Formula One News — June 2001

FRANK WILLIAMS is hoping for more success from his team in the second half of the season, and he believes the key to this comes in the shape of Ralf Schumacher.

NARAIN KARTHIKEYAN started Thursday's testing at Silverstone as the first Indian driver to get behind the wheel of a Formula One car, but ended it in a spin.

INDIAN Narain Karthikeyan has become the first person from his country to drive a Formula One car after he started testing for the Jaguar Racing team at Silverstone on Thursday.

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, hailed by many as the best thing to happen to F1 in recent years, is now struggling and needs to reappraise his approach to the Grand Prix business.

THE new Head And Neck Support (HANS) system was on trial at Silverstone on Thursday. Michael Schumacher used HANS while training and said it was impressive but still needed further development.

MALAYSIAN driver Alex Yoong has confirmed that he has come to a deal with European Minardi, following a meeting between team manager Rupert Manwaring and the Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports, Dato Hishammuddin.

BRAZILIAN Ricardo Zonta is aiming for a regular race drive with the Jordan team after proving his worth in last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix.

FERRARI has replaced its clothing deal for next season, with American fashion label Tommy Hilfiger making way for the Fila sportwear brand in a three-year deal to 2005.

JAGUAR RACING team principal Bobby Rahal has spoken for the first time since the conclusion of Jaguar's settlement with McLaren over the services of Adrian Newey - who will now remain at his present team until 2005 despite having agreed to go to Jaguar.

TOYOTA's Mika Salo returned to action as he ran for the first time since an enforced absence through injury when he completed the final day of an exclusive three-day test on Wednesday.

FRENCHMAN Olivier Panis topped the times in the second day of testing at Silverstone as he outpaced 18 rivals.

EUROPEAN MINARDI will debut four of their Formula One style two-seater cars when they take to the track at Donington Park on Thursday.

THE future of Adrian Newey finally came to a close on Wednesday after his future was resolved in the High Court in London.

EDDIE IRVINE will not test for Jaguar this week after a neck injury prevented him from testing at Silverstone on Tuesday.

ITALIAN Jarno Trulli was quickest in the first day of a three-day test at Silverstone as he aims to end his season of disappointment.

SAUBER driver Nick Heidfeld completed just four laps in testing at Silverstone on Tuesday before concerns over his health ended his spell in the car.

A "fundamentally idiotic human error" was blamed yesterday by McLaren's managing director for the sequence of events which left David Coulthard struggling with an ill-handling car in Sunday's Canadian grand prix after a large nut fell out of its front suspension just before the start of the race.

MERCEDES boss Norbert Haug is unconcerned that two of Formula One's major names are about to begin what is sure to be a long drawn out battle for the services of McLaren design ace Adrian Newey.

WILLIAMS' technical director Patrick Head has attempted to explain the bad form of Juan Pablo Montoya after he crashed out on lap 20 of yet another Grand Prix in Canada.

EDDIE IRVINE expressed his disappointment with his Jaguar's Michelin tires during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, which ended with him crashing out on the second lap of the race.

JAGUAR RACING will go to the courts on Tuesday certain that the agreement they have with McLaren's Adrian Newey represents a legal contract, and team boss Bobby Rahal is confident of victory.

DAVID COULTHARD has revealed that he had a problem with his McLaren car before the start of the Canadian Grand Prix and was considering withdrawal until an engine blow-out made the decision for him.

KIMI RAIKKONEN was delighted to equal his best ever Grand Prix finish with fourth in Canada, despite an early clash with stand-in Jordan driver Ricardo Zonta.

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Adrian Newey, says he hopes that his friendship with Jaguar boss Bobby Rahal could still survive.

FIA race director Charlie Whiting has warned rival drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve that they will face a two-race ban should their bitter feud continue.