Formula One News — September 2000

THE SEAT company has announced that it is withdrawing from the World Rally Championship at the end of the year as part of the company's rebranding.

THE likelihood of Brands Hatch securing the British GP faded dramatically last week when Britain's Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions announced that it is to hold a public inquiry to establish whether or not planning permission should be granted to the Kentish racing facility so that it can be upgraded into a Formula 1 standard facility.

DETAILS of the gigantic Ford Motor Sport Campus at Silverstone have emerged from documents lodged with the South Northamptonshire Planning Authority.

THE ongoing battle between the FIA President Max Mosley and some of the Formula 1 team owners took a new turn last week when a letter from Mosley to Sir Frank Williams was leaked to the press.

THERE continue to be strong rumors suggesting that there will soon be major changes in the management structure at British American Racing with team boss Craig Pollock tipped to be replaced by CART team owner Barry Green and chief designer Andrew Green not having his contract renewed.

JAGUAR RACING has announced that it has signed the Brazilian Luciano Burti for the 2001 season.

THE future of Formula 1 in Italy has again been thrown into doubt after the death of a fire marshal during the Italian Grand Prix.

Grand prix circuit safety standards will be urgently reviewed in the wake of Sunday's tragic Italian grand prix at Monza where a 30-year old fire marshal was killed after being hit by flying debris from a five car accident on the opening lap of the race.

Monza circuit officials have announced that the person injured in the mayhem at the la Roggia chicane during the Italian Grand Prix was a fire marshal.

Rubens Barrichello squarely blamed Heinz-Harald Frentzen for causing Sunday's fatal multiple accident at the Italian Grand Prix and said he should be banned from racing for 10 events.

Monza circuit officials announced after the Italian Grand Prix that the fire marshal injured during the race has died in a Monza hospital.

German Ralf Schumacher was hit with record speeding fine on Saturday after clocking almost 85 kph in the pit-lane at Monza.

Formula One team-bosses have agreed to have a three-week break from action in August after a second round of talks with FIA officials at Monza this weekend.

Jordan have confirmed that they have signed former Williams and McLaren engineer David Brown as their chief race engineer for next season.

McLaren announced on Saturday that David Coulthard's spin in Friday's free practice had been caused by left-rear wishbone failure.

Leading Formula One team-bosses have rejected plans to scrap the Friday practice session of a grand prix weekend after a meeting at Monza on Friday night.

The future home of Jaguar Racing - and much of Ford Racing Europe's future- has been revealed to be a gigantic development that will radically alter the face of Silverstone Circuit.

Understanding the battle between the international automobile federation and the European commission is not easy but it is a battle which could have enormous ramifications for the sport.

Jaguar announced on Thursday that Luciano Burti will team up with Briton Eddie Irvine for next season.

BMW will supply Williams with a brand new engine for next season as the German manufacturer looks to challenge Ferrari and McLaren for the World title.

When Max Mosley, the president of the FIA, walked into the foyer of the Hilton Hotel at Heathrow airport's terminal four on 30 August, he had been already been tipped off that several top formula one team principals - including McLaren's Ron Dennis and Benetton's Flavio Briatore - wanted him to resign his position in charge of international motor racing's governing body.

Max Mosley said on Wednesday that he fully intends to stand for re-election as Federation Internationale l'Automobile (FIA) President.

Olivier Panis has predicted that British American Racing will be the 'best of the rest' behind McLaren and Ferrari in the 2001 World Championship.

The home of the British Grand Prix from 2002 to 2009 will soon be announced as Donington Park, following a protracted campaign by rights holders Brands Hatch Leisure to wrest the blue riband event from the auspices of the British Racing Drivers' Club at Silverstone.

Frank Williams has said that he would consider selling a stake of his Formula One team to engine partner BMW in the future, should the offer arise.