Formula One News — August 2002

Jason Priestley, the actor and F1 commentator at last year's United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis has been seriously injured in a practice crash for the Infiniti Pro Series race at the Kentucky Speedway.

Renault-powered teams dominated the qualifying for the Marlboro Masters at Zandvoort with pole position going to Brazil's Fabio Carbone in his Fortec Dallara-Renault ahead of three other Renault-engined Dallaras.

Minardi team boss Paul Stoddart has some serious business to do as well as he must decide whether or not to replace Alex Yoong, the team's second driver.

Michael Schumacher likes soccer. For some time now he has played for FC Echichens, a small-time soccer team in Switzerland, The problem was that Michael did not spend much time in Switzerland...

Ferrari is developing a new V10 engine for 2003 - and everyone else is getting worried. The men at Ferrari are not talking about what the engine will feature (no surprise there, then).

Honda continues to underline its desire to win in both Formula 1 and in the United States of America where the Japanese company will be switching to the Indy Racing League next year.

Derek Hill, the son of 1961 World Champion Phil Hill, has signed a deal to be managed by Brigitte Hill, the sister of 1996 World Champion Damon and daughter of Graham Hill, the World Champion of 1962 and 1968. Oddly enough, Derek's ambition is to be Formula 1 World Champion.

The road car engines which have been designed by Sauber Petronas Engineering could end up being sold to Hyundai.

After several months keeping a profile that was lower than low, the Premier 1 Grand Prix Championship has reappeared to announce that Olympique Lyonnais has signed up to be part of the supposed series.

It may never happen but the plans for the Grand Prix of Moscow have finally come to light.

There is much speculation at the moment about the future of Alex Yoong at Minardi, but in Formula 3000 the European Minardi team has been undergoing even more change with drivers Alex Muller and Alex Sperafico both having been ditched.

The need for Jacques Villeneuve to sign for Players Forsythe Racing becomes more acute by the day as the share price of Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. sinks on the Wall Street Stock Exchange.

NASCAR was once the home of the fist-wielding hard men of motor racing with regular punch-ups in the pitlane. The competitors honed their driving skills as bootleggers running moonshine across the Deep South.

The Jordan team has announced that Zsolt Baumgartner, the Hungarian F3000 driver, will have the chance to impress his home crowds at the Hungarian Grand Prix when he will be given the chance to give a demonstration run in a Jordan Honda EJ12 on race morning

The carousel of rumors about who will drive for Arrows in Hungary continues with the latest idea to surface being that Fernando Alonso, who was being tipped as a possible Minardi driver, being mentioned as a possible signing at Arrows

There are rumors in Formula 1 circles that Arrows will be making an announcement tomorrow with regard to what is going to happen to the team in the future.

The Good old Boys of NASCAR will have some fresh meat next year with the arrival from CART of Brazil's Christian Fittipaldi, who has signed a three-year deal to race for Petty Enterprises in Winston Cup racing.

Jim Crawford has died at the early age of 54. The Scotsman was once a great white hope in Formula 1 but then drifted away from the Grand Prix scene and ended up in the United States where he became a regular competitor in the Indianapolis 500.

This weekend will see two Formula 1 teams running cars at promotional events: Minardi will be at Donington Park for the Thunder in the Park meeting while Ferrari is sending a car to Zandvoort to take part in the hugely-popular Marlboro Masters Formula 3 event.

The news that China is gearing up for a Grand Prix in 2004 has added pressure to the circuits which want a race in the near-future and more and more serious schemes are beginning to come out of the woodwork.

Tony Stewart has been fined $10,000 for punching a photographer at the recent Brickyard 400 event in Indianapolis.

The news that the British government is finally beginning to take the British motorsport industry seriously is good news - even if it is rather late in the day.

The organizers of the planned Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai recently announced that they have a fund of $400m to build a racing circuit in order to welcome Formula 1 in 2004 - and that a deal is in place with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

Britain's Department of Trade and Industry has revealed plans for the government to act to help preserve Britain's place as the industry leader in motorsport.

Formula 3000 Champion Justin Wilson was lining up to drive for Minardi in place of Mark Webber - we hear that a deal had been struck, pending a seat fitting, but when the lanky Englishman went down to Faenza there was no way he would fit in the car.