Formula One News — July 2000

The Federation Internationale l'Automobile (FIA) are to investigate Austrian Grand Prix winner Mika Hakkinen's McLaren-Mercedes car over an alleged infringement.

JAGUAR is aiming for an upsurge in its F1 performance starting at this week's Silverstone test when an extensively upgraded Cosworth V10 engine will be evaluated in preparation for a possible race debut in the next race at Hockenheim.

EDDIE IRVINE will be released from hospital in London on Sunday after tests allayed fears that he had appendicitis.

MCLAREN boss Ron Dennis has confirmed his drivers will be free to fight for victory with no team orders at Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix despite colliding in the event last year.

IT'S TRUE! Bernie Ecclestone has pulled off the deal of his life it emerged yesterday when it became clear that his F1 management group has extended its stranglehold on grand prix racing's commercial rights for another 100 years beyond their current expiry in 2001.

EDDIE IRVINE'S miserable season hit a further low when he withdrew from the Austrian Grand Prix after suffering suspected appendicitis.

A number of Jordan Grand Prix employees are leaving the Formula One fray for a short while - to compete in this weekend's World Corporate Games.

JAGUAR have dismissed suggestions that Champcar driver Dario Franchitti is set to test with the Milton Keynes-based team this week.

MCLAREN boss Ron Dennis has always had high ambitions, but now he has got his sights set on Mars.

TEAM-BOSS Frank Williams is urging FIA officials to be brave as they contemplate re-introducing Friday qualifying to Formula One.

FORMER world champion Michael Schumacher says that playing football is more physically demanding than driving a Formula One car.

THE new Lausitzring in the old East Germany is beginning to worry the existing German circuits and last week's announcement that the track is listed on the 2001 CART calendar - with a provisional date of September 16 (the same day as the Italian GP) - has underlined that the local authorities are serious about grabbing Germany's top motorsport events.

FORMULA 1 teams are once again discussing whether or not to change the format of Grand Prix weekends and whether or not to increase the ban on testing, in an effort to cut down on costs. A number of different proposals have been made, including a ban on all testing at Grand Prix venues between races but an extension to the running allowed on Friday at each track.

MUGEN, the Honda Family-owned engine company which has close links with the Honda Motor Company, has been tuning Honda engines for competition and for high performance road cars since the early 1970s.

THE announcements at Magny Cours that Honda is to supply works engines to Jordan in 2001 and that McLaren is to retain David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen have meant a little movement in the F1 driver market for next year and the next major announcement is expected to be the re-signing of Heinz-Harald Frentzen by Jordan for 2001 and 2002.

THE Sunday People newspaper in London has reported that David Coulthard's air crash in May may not have been an accident and has linked the crash at Lyons-Satolas airport - in which the two pilots of the jet were killed - to a similar one involving the jockey Frank Dettori a few weeks later.

RICK GORNE, the marketing brain behind Reynard Racing Cars, who spent the 1999 season as Race Operations Director of British American Racing, is rumored to be looking to branch out to establish his own racing car production business.

THE strained relationship between Mark Webber and the Arrows team is understood to have ended with Webber's manager Paul Stoddart of the European Arrows Formula 3000 team having cancelled the contract because agreement could not be reached between the young Australian driver and Tom Walkinshaw's team.

THERE are whispers in the Formula 1 world that Toyota has found someone to run its Formula 1 operations in Cologne and that the person in question will be able to attract a large number of British engineers to join the team which is currently being put together in Germany.

ALTHOUGH Eddie Jordan recently announced a factory engine deal with Honda, there is no doubt that in the longer term Jordan is still looking for a major partnership with a car manufacturer - and Honda is unlikely to be that company as the Japanese firm is still intent on having its own F1 operation. Jordan could sell his team to Honda but discussions along these lines failed in 1999 and there are no signs that Jordan has lost his taste for the bright lights of F1 racing.

ALAIN PROST has defended his team's young German driver Nick Heidfeld after a string of disappointing performances this season.

FERRARI president Luca di Montezemolo took time off from his pressing Formula One commitments to get married for a second time on Friday evening.

DAVID COULTHARD took a wide berth from Ferrari rival Michael Schumacher this week.

ARROWS' Formula One test driver Mark Webber is believed to have fallen out with the Oxfordshire-based team.

JAGUAR have signed a £5 million (pounds) sponsorship deal with British natural mineral water brand, Aqua-Pura.