Formula One News — February 2001

JACQUES VILLENEUVE has praised British American Racing's new car as he puts it through its paces in testing at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona.

RUBENS BARRICHELLO ended Ferrari's three-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, by topping the timesheet with a lap time half-a-second quicker than any other driver at the track on Saturday.

THE Elf oil company, which will shortly be announced as a major sponsor of the Benetton team, is looking over its shoulder at deals which were done in the early 1990s when the firm was a state-owned company.

HONDA managing director Takefumi Hosaka believes British American Racing development driver Takuma Sato can one day become Formula One world champion.

NEW Minardi owner Paul Stoddart has said the team's 2001 car is finished and ready to go in the opening race of the season in Melbourne, Australia on March 4th.

ARROWS new A22 chassis had a short-lived debut at Silverstone on Friday -- when it lasted just one lap.

YOUNG Italian driver Giorgio Pantano has praised McLaren's Formula One operation after he took part in a two-day private test at Jerez this week.

MINARDI tested their 2001 monocoque this week and are on course to take to the grid in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 4 after it passed crucial examinations.

FRENCHMAN Olivier Panis topped the times for the second successive day at Barcelona as he outpaced his nearest rival by over half-a-second at the Circuit de Catalunya.

WORLD CHAMPION Michael Schumacher heaped praise on the Ferrari team after he completed another trouble-free day of testing in the F2001 at Fiorano on Friday.

BENETTON test driver Mark Webber has signed a contract to drive for F3000 team Super Nova, ending speculation that he could be on his way to Minardi.

SPANIARD Pedro de la Rosa has said he will take a role as a test driver for the new season, providing he is promised a full drive for 2002.

FORMULA ONE ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone has said he has no intentions of selling his controlling stake in the sport to car manufacturers.

MAX MOSLEY, the president of Formula One's governing body the FIA, will speak at "The Rules of the Game" conference in Brussels later this month it has been confirmed.

ITALIAN driver Fabrizio Giovanardi said he enjoyed his first experience in a Formula One car after he tested Ferrari's F12000 car at Vairano, Italy, on Thursday.

WORLD CHAMPION Michael Schumacher expressed his delight with the performance of Ferrari's new F2001 car after he tested it for the first time at Fiorano, Italy, on Thursday.

OLIVIER PANIS returned to testing for British American Racing at the Circuit de Catalunya on Thursday and proceeded to set the quickest lap time of the day.

BERNIE ECCLESTONE is now poised to complete the sale of a stake in his business to the major car makers who help bankroll the top grand prix teams.

SPANIARD Pedro de la Rosa has been left with a rush to find a race drive for the 2001 season after being dropped by Arrows on Wednesday.