Formula One News — February 1996

THE recent vote by the French Motor Sports Federation (FFSA) to award the 1997-2001 French Grand Prix deal to Paul Ricard appears to have been made meaningless by the news that the Formula One Constructors Association agreed a deal with Magny-Cours before the FFSA vote took place.

SEVERAL Grand Prix drivers were complaining last week in Estoril that they are having trouble with their peripheral vision as a result of the new cockpit regulations introduced by the FIA on the grounds of safety.

THE protests against the Australian Grand Prix being held in Albert Park, Melbourne, are intensifying as the race draws closer.

FORTI GRAND PRIX RACING has announced that Andrea Montermini is to be joined this year by fellow Italian Luca Badoer.

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THE two weeks of testing at Estoril came to a close last night with Mika Hakkinen having set the fastest time of 1m19.65s in his McLaren-Mercedes MP4/11 last Thursday.

FERRARI'S new F310 F1 challenger has not enjoyed the easiest of weeks.

FRANCO ROCCHI, who spent 25 years in a variety of roles with the Ferrari Competition Department, has died at the age of 72.

THE F1 drivers testing at Estoril last Wednesday met in the evening to discuss the current problems with the FIA regarding the Superlicence Application Forms, which the top drivers are unwilling to sign because they say it will compromise their insurance coverage.

WHILE other teams were busy at Estoril, Ligier and Sauber chose to go to Barcelona instead, and the weather was slightly better than in Portugal with Ligier running three out of four days without rain.

STEWART GRAND PRIX has begun recruiting design engineers for its 1997 Formula 1 project.

THERE is likely to be a kerfuffle in the next two weeks between the international automobile federation (FIA) and the Formula 1 drivers.

PACIFIC RACING - sister company of the defunct Pacific Grand Prix - has returned to Formula 3000 racing, Keith Wiggins planning to run two cars in the International Championship this year.

THE new McLaren-Mercedes MP4/11 is going well and the team's technical advisor Alain Prost reckons that it will be winning races in 1996.

THE top F1 teams met head to head last week at Estoril with their new cars: Williams, Benetton, McLaren, Jordan and Minardi all in action at the Portuguese circuit.

FORMULA 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone flew to Las Vegas last week to discuss final details of the planned 1997 United States Grand Prix in the Nevada city.

LEO MEHL, Goodyear's head of worldwide racing and one of the sport's great characters, is retiring on March 1st, after 22 years in charge of the Akron company's racing activities.

THE new Williams-Renault FW18 - which ran for the first time last Monday but was officially launched on Friday - was immediately on the pace at Estoril with Damon Hill setting quick times right from the word go.

FERRARI'S new Formula 1 car - the F310 - will begin testing alongside the other teams at Estoril today.

JACKIE OLIVER'S Arrows team shook down the prototype FA17 chassis last week at Silverstone - although the commercial package put together by the team will not be revealed for another week or so.

THE Minardi team has confirmed that it has signed a deal with Japanese driver Takachiho Inoue for the 1996 season.

FERRARI will reveal its new F1 challenger - the 410T - at Maranello on Thursday.

BENETTON launched its new B196 amid much pomp and circumstance last Monday at Taormina in Sicily with Benetton boss Flavio Briatore predicting that the team of Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger would mount a powerful defense of the titles Michael Schumacher and Johnny Herbert won in 1995.

SAUBER last week launched its Sauber-Ford C15 in Switzerland.

THE new Tyrrell-Yamaha 024 was the sensation of testing at Estoril last week, setting competitive times throughout the test.