Formula One News — October 2000

DAVID COULTHARD hinted that there will be behind-the-scenes changes at McLaren in the closed season as he called for the team to take more risks to ensure success next year.

THE recent days have seen a number of quiet meetings between Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and representatives of the European car manufacturers who are trying to acquire a shareholding in SLEC, the holding company of the Formula One group of companies.

MOST members of the F1 fraternity aboard British Airways' newest Boeing 777 as it lifted off from KL international airport at a few minutes before midnight, Flight BA 034 bound for Heathrow, on Sunday evening were probably asleep even before the wheels came up.

THE Prost team had a disastrous race, not only technically but also financially.

THE British American Racing team is finally to decide who is going to be in charge in the future.

FERRARI sporting director Jean Todt has hinted that he is considering early retirement from the sport helping the team to constructors' championship victory and Michael Schumacher to the drivers' title this season.

ASIA MOTOR TECHNOLOGIES has finally given some more details of its plans for the future but once again details of the company remain very sketchy with the only investors mentioned being Hideo Morita, the son of the late Akio Morita who founded the Sony Corporation, and the Japanese machine tool company Yamazaki Mazak, which supplies its CNC cutting machines to the major F1 teams.

JOAN VILLADELPRAT is expected to be named as chief of operations at Prost Grand Prix within the next few weeks - but only if Prost can put together a sensible budget for 2001. The Spaniard has been out of Formula 1 since he left Benetton in January, his intention being to put together a Formula 1 team for Telefonica.

MAX MOSLEY, the president of Formula One's governing body the FIA, has released copies of a letter that he has sent to McLaren's Ron Dennis after the Japanese Grand Prix complaining about Dennis's consistent public criticism of the way in which the FIA runs Formula 1 and his suggestions that the governing body has been favoring Ferrari.

THE Mugen Company had been expected to make a big announcement about his plans for the future at Sepang but the only news came in a bizarre press statement which indicated that the company has not been able to do a deal with Honda but is still in the process of negotiations and hopes to be able to supply engines in F1 next year.

JOHNNY HERBERT's final Formula One Grand Prix ended in disaster when he had to be taken for precautionary x-rays at a medical center in Sepang, following an accident eight laps from the end.

SCOT David Coulthard took his opportunity to clear the air with Michael Schumacher in the parc ferme after the Malaysian Grand Prix.

THE BMW-Williams team are believed to be working on a revolutionary new braking system that can cut stopping distances by half.

TEN wins from 17 races, 170 points in the constructors championship and a world champion driver, but Ferrari's technical director Ross Brawn believes the team can still improve for the future.

BRITISH AMERICAN RACING managing director Craig Pollock is certain that he will remain in charge of the team despite and emergency general meeting being called.

MAX MOSLEY, the president of Formula One's governing body the FIA, has released copies of a damning letter that he has sent to McLaren chairman Ron Dennis.

FIA president Max Mosley circulated copies of a lengthy letter to McLaren Chairman Ron Dennis at Sepang, chastising him roundly a number of matters including what was perceived as his implied criticism of the Italian FIA steward Roberto Causo at the Japanese Grand Prix.

MCLAREN boss Ron Dennis's enthusiasm for his team's new test driver Alexander Wurz is not based on his perception of the Austrian driver's form at the wheel of a Benetton, but more on his personal qualities and obviously highly intelligent approach to his profession.

BRAZILIAN Pedro Diniz confirmed on Friday that he is in talks with Prost - but denied strong paddock rumors that his father Abilio is to invest in the struggling French team.

JENSON BUTTON has set his sights on battling for the Formula One World Championship in 2003 when he is expected to return to BMW-Williams from his two-year loan spell at Benetton.

BRITON Johnny Herbert said he believes compatriot Jenson Button has the potential to be a Formula One World Champion as Button prepares to leave BMW-Williams for the Renault-owned Benetton team.

THE British American Racing team arrived in Kuala Lumpar demoralized by the stories appearing in British magazines about political infighting within the team and a bid by a consortium led by Adrian Reynard to take over the operation.

FORMER Michelin test driver Tom Kristensen has backed BMW-Williams to challenge the dominance of Ferrari and McLaren in the 2001 world championship.

JORDAN announced on Friday at the Sepang circuit that they have signed a three-year extension to its sponsorship deal with leading computer company Hewlett-Packard.

JENSON BUTTON's father John revealed on Friday that the BMW-Williams driver has turned his back on the playboy lifestyle of Monaco and has bought a house on the outskirts of London.