Formula One News — June 2003

European GP - Friday Practice Results

The Dutch bath and shower company Wilux has signed a sponsorship with Minardi for the rest of the season.

Bryan Herta is to replace Dario Franchitti at Andretti Green Racing for the remainder of the Indy Racing League season.

The Nurburgring has a slightly reprofiled first corner this year as a result of requests from the drivers for changes after last year's race.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has signed a four year exclusive official licence with Formula One Administration to be the official publisher of licensed Formula One games.

A newspaper in Melbourne has run a survey and found that 53% of the residents of the local area are in favor of the Grand Prix.

European GP - Friday Testing Results

The Jordan-Vodafone case in the Commercial Court in London continues to throw up interesting insights into how the world of Formula 1 operates, with Joe Kieser, the chief executive of corporate and brand identity agency Brown KSDP, appearing in court.

There were whispers of Mexican interest in Formula 1 a few weeks ago when a small delegation from Cancun turned up at the Spanish Grand Prix to have a look at the Barcelona facility.

Sir Nick Scheele, the chief operating officer of the Ford Motor Company, gave a speech at the Royal Society in Birmingham this week and warned that Britain faces "stagnation and decay".

Congratulations must go the Agence France Presse for the most inventive story of the day. AFP has, with no help from the FIA, sent the whole of Belgium into a tail spin by announcing that the Belgian Grand Prix will be back on the F1 calendar in 2004.

The FIA World Motor Sport Council met today and while it did not come up with a definitive Formula 1 calendar for next year, it did block 17 dates on which Grands Prix will be held.

The FIA World Council has altered the wording of its ban on tobacco sponsorship in 2006 on the advice of its lawyers. The ban, which was voted by the World Council in October 2000 was due to come into operation in 2006.

European GP - Preview

NASCAR Jeff Gordon says that he was offered a vague chance to race in Formula 1 four years ago but that the offer, which came from British American Racing, was to include a two-year period of getting used to open-wheeler racing in the CART series.

McLaren has delayed the introduction of the new MP4-18 until the British Grand Prix because, officially at least, it wants the car to be more reliable before it is raced. We hear that the delays actually have rather more to do with the fact that the car cannot be raced because it has yet to pass the FIA's crash-tests.

The FIA World Motor Sport Council meets today in Paris but there is not expected to be much excitement from the meeting with our spies suggesting that the only point of note will be a restating of the FIA's position on tobacco advertising in Europe.

Juan Pablo Montoya has been banned from driving on French roads for four months.

There continue to be rumors that former Grand Prix driver Mika Salo will join Craig Pollock's PK Racing in the CART series this year. Pollock has always said that he wants to expand his team to be a two-car operation.

The price of shares in the Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. organisation has been sinking in recent days following the revelations last week that CART is looking for a buyer.

The West Landesbank, which was responsible for the Formula One bond issue a couple of years ago, is in some difficulties having just announced a loss of $2bn for 2002.

Ireland's Michael Keohane is to test for the Team Astromega Formula 3000 operation this week at Spa. The 23-year-old Cork driver, a winner in Formula 3, is looking to move to the FIA International Formula 3000 series for the second half of the season.

McLaren has again delayed the introduction of the new MP4-18 on the basis that it is wisest to have the car fully reliable before it is introduced in races.

Christijan Albers may not have had his chance in Formula 1 this year but the Dutchman has been winning ever since he landed a top drive with the AMG Mercedes team in the German Touring Car series.

Bernie Ecclestone has always dealt with the press in his own inimitable style but it seems that he is now falling into line with other F1 organizations and will have a press officer for Formula One Management.