Formula One News — July 2001

IN the final day of testing at the Italian circuit of Monza on Friday, Sauber's Kimi Raikkonen set fastest time as he developed his experience on the fast circuit.

AUSTRALIAN Mark Webber has said that he wants a race drive in 2002 despite signing a "multi-year deal" with Renault.

BRAZILIAN Ricardo Zonta escaped unhurt after his Jordan crashed out of Thursday's test at Monza at 285 kph.

LUCA BADOER was in action for Ferrari in their second day of running at the Fiorano circuit on Thursday.

BRITISH race circuit Donington Park is planning a major facelift to improve facilities and possibly take the British Grand Prix to the Midlands track in the future.

ALEX YOONG will become the first Malaysian to drive in Formula One later today (Thursday) when he tests at Mugello with European Minardi.

MARK GENE claimed a hat-trick of top times as he continued the Williams team's impressive form to top the times at the Spanish Circuit de Catalunya on Thursday.

SPANIARD Marc Gene branded his day "positive" after topping the times again in Wednesday's testing at the Circuit de Catalunya.

BENETTON driver Giancarlo Fisichella expects team-mate Jenson Button to produce an impressive performance in the British Grand Prix to silence his critics.

JAGUAR have calmed fears that Eddie Irvine will miss the British Grand Prix after withdrawing him from their three-day test at Monza on Wednesday.

FRANK WILLIAMS, boss of Formula One's resurgent Williams team has given up hope of a challenge for this year's championship, but believes the squad is well set for success in 2002.

MCLAREN will not make a decision on their tire suppliers until later in the season after team boss Ron Dennis admitted keeping an eye on Michelin's performance.

BENETTON have confirmed that Australian Mark Webber will remain as their test driver for 2002, but added that suggestions of a race seat elsewhere are wide of the mark.

FERRARI test driver Luca Badoer was in action for the first day of testing at Fiorano on Wednesday as he tested the team's British Grand Prix challenger.

MCLAREN topped the times in the second day of testing at Monza on Wednesday, but it was test driver Alexander Wurz who outpaced title challenger David Coulthard.

AS speculation linked British American Racing star Jacques Villeneuve with McLaren, the Canadian racer has suggested his intentions to remain at his current team for next season.

BENETTON's on-loan star Jenson Button has backed his team's Australian test driver Mark Webber to go all the way into Formula One.

COLOMBIAN star Juan Pablo Montoya has admitted he is having difficulty getting to grips with Formula One qualifying sessions in his debut season for Williams.

TOYOTA confirmed on Tuesday that they will begin their Formula One adventure backed by Panasonic after securing a five-year sponsorship deal.

FLYING Finn Kimi Raikkonen has said that he is looking to maintain the progress of his Sauber team and help the Swiss marque retain their current status in the constructors' championship.

THE Williams team were hampered by problems during testing at Barcelona on Tuesday, but test driver Marc Gene still topped the times at the hot Spanish track.

JORDAN's Heinz-Harald Frentzen set fastest time at a rather empty Monza circuit as the keenest of the Formula One teams began post-French Grand Prix testing at the Italian circuit.

MCLAREN team insiders are predicting it is 50-50 whether twice world champion Mika Hakkinen retires from racing at the end of what has been a crushingly disappointing season.

JACQUES VILLENEUVE has admitted that he is considering alternative options should he be forced to leave British American Racing at the end of the season.

FERRARI technical director Ross Brawn remains cautious over Michael Schumacher's chances of landing a fourth world title, despite the German's healthy 31-point lead leaving him 50-1 ON to win the drivers' championship.