Formula One News — June 1999

BMW MOTORSPORT has confirmed that 46-year-old Dr. Werner Laurentz is to head its Formula 1 engine program. He will replace veteran engineer Paul Rosche who will retire at the end of the year. Laurentz previously worked with rival car manufacturer Audi and even designed a Formula 1 engine for the Ingolstadt company in the early 1990s when Audi was looking at a possible involvement in Grand Prix racing.

THERE has been alot of talk in recent weeks about the future of Eddie Irvine at Ferrari. Michael Schumacher's number two has done a solid job this year - winning the Australian Grand Prix but otherwise supporting the German's efforts as he has done since he joined the team in 1996.

LORD ALEXANDER HESKETH, former Formula 1 team owner and the president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, is reportedly under pressure to resign his position following the announcement that the British Grand Prix will move to Brands Hatch in 2002. Silverstone - which is owned by the BRDC - failed to agree terms with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and tried to call his bluff. Ecclestone responded by concluding a deal with Brands Hatch boss Nicola Foulston.

THERE has been a lot of talk in the last few days about a return to Formula 1 of the Lotus name. The famous racing team has been out of the sport since the last Team Lotus collapsed at the end of 1994 - with debts of around $20m. At the time the assets of the company were bought by former racing driver David Hunt - brother of the late World Champion James Hunt - and he declared his intention to return Lotus to Grand Prix racing as soon as he could. To date he has failed to find the money to do so although in recent months he has been telling people that he is close to a big deal. We have heard stories linking Hunt to both Group Lotus and to the Austro-Canadian oil services multimillionaire Walter Wolf.

THERE will be a Grand Prix at the Nurburgring every year until the end of 2004. A deal was struck recently between Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and Walter Kafitz, the boss of Nurburgring GmbH, the company which runs the famous track in Germany's Eifel Mountains. Nurburgring will not, however, get the German Grand Prix as that is staying at Hockenheim and it is likely that the event will continue to be known as the European Grand Prix - although other European countries may object to German domination of an event which is supposed to switch between other European tracks.

BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO, the principle shareholder in British American Racing, is to take a stronger hand in the management of the team. The team has confirmed management changes which have taken place in recent weeks with front man Craig Pollock being moved into a new role as president and chief executive, rather than as managing-director. Pollock will "be accountable for the overall health of the company" and ensure value to all the stakeholders.

THE European Commission Competition Directorate is reportedly on the verge of issuing a formal "statement of objections" to the FIA regarding the way in which Grand Prix racing is commercially organized. The long-awaited letter should open the way for negotiations to solve the points of contention between Grand Prix racing and the European authorities. A similar statement of objection is expected to be sent to Bernie Ecclestone.

FORMULA 1's planned move into the American market may be rather more difficult than planned if talks currently taking place succeed in reuniting the two warring parties in American open-wheeler racing. The CART and IRL series have both been struggling since they began running in competition to one another at the start of 1996. While this civil war has been taking place the NASCAR stock car series has been going from strength to strength.

THERE were tests last week at Monza, Fiorano and Silverstone although World Championship contenders Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen both took time off for a rest: Schumacher going on holiday in the United States and Hakkinen disappearing to Finland.