Formula One News — September 2001

Ferrari, Williams and Sauber all continued testing on Friday at different circuits.

Lola and Reynard, the British chassis constructors who currently rule the roost in US-based CART racing are aiming to be a feature of the rival Indy Racing League in 2003.

Sheffield's Justin Wilson is being seriously considered for promotion to formula one by the Jordan-Honda team after an outstanding first test in one of their cars at Silverstone this week.

Despite his reservations about the running of the event, Ralf Schumacher will climb aboard the number 5 Williams at Indianapolis and compete in the US Grand Prix.

Alex Zanardi remains in a critical condition at the Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin (UKB) where he has been since his accident on Sunday at the Lausitzring.

The British ITV television channel will be breathing a major sigh of commercial relief this week that it signed an 80 million pound, four year deal for sponsorship of its World Championship F1 coverage from Toyota.

Juan Pablo Montoya's rookie season in F1 has seen the Colombian ace benefit from the advice offered to him by Frank Williams, Patrick Head and Gerhard Berger.

According to reports in the European press Sauber has been sniffing around Fernando Alonso as a potential replacement for Kimi Raikkonen.

Wet weather plagued day two of testing at Silverstone on Wednesday, where many of the teams were preparing for the final two Grand Prix of 2001.

Sauber's Nick Heidfeld tested Thursday at Mugello, replacing young Brazilian Felipe Massa who was behind the wheel Tuesday and Wednesday.

Czech driver Tomas Enge appears set to deputize for the injured Luciano Burti in the second Prost at Indianapolis, just as he did in the Italian Grand Prix.

According to the German media Heinz-Harald Frentzen has begun the legal action against Jordan Grand Prix that has been promised since his abrupt dismissal prior to the German Grand Prix.

The weather decided to cooperate Thursday at Silverstone for the final day of testing before the United States Grand Prix.

Dominant Euro Formula 3000 championship leader Felipe Massa greatly impressed the Sauber team in his first run with them at Mugello.

Sauber, in search of a replacement for Kimi Raikkonen, has been impressed by the speed and feedback of 20-year-old Brazilian Felipe Massa during his first day of testing for the team at Mugello.

Thursday is the last day which Formula 1 teams have to finish off their packing before their equipment must be ready to bee sent off to Schipol Airport in Amsterdam.

The recent suggestion that by the FIA President Max Mosley that there should be a summit between all the national sporting authorities in the federation to discuss the globalization of motor sport has been greeted favorably by most of the member clubs of the organization.

The Pro Sieben Sat 1 Media and Kirch Media companies have agreed to merge.

Formula 3000 Champion Justin Wilson did a very commendable job in his first test for the Jordan Grand Prix at Silverstone on Wednesday.

MANY of the F1 teams were back testing on Tuesday preparing for the final two Grand Prix of 2001 in the United States and Japan.

If you ask around the Formula 1 paddock about the successes and failures of the 2001 season, it is not long before you hear someone say that Honda has been the big disappointment.

The organizers of the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis are sparing no efforts to ensure that the elaborate security measures they have in place will allay concerns of the visiting F1 fraternity and spectators alike.

While the Ferraris went sponsorless at Monza this past weekend, the Arrows team was showing off their newest sponsor.

FORMULA 1 designers Alan Jenkins and Sergio Rinland were both spotted flitting between the teams at Monza.

Bernie Ecclestone was a man of many meetings at Monza but one which may be significant was with a number of Russians involved in the plans to hold a race in Moscow in 2003.