Formula One News — February 2000

FIA President Max Mosley has launched another blistering attack on the European Commission Competition department and is threatening to take his complaints to the European Courts of Justice if the commission does not withdraw the charges it has made against the FIA.

THERE has been speculation in recent days that Morgan Grenfell Private Equity, now a minority shareholder in Formula One Holdings, is trying to sell its share of the company.

WITH the days ticking away before the opening round of the Formula 1 World Championship in Melbourne, Formula 1 testing activity has intensified with a major test at Jerez and other work being carried out at Barcelona, Mugello and Fiorano.

JENSON BUTTON pulled a muscle in his back while training and was forced to pull out of the Jerez test.

RUMORS have been building in recent days about Renault's intention to return to Formula 1 and while the French car company is playing down the stories, there is no doubt that the stories are serious.

THE Arrows team has cancelled its planned team launch this week "due to the signing of a new major sponsor which will require a livery change".

THE government of Spain's Valencia state has secured an FIA Formula 1 testing licence for its recently-opened Circuito Ricardo Tormo.

THE Telefonica Minardi Fondmetal team unveiled its 2000 package last week at the dramatic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

THE Moscow City government has voted to build a Formula 1 standard racing circuit at Molzhaneyevsky, close to Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport to the north of the city.

THE recent days have seen much confusion in Formula 1 circles about who was going to buy the available 37.5% of Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Holdings, the company which has the rights to the commercial exploitation of Grand Prix racing.

MICHELIN will have a Formula 1 test team this year - and it could be in action within a month.

WITH the days ticking away before the start of the Formula 1 World Championship in Melbourne on March 12, the Formula 1 teams have been testing more than ever in an effort to be ready for the new season.

AS we have been suggesting since last summer Renault Sport seems to be moving towards a new Formula 1 program in either 2001 or 2002.

JOS VERSTAPPEN set the fastest time of last week's testing in Barcelona, beating everyone including the new McLaren-Mercedes in his Arrows-Supertec A21.

FERRARI unveiled its package for the 2000 season at Maranello last week with the intention of helping Michael Schumacher or Rubens Barrichello to become World Champion this year.

HOLLYWOOD film star Sylvester Stallone has given up his dreams of making a movie about Grand Prix racing and has announced plans to make a film about CART instead.

GORDON MESSAGE has left the Arrows team and is expected to take over the running of the Benetton team shortly.

THERE are signs that Volkswagen is once again moving towards a bid for the BMW car company and, having been rebuffed in the past, Volkswagen boss Ferdinand Piech is now aiming for a deal which will help BMW out of its problems with the Rover Group.

THERE has been talk about a Grand Prix in South Africa ever since Bernie Ecclestone met with the then president Nelson Mandela in August 1998.

THERE has been testing all week in Barcelona while Williams and British American Racing have been unable to achieve much because of the worst rain storms South Africa has seen in 60 years.

WE hear that Bernie Ecclestone has completed the sale of part of his Formula One Holdings empire - but not to Morgan Grenfell Private Equity as had been expected.

DAIMLERCHRYSLER has concluded its purchase of 40% of the TAG McLaren Group, the parent company of the McLaren International Formula 1 team.

THE last week has seen the launch of the Jordan, Prost, Sauber and McLaren chassis for the 2000 season and everyone is now waiting to see the new Ferrari F320.

THE ducking and weaving of the major car manufacturers as they try to buy up the medium-sized car companies of the world seems to be coming to a head with strong suggestions that DaimlerChrysler is going to buy a 70% shareholding in Fiat Auto, the car-making division of the huge Italian industrial combine.

ALAIN PROST is funding the construction of a new technical facility for John Barnard's B3 Technologies.