal, his motivation was to take on a new challenge within a smaller team environment.

"Adrian and I have spoken on and off throughout the season," Horner admitted, "and it has really accelerated since the last race. He was keen to take on a new challenge and I'm delighted that we managed to get him to join us."

Newey will assist with the team's 2006 preparations before concentrating on the design of the Austrian outfit's 2007 car.

"We need to make a step forward next year," admitted Horner. "That progression has to be focused on getting into the top six in the constructors', ideally the top five. Then in 2007 the real dividend and impact of Adrian's appointment will start to be seen."

 

[Flibster]

Williams' thumbs up for CDG wing

Sir Frank Williams has come out in support of the FIA’s radical new wing concept.

Recently revealed proposals suggested that a split rear wing – known as the Centreline Downwash Generating, or CDG, wing – could be the solution to Formula 1’s overtaking problems.

Williams said that while he was initially taken aback by the odd appearance of the CDG wing, he backed any idea that would increase the amount of wheel to wheel action in F1.

“You have to admit that it looks strange,” he said.

“When I saw the new rear wing I thought: ‘what is this supposed to be?’

“But if it really helps to make overtaking easier, thus improving the racing, then it’s good for Formula 1.”

Max Mosley revealed the CDG wing proposal to team bosses, including Williams, at the Chinese Grand Prix, and reported general support for the idea.

The FIA president hopes that it can be introduced for the 2007 season.

 

[Flibster]

Interesting posture from Sir Fank there, is this him moving towards signing up for the Max & Bernie show from 2008?

Sounds like it - as an independant he'd be looked after.

Anyway...on with the news...

 

[Flibster]

Ex F1 stars to race in A1 GP support race?

There is a strong talk of a possible Proton Satria support race of ex-F1 champions and other international and local celebrity stars for the A1 GP of Nations Malaysian round at the Sepang International circuit scheduled for the 18-20 Nov 2005.

Slotted in to drive are former Formula champions Emerson Fittipaldi, twice world champion in 1972 and 1974 as well as double Indy 500 winner and Alan Jones, who won the title in 1980. Former Dutch Formula 1 star, Jan Lammers has also confirmed himself for this event in Sepang.

In addition, it's reported that A1GP founder and President, Sheikh Maktoum, who is not short of racing experience himself and A1GP General Manager and former F3000 racer, Stephen Watson, are also confirmed, and will use their advantage of age to push the middle aged F1 stars to their limits in the race tuned Proton Satria GTIs.

FIA Group N world rally champion, Karamjit Singh and Malaysia's fastest lady racer and Merdeka Millennium endurance racer as well as Channel V manag er, Phillipa Yoong are also confirmed along with local Proton manager and racer Tengku Djan Ley.

 

[Flibster]

Newey: A question of money?

As F1 insiders wonder who will fill the void at McLaren, following the shock defection of design guru Adrian Newey, The Guardian newspaper is claiming that the reason for the move was money.

According to the British newspaper, Newey "demanded" a £2.3m pay increase on his current £3.5m ($6m) salary. Sources close to Ron Dennis and Martin Whitmarsh are claimed to have said that neither felt 'such an investment could be justified'.

Furthermore, sources are reported to have said that 'it was felt the formula one design process had grown to the point that no individual was bigger than the team'.

Ironically, when Newey left WilliamsF1 for McLaren at the beginning of 1998 - following a few long months of 'gardening' - it was also over money, Frank Williams and Patrick Head having expressed similar sentiments to those now being echoed by their McLaren counter-parts.

Wouldn't surprise me at all..when he joined McLaren he was on 2mil a year - making him the highest paid technical bod in the workplace.

He is however - an aerodynamic genius.

 

[Flibster]

Belgians to seek Ecclestone help

Belgium's regional Walloon government is set to ask Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone for help to secure the future of the country's grand prix.

The regional government met on Tuesday to discuss ways of plugging the funding gap for next year's race at Spa.

The track's future as an F1 venue was cast into doubt last month when Luxembourg said it would not help.

But now the Walloon econonic minister Jean-Claude Marcourt will appeal directly to Ecclestone for assistance.

The regional Walloon government lent the promoters £10m to pay to Ecclestone for the 2005 race but cannot afford to repeat that.

The Belgian government, a major shareholder in the track, is considering having Ecclestone replace the race promoter should it be forced to withdraw through financial shortcomings.

 

[Flibster]

Karthikeyan gives up Midland hope

Narain Karthikeyan admits he has little chance of retaining his F1 drive in the Midland team for 2006, and is trying to secure a test driver's slot.

"It looks very unlikely unless things change dramatically," said the Indian who had a poor rookie year with Jordan, who were bought out by Midland.

"We're looking at a test driver's slot for the 2006 season, build up on that, and see what happens."

"I will be in Formula One in one way or other," added the 28-year-old.

The British-based Jordan team which was taken over in mid-season by Russian-born Canadian billionaire Alex Shnaider and renamed Midland for 2006.

Karthikeyan raised a large sum in sponsorship to secure the Jordan drive but finished 18th in the drivers' standings with five points.

He said: "Maybe in 2006 you won't see me driving, but for my long-term future a test driver's role with a bigger team is more important."

 

[Flibster]

McLaren plays down Newey departure

McLaren has played down the effects of the departure of its chief designer Adrian Newey, insisting that it will not destabilise the team.

The rival Red Bull Racing squad announced on Tuesday that it had succeeded in luring Newey to a long-term deal, a stunning coup for the midfield team owned by Austrian energy-drink magnate Dietrich Mateschitz.

But McLaren said it had been fully apprised of Newey’s plans.

“The pressures of working for a front-running Formula 1 team are intense and we have been aware for quite some time that Adrian was looking for a new challenge with a smaller team,” said a team spokesperson.

“The decision to leave McLaren was both amicable and mutual and we wish him all the best in the future.”

Newey’s defection will inevitably leave a vacuum but McLaren said steps had been taken to ensure as seamless a transition as possible.

“For the past two years Adrian has been fully involved in the restructuring of McLaren’s technical team in preparation for his planned departure,” added the spokesperson.

“This team has already worked successfully together on the MP4-20 and continues to be fully focused on the MP4-21.”

McLaren’s Newey-designed MP4-20 chassis was the class of the F1 field in 2005, winning 10 of the 19 races in the hands of Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya.

 

[Flibster]

What, a supply of Ferrari engines, a set of Learn Italian tapes and a pizza oven for the Grove canteen?

The amount of money Bernie is offering teams to sign is quite substantial.

Probably enough for Red Bull to afford and buy a second team and run it for a year.

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Flibster]

There's an old saying in Motorsport *and aviation as well*

If it looks right and if it sounds right...it is right.

That does not look right in any way, shape or form.

I have no idea why F1 is tryign stuff like this when other sporting events are running std wing styles and have lots of close running.

This wing design is not needed - it's just another gag in the comedy that has been renamed F1...

F1 Circus is right...who are the biggest clowns though?

Simon/~Flibster