Formula One News — January 1997

THE Belgian parliament voted last week to ban all tobacco and cigarette advertising and sponsorship from the start of 1999 - disastrous news for the sport in that country, where local tobacco companies Bastos and Belga have been heavily involved for many years.

FRANK WILLIAMS says he will be going to court in Imola next month to face charges of culpable homicide in connection with the death of Ayrton Senna in May 1994.

BENETTON will unveil its Benetton-Renault B197 in London on January 23 and at the launch the team is expected to reveal that in addition to regular drivers Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi it will use test drivers Jarno Trulli and Alexander Wurz in the course of the 1997 season.

WITH only a couple of days between the New Year and the weekend there was not much activity around Europe.

WITH just eight weeks to go before the start of the 1997 FIA Formula 1 World Championship in Melbourne, Australia, there are only two drives still open in the field, which will comprise 12 teams fielding 24 cars.

THE FIA's new testing regulations will make life very difficult for Formula 1 teams.

THE Benson & Hedges Jordan Peugeot team has recently signed up highly-rated British engineer Dr. John Davis. He will be helping the team with its new windtunnel facility at Brackley.

THERE are suggestions in France that more Renault Sport engineers are likely to leave Bernard Dudot's team at Viry-Chatillon to take up jobs with rival F1 teams.

WITH Nicola Larini having joined Sauber after five years as the Ferrari test driver, the Italian team is having to look for a replacement.

AS we suggested in October, Damon Hill has been honored by the British in the New Year Honors list, being granted the status of an Officer in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), one of the country's orders of chivalry.