Formula One News — January 2003

As we reported about a month ago it seems that Bernie Ecclestone is on the verge of taking control of the British Grand Prix. We hear that Ecclestone has agreed a deal which will see him taking over Octagon Motorsport in totality, which will give him control of all the major British racing circuits.

Cosworth Racing has been named "Business of the Year" by the Motorsport Industry Association. The awards were announced at the annual MIA Awards Dinner at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.

There are reports that Cosworth Racing, the Ford Motor Company subsidiary which supplied engines to the Arrows team last year, is to take legal action against Arrows boss Tom Walkinshaw personally as it tries to recoup losses made on the deal last year.

There has been snow over large parts of Europe in recent days and Sauber's planned shakedown runs of its new C22 chassis were cancelled today because of snow at the Ferrari test track at Fiorano.

Australian Will Davison has landed a drive with Alan Docking Racing, the team that won last year's British Formula 3 Championship. He will race this year in a Dallara-Mugen Honda and hopes to follow in the footsteps of another Docking graduate Mark Webber to move up to Formula 1.

CART CEO Chris Pook announced at the Autosport International show that his open wheeled series will return to Brands Hatch in 2003, for the first time since 1978.

The McLaren Formula 1 team has signed a deal with Sonax, the German vehicle polish company. The company logo will appear on the rear wing endplates of the two McLarens.

The Minardi team has confirmed that Jos Verstappen will be joining Justin Wilson in the team this year thanks to backing from the computer electronics company Trust.

Craig Wilson, one of Williams F1's bright young engineers, has been lured away to help engineer Jenson Button at British American Racing.

The Grand Prix World Championship organisation is due to have a meeting in Paris today to discuss further details of its planned rival series to Formula 1 in 2008.

Allan McNish is rumored to bee on his way to Renault as a test driver. It will not be the first time that McNish has worked with the former Benetton team having done a lot of testing work with the operation back in the early 1990s.

It is a well-kept secret but Williams has quietly confirmed that Ricardo Sperafico will be its second test driver this year. Sperafico was tested for the role at the end of the 2001 but lost out to his then Formula 3000 team mate Antonio Pizzonia.

The Dutch media is getting excited about a deal between Minardi and Jos Verstappen and usually well-informed sources are indicating that there is likely to be an announcement to this effect later in the day.

West McLaren Mercedes will announce a new partnership today at the Autosport International Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England.

Renault joined Williams and Ferrari in Jerez Wednesday, for their first day of testing since the winter break. For the second day in a row, Ferrari's Luca Badoer led all drivers on the timesheet, while working alongside teammate Luciano Burti on tires and electronics.

Felipe Massa has emerged as the man most likely to take over from Takuma Sato at Jordan. With Jos Verstappen wisely rumored to be on his way to Minardi and Christjian Albers looking at a continued career with Mercedes-Benz in the DTM, Massa is the obvious choice for Eddie Jordan.

The Panasonic Toyota Racing team unveiled its new TF103 contender at Paul Ricard this morning. The car, as expected, is a development of the TF102 but is lighter, generates more downforce and is much more aerodynamically efficient than its sometimes difficult forerunner.

Ricardo Zonta has been named as the new test driver of the Panasonic Toyota Racing Team. The 26-year-old Brazilian raced in F1 for two years with BAR but in recent years has been competing - and winning - in the Telefonica World Series by Nissan.

If Minardi does confirm rumours that Jos Verstappen and Christjian Albers will become race and test driver for the team it will mean that there is only the second Jordan seat left in F1 this year.

John Barnard, one of the most influential designers in modern F1 history, has turned his back on F1 and become technical director of Kenny Roberts's Team KR Proton in the MotoGP series.

The Indy Racing League has changed its name to the Indycar Series having regained control of the IndyCar name from rival CART. The name had been under CART control since the split with IRL.

FIA president Max Mosley and Ferrari team boss Jean Todt had a quiet meeting earlier this week in Maranello to discuss the forthcoming meeting which will take place in London on January 15.

The new Sauber C22 was fired up for the first time yesterday at the team's headquarters in Hinwil. The car was bang on schedule and will now be despatched to Italy where it will start testing at the Ferrari test track at Fiorano on Thursday with Nick Heidfeld expected to do the initial shakedown runs.

Holland is a cauldron of bubbling rumours at the moment as Jos Verstappen and Christjian Albers try to figure out who is doing what in 2003.

Ferrari resumed their testing program at the Jerez circuit Tuesday, their first day testing since the winter break. The Italian squad took little time to get on pace with Williams, who began their program at the Spanish circuit Monday.