Formula One News — May 2004

Jaguar Racing has announced a sponsorship deal with the diamond firm. The news was confirmed at a press conference at the Prince's Car Collection in Monte Carlo, where Jaguar revealed the R5 "Ocean's 12" livery for the first time.

Grand Prix Legends, a leading vendor of Formula 1 merchandise, has just produced a market report on F1 in 2003-2004 and it has some cutting observations about the way in which Formula 1 merchandising operates.

The International Olympic Committee has picked five candidates from the nine applicant cities which were bidding for the 2012 summer Olympics and that means that some of the others may be looking at investing in other sports, including Formula 1.

There will be a new pitlane in Monaco this year giving everyone a lot more space in which to work. Each team will now have its own garages rather the tiny working areas that were previously used.

Formula 1 and Hollywood have never really made any big connection but it seems that at Monaco this weekend we will be seeing some of the movie business's biggest names in the Formula 1 paddock.

It is a nice idea, but David Coulthard moving to Jaguar Racing is not a scenario that is going to happen, at least not according to our sources within the team. There are reports in the British tabloids that Coulthard is under consideration.

According to normally very accurate sources there could be a change in the driver line-up at Jordan Grand Prix at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, with Giorgio Pantano being replaced by either Jos Verstappen or Timo Glock.

Jaguar Racing has been the frontrunner in linking its Formula 1 programme to the VIP world and last year led the way by linking up with the diamond industry at Monaco and later by bringing Arnold Schwarzenegger to the British GP.

BAR Honda third driver Anthony Davidson will be fit and well for the forthcoming Monaco Grand Prix.

Bobby Rahal has been out of the spotlight a fair bit since he returned to the United States after his adventures with Jaguar Racing but on Saturday Rahal's driver Buddy Rice took pole for the 88th Indianapolis 500.

Contrary to reports appearing at the moment, Jaguar Racing has not just started working on the refurbishment of the Bedford windtunnel. Work has been going on at the facility for several months.

The defeat of Chandrababu Naidu in the Indian elections in the state of Andhra Pradesh could spell disaster for the plans for an Indian GP in 2007. Naidu was defeated by a Congress Party-led alliance which won 226 seats in the state assembly.

Jonathan Palmer has responded to yesterday's reports from Portugal following his conviction arising from a road accident in Portugal in 1996.

The British Racing Drivers' Club has re-submitted a planning application for a 200 bedroom, 4 star hotel at Silverstone to the Northamptonshire District Council The new application has addressed the concerns which caused a previous application to be rejected.

According to newspaper reports from Portugal Former Formula 1 driver Jonathan Palmer, who is now the owner of Brands Hatch, has been found guilty of negligent homicide, arising from a car crash in November 1996, which killed Norwegian former rally driver Rein Fallo Stattum.

There is much talk at the moment about short lists and deals which are being done for 2005 but the realities seem to be rather different from most of the stories doing the rounds.

HRH Queen Elizabeth II opened the McLaren Technology Centre yesterday in Woking, five and a half years after work began on the $500m factory.

FIA President Max Mosley has resigned as chairman of Euro NCAP, Europe's leading independent crash-test programme.

Anthony Davidson had to pull out of yesterday's BAR-Honda test after just a few laps when he trapped a nerve while braking for one of the corners.

The global logistics company DHL has returned to Formula 1 as a global partner of the sport.

There are reports coming out of Germany that Andreas Renschler will soon replace Jurgen Hubbert as head of the Mercedes Car business.

In the biggest blow yet for the tobacco industry, the United States's Health Secretary Tommy G Thompson has signed the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, giving the global anti-tobacco treaty a major boost.

PKF is warning that the proposed changes to the Formula 1 regulations could have a serious impact in the motorsport infrastructure.

The Shanghai circuit is to hold its first race on June 6 and to coincide with the opening round of the China Circuit Championship.

Toyota Motor has reported a net profit for the year ended March 31 of $10bn, thus underlining the firm's status as the second biggest car manufacturer in the world - and closing in on General Motors.