Formula One News — March 1996

ARROWS GRAND PRIX was planning to launch its sponsorship package last Friday with the novel idea of inviting the press to go to Heathrow Airport and see the cars in their new livery as they were being loaded onto a plane bound for Melbourne. The event had to be called off because it was impossible to organize as a result of increased security at Heathrow, which has resulted from the IRA bombing campaign in London.

AS predicted in these pages in August last year, the world's biggest tire company, Bridgestone-Firestone, is planning to enter Formula One in 1998.

THE Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this weekend will be little more than a test session for the Ferrari team.

AS expected, Jordan Grand Prix has landed a major new sponsorship deal but it is not with Camel cigarettes, but rather with Benson & Hedges.

THE Benson & Hedges Total Jordan Peugeot team completed its final test before Australia at Silverstone on Thursday with Gianni Morbidelli shaking down the three cars to be used in Melbourne - in their new gold livery.

THE opposition to the Australian Grand Prix in Albert Park next weekend has been little more than an irritation to date.

DESPITE some promising testing times from Mika Hakkinen at Estoril, the McLaren Mercedes team is unlikely to be a World Championship challenger this year - according to driver David Coulthard.

MINARDI is expected to arrive in Melbourne this week with a new driver line-up: Pedro Lamy and Italian youngster Giancarlo Fisichella.

THERE are a selection of new regulations for the 1996 season, the most dramatic being the new cockpit regulations which have changed the shape of this year's cars.