Formula One News — July 2000

MCLAREN have insisted that they were 'disappointed' and 'surprised' at the race stewards' decision on Tuesday to fine the team $50,000 and deduct 10-points from their constructors' championship standings, but will not appeal against the ruling.

JORDAN have categorically denied that Heinz-Harald Frentzen's chief engineer Sam Michael has left the team for Ferrari.

THE three-way battle for the Drivers' World Championship is set to continue unabated in this weekend's German Grand Prix after FIA stewards yesterday confirmed Mika Hakkinen's victory in Austria - despite the fact that an official seal was missing from the electronic control unit of his winning McLaren-Mercedes MP4/15.

Peugeot have confirmed that they will pull out of Formula One at the end of the year, leaving Prost in search of a new engine supplier.

JACQUES VILLENEUVE has revealed that British American Racing's recent progress was the reason behind his decision to sign to the team for another three years.

BMW's motorsport director Mario Theissen is happy with the progress Williams have made in the past few races after suffering reliability problems.

MIKA HAKKINEN'S Austrian Grand Prix victory has been allowed to stand after the Federation Internationale l'Automobile (FIA) ruled the team had not benefited from the missing seal on the electronic control unit of his McLaren-Mercedes car.

THE row between warring Prost drivers Jean Alesi and Nick Heidfeld rumbled into a second week with Alesi launching a personal attack on his team-mate.

JENSON BUTTON'S prospects of sustaining the momentum of his F1 career after he leaves Williams have brightened considerably after Jacques Villeneuve wrong-footed the grand prix community by signing a 40 million pound, three year extension to his current contract with British American racing.

PEDRO DE LA ROSA has vowed to keep his seat at Arrows and stay in Formula One as speculation mounts that his future is in doubt.

JACQUES VILLENEUVE ended speculation surrounding his future on Monday night by committing his future to British American Racing after agreeing a new three-year deal.

NIGEL MANSELL has criticized Formula One's governing body, the FIA, for making today's circuits too safety conscious and dull.

JOHNNY HERBERT attended the 11th round of the CART FedEx Championship in Michigan on Sunday and strengthened speculation that he is set to join the American series next year.

THE Federation Internationale l'Automobile (FIA) are keeping the location of McLaren's hearing on Tuesday, into the alleged infringements on the electronic box of Mika Hakkinen's Austrian Grand Prix-winning car, under wraps.

TWO day qualifying could reappear on the Grand Prix schedule in 2001 if Bernie Ecclestone has his way, according to several F1 teams last week.

TOYOTA has appointed Mr. Tsutomu Tomita as Chairman of Toyota Motorsport GmbH, the motorsport subsidiary responsible for the Toyota F1 program which will make its competition debut at the start of the 2002 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Sauber test driver Enrique Bernoldi is aiming to use his test in August to secure a drive with the team next year.

MCLAREN chief Ron Dennis has intensified his team's rivalry with arch-rivals Ferrari by criticizing their management over team orders.

SILVERSTONE have announced new plans for spectators to travel to the British Grand Prix in a bid to avoid the chaos that marred this year's event in April.

JORDAN have denied reports that technical director Mike Gascoyne has quit the team with immediate effect and insist he is still a part of their short-term plans.

THE rumors that a consortium of automobile manufacturers are trying to buy a shareholding in Formula One is not a surprise given the recent agreement between Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA for the commercial rights to the World Championship to be leased for 100 years.

FINANCIAL newspapers have confirmed our suggestion that the Prost Grand Prix operation is for sale with merchant bank Credit Suisse First Boston offering the team for $67m.

RUBENS BARRICHELLO completed Ferrari's preparations for the German Grand Prix by finishing testing at the Fiorano circuit.

FORMER Jaguar Chairman Jackie Stewart, who originally talked about a test with Dario Franchitti last year, was impressed by the Scot's performance at Silverstone this week, but commented; "we haven't got a definitive list yet of candidates under consideration for next year.

BENETTON'S Ginacarlo Fisichella completed his final day of testing at Silverstone with the fastest time of the day, but was more concerned with his set-up ahead of the German Grand Prix next week.