Formula One News — April 2002

While much attention is centered at the moment on the battle over which country will hold a Grand Prix in the Middle East, the plans for new races in Moscow and Shanghai continue to be developed.

Paolo Cantarella sent out a letter to the Formula 1 team bosses in Barcelona, underlining the organization's commitment to starting its own World Championship in 2008 if no agreement can be found.

It is being reported in the Belgian press that Jacques Villeneuve will be staying with British American Racing next year.

Up and down the Formula 1 paddock in Barcelona the talk on Friday was whether or not Formula 1 is facing a funding crisis - or whether the pleas of struggling teams are not indicative of the industry as a whole.

Pedro de la Rosa says that Jaguar Racing needs two months more development before it can be properly judged this year.

Sebastien Bourdais maintained his perfect qualifying record this season by claiming a third successive pole position for the Super Nova Racing team.

A total of 58 jobs have gone at Jordan in recent days although a number of those departing are believed to have gone of their own accord rather than being laid off.

The Taiwanese computer company Acer has concluded a deal to be a corporate partner of British American Racing and an official supplier to the team.

The competition to be the first country to host a Grand Prix in the Middle East seems to be heating up with Turkey, Beirut, Dubai and Bahrain all squabbling to get a date on the Formula 1 calendar that may or may not exist next year.

Bernie Ecclestone's Formula 1 Magazine was once again the talking point in the paddock in Barcelona following the publication of what the magazine believes to be the 100 most powerful people in the sport.

Turkey has been making noises about bidding for a Grand Prix in recent months but Mumtaz Tahincioglu, the head of the Turkish Motorsports Association say that Turkey is now bidding for a round of the World Rally Championship.

Eddie Jordan won't be admitting for it for some months, but we hear from the industry that he is already putting out feelers to car companies hoping to find an engine deal for the future.

It is sometimes hard to take Formula 1 team bosses seriously when they complain about it being hard to find money.

The presence in the Media Center in Barcelona of the FIA's Richard Woods raised a number of interesting questions.

Jordan has terminated its relationship with technical director Egbahl Hamidy.

A few weeks ago Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said that recession would not hurt Formula 1 as it would get rid of the weak teams and leave only the strong behind.

Giving out details of new management structures is all the rage at the moment in the midfield in Formula 1, and British American Racing has just announced the major players in the restructured team.

The Sports Business 2002 Conference currently taking place in London heard today that Formula 1 is responding well to the forthcoming ban on worldwide tobacco sponsorship.

Gustave Eiffel's connection with Formula 1 is not well-known.

EM.TV, the troubled German media company which still holds a small shareholding in the Formula One group has just announced that it is selling on its rights to the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis boxing match.

As we have been suggesting in recent weeks the future of Jaguar Racing is not in any doubt - despite the widespread restructuring within the Ford Motor Company in recent months.

The Ford Motor Company has announced more restructuring with the emphasis this time being on European operations.

The Kirch house of cards seems to be on the verge of final collapse with the latest word from Germany being that the German media group's holding company Taurus Holding GmbH is on the verge of filing for insolvency.

Lukoil has just announced a major restructuring plan with a view to winning back its position as the top Russian oil company. The firm recently lost that position to rival Yukos.

As we reported last week, the Williams chassis in which Ayrton Senna was killed eight years ago at Imola has been destroyed, despite ill-founded rumors that the car is still in existence.