Formula One News — January 2001

THE recent spate of fast laps from Jean Alesi in the new Prost-Ferrari AP04 is good news for the French team but there are more than a few people in the cynical F1 community who feel that the remarkably quick laps being produced are probably more to do with an impending sponsorship deal than the actual speed of the new car.

BMW-WILLIAMS technical director Patrick Head has backed the decision to bring Juan Pablo Montoya to the team in replace of Briton's Jenson Button.

SAUBER new-boy Kimi Raikkonen could be kicked out of Formula One after the fourth round of the series in Imola in April, said a report in Swiss magazine Motorsport Aktuell.

ARROWS confirmed on Wednesday that Pedro de la Rosa has been dropped from the team and will be replaced for the 2001 season by the up-and-coming Brazilian driver Enrique Bernoldi.

IT is rare that a major position in Formula 1 goes to an engineer with an unknown name, but last week Sauber announced that it had signed up 37-year-old British engineer named Stephen Taylor to be its new chief designer.

THERE has been yet another reshuffle in the management of the British American Racing hierarchy with parent company British American Tobacco quite clearly strengthening its position with the appointment of BAT main board member the Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke as chairman of British American Racing (Holdings) Ltd.

JEAN ALESI topped the times for the second successive day in testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, as he completed Prost's four-day workout in Spain.

FERRARI have appointed Fabrizio Giovanardi as a temporary test driver following injuries sustained by Luca Badoer in an accident during a testing session at the Circuit de Catalunya.

THE residents of the town of Hockenheim have voted in favor of work to redevelop the track in order to keep hold of the German Grand Prix.

SOURCES in Brazil tell us that Enrique Bernoldi has signed to be Jos Verstappen's team mate with the Orange Arrows team - leaving the more experienced Pedro de la Rosa out of work unless he agrees to drive alongside fellow countryman Fernando Alonso at Minardi.

REIGNING world champion Michael Schumacher on Monday warned title rivals Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard that they will be second best again this year.

BENETTON test driver Mark Webber has taken an unusual step to prove he is fit enough for Formula One - by turning to Australia's Oarsome Foursome for help.

NO sooner has Bernie Ecclestone apparently emerged successful from his tussle with the European Union regulators over the manner in which he runs his F1 business than he now faces the prospect of a new legal battle in the USA.

FRENCHMAN Jean Alesi blasted the lap record at the Circuit de Catalunya as he demonstrated the potential of Prost's new Ferrari-powered AP04.

AS we have been predicting for some time, Australian businessman Paul Stoddart has bought the Minardi team.

THE Arrows team has been running Brazilian youngster Enrique Bernoldi in recent days in Barcelona and this has led to speculation that the team may decide to take on the Formula 3000 graduate.

FERRARI president Luca de Montezemolo vowed to do everything possible to keep the title-winning team together for years to come, at the launch of the team's F2001 challenger at Fiorano on Monday.

THE Kirch media empire has decided to improve its bid to get control of the struggling EM.TV company, owner of 50% of Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One group of companies.

FERRARI may be poised to offer Michael Schumacher an inflation-busting five year extension to his F1 contract, but his enthusiasm to ink such a deal could depend on the competitive success of the new F2001 contender which broke cover at the Italian team's Fiorano test track this morning.

TOYOTA recently bought the Mount Fuji International Speedway with the intention of rebuilding the facility to use as a test track for its Formula 1 program and as a future home of the Japanese Grand Prix.

BRAZILIAN driver Enrique Bernoldi pressed his claims for a drive with Arrows after he produced an impressive performance in the ninth consecutive day of testing in Barcelona on Monday.

DAIMLERCHRYSLER - the parent company of Mercedes-Benz - is reported to be planning to slash 20% of its US workforce in the next three years.

BRIDGESTONE technical manager Yoshihiko Ichikawa has admitted that the introduction of tire rivals Michelin into Formula One this season has made them produce a better product.

BMW-WILLIAMS driver Ralf Schumacher insisted on Saturday that there were too many question marks hanging over the team to mount a realistic title challenge this season.

THERE is blood on the carpet at Morgan Grenfell Private Equity this week, according to London financial sources - and much of it is due to the venture capital company's controversial dabbling in Formula 1 investments over the past couple of years.