Formula One News — August 1996

THE planned Palm Springs International Raceway says it is bidding for a United States Grand Prix.

IN recent days Tom Walkinshaw has been pushing hard to get Peugeot V10 engines for 1997, but at Spa the Scotsman changed tack again and went in pursuit of a supply of Ford V10 engines, hoping that the changing political situation at Cosworth might open doors for him to snatch the supply which is intended for Sauber.

THE ongoing friction between Ford and Cosworth came to a head last week with the departure of Cosworth Racing's managing-director Dick Scammell.

AN hour after the announcement that Marlboro was quitting McLaren the Woking team revealed that it has, as had been rumored, signed a deal with West cigarettes.

Marlboro announced on Monday afternoon (London time) that it is not renewing its association with the McLaren team at the end of this season.

THE row that has been brewing over the 1997-2001 Concorde Agreement exploded into public view in the days leading up to the Belgian Grand Prix, with the FIA deciding to force the issue by announcing details of a new Concorde Agreement - which has not been signed by all the teams.

THE Forti F1 team did not appear at Spa and the Italian team has not been seen since it packed up its cars on Friday at Hockenheim - a month ago.

JOHNNY HERBERT has emerged as one of the top names on Jackie Stewart's F1 shopping list for 1997.

GIANCARLO MINARDI has denied stories that the majority shareholding in his team has been bought by Benetton boss Flavio Briatore.

REPORTS from Italy over the weekend suggested that Alain Prost has done a deal to acquire the Ligier team from Flavio Briatore in the wake of Briatore's buyout of Guy Ligier, which was announced at the Hungarian GP.

CELEBRATED since medieval times for the curative properties of its natural spring waters - the town actually gave its name to all the "spa towns" around the world - the little picturesque town of Spa in the Ardennes hills of western Belgium developed into a resort. It had a casino and several grand hotels and was frequented by the rich and aristocratic.

THE Rothmans Williams Renault team continued its domination of the 1996 season in testing last week at Barcelona, where Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve were first and second fastest after the four-day testing.

THE political troubles surrounding the 1997-2001 Concorde Agreement are deepening with the FIA warning teams that there is likely to be a period of "major confrontation" if teams do not accept the terms being offered.

WHILE most teams are worrying about what to do next year, Ferrari is busily trying to conclude a new deal with Michael Schumacher to keep the German at Maranello until the end of the 1998 season.

THERE have been rumors in recent days that Flavio Briatore is to buy shares in the Minardi team.

THE talks between Tom Walkinshaw and Peugeot for a supply of engines in 1997 - which we mentioned last week - are serious with Peugeot Sport staff having visited the TWR factory at Leafield, in England.

BRIAN HART, who looks like being left out in the cold by Arrows next year, is understood to be having talks with the Ford Motor Company.

BERNIE ECCLESTONE is in the final stages of buying the famous World War II Royal Air Force aerodrome at Biggin Hill.

SWEDISH driver Kenny Brack has quit his role as TWR Arrows test driver.

FORD'S planned Motorsport Technology Department, announced in Detroit in January, is now up and running and its head John Valentine turned up in Hungary to have a look at Ford's involvement in F1 amid rumors that there has been a serious split between Ford and engine-builders Cosworth over the disastrous V10 program this year with Sauber.

GUY LIGIER has sold the remaining 15% of his shares in Ligier to Flavio Briatore, who now owns the team in its entirety.

ONLY a day after Ligier announced that Flavio Briatore had bought all the remaining shares in the team, it was announced that Olivier Panis will stay on as team leader for the 1997 season.

EDDIE JORDAN is quietly working away to secure a more competitive package for the team next year.

HAVING lost out on the Mugen Honda deal to Ligier, Tom Walkinshaw has changed his tack in his search for an F1 engine for next season.

MIKA SALO is to stay for a third season with Tyrrell next year, despite the miserable performance this year of the Yamaha engines.