Formula One News — January 2002

The announcement of Mark Webber as team mate to the well-funded Alex Yoong with the recently renamed KL Minardi team is becoming the subject of much speculation as the final places in the 2002 Formula 1 driver market shake down and the testing season begins.

The North American International Auto Show, which kicks off in Detroit on Sunday, is expected to see a fair amount of soul-searching amongst the car manufacturers as they face up to the first serious recession in a decade.

Jean-Louis Schlesser has retired his Renault Kangoo Schlesser Special from the Paris-Dakar after only six stages.

Being an Argentine politician at the moment is a dangerous business.

Rather than heading to Monte Carlo for the classic season opener of the World Rally Championship, the 200-plus members of the beleaguered Prost Grand Prix team will be rallying in Paris this New Year as they attempt to drum up the interest of European industrialists in backing the outfit's future.

While many of the Formula One teams begin testing for the 2002 season in Spain next week, Arrows will not be among them.

Work began Wednesday at the Hockenheimring on the $50m renovations planned to reduce the length of the track and increase spectator capacity.

A world-wide poll of Associated Press subscribers has voted Michael Schumacher's fourth World Championship as the second most important sports story of 2001.

Sir Frank Williams has publicly backed Jenson Button's driving skills in the British paper the Sun.

The growing ranks of young talent emerging in Formula 1 such as Jenson Button, Nick Heidfeld, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa have been given notice that their rise to the top will be no easier after 2004 when Michael Schumacher's current Ferrari contract runs out.