Formula One News — March 2005

Australasian Motorsport News is reporting that Formula 1 could be on its way back to Adelaide if the current battle between Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management and the manufacturers results in a new series.

Ferrari will take its new F2005 to Bahrain next week in an effort to get some more points on the board in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The decision was taken after the two race drivers had tried the car at Mugello.

FIA President Max Mosley has issued a statement illustrating how the changes in Formula 1 regulations that he demanded last year have produced the desired effect in the first two Grands Prix of the year.

While Franck Montagny and Heikki Kovalainen were busy testing for Renault F1 at Paul Ricard, some observers were rather surprised to see Jose-Maria Lopez running up and down Hangar Straight at Silverstone in another Renault.

It is clear, and has been for some time, that the world has too many automobile companies. The result of this is that competition is fierce. This drives the car firms to try to win market share by looking for ways to brush up their images. Formula 1 serves that purpose well but not everyone can be a winner.

Michael Schumacher tested the new Ferrari F2005 for the first time on Wednesday at Mugello.

The Champ Car World Series says it will expand to include a race next year in Beijing, China. Champ Car has announced that it has signed an agreement with the Beijing Auto and Motor Sports Association, the government regulatory agency that approves all auto racing for Beijing.

Jos Verstappen is in a race to win the last major drive in Champ Cars and is up against Denmark's Ronnie Bremer and Roberto Gonzalez of Mexico for the seat alongside Mario Dominguez. Verstappen completed 97 laps at Sebring with a best of 51.82s compared to Bremer's best of 52.62s.

Mark Webber has made it on to the grid for the first time in Australian Who magazine's annual "Most Beautiful People" list. Mark qualified 13th out of 25 for the list which this year includes such names as Cate Blanchett, Jude Law and Kate Winslett.

There are lots of famous names in racing, carried from one generation to the next. We have seen Brabhams, Hills, Andrettis, Unsers, Villeneuves and soon no doubt will be dealing with new Rosbergs and Piquets.

The news that Bernie Ecclestone and the banks have done some sort of deal moves the political situation in Formula 1 on a little - but not much. The case had been under close scrutiny from the automobile manufacturers who are threatening to launch a rival series from 2008.

The case in the High Court case between Bayerische Landesbank, JP Morgan and Lehman Brothers and Bernie Ecclestone has been settled - but no-one is talking about the deal.

While everyone watches the High Court in London to see what will emerge in the supposed "settlement" between Bernie Ecclestone and the Formula 1 banks, the Formula 1 teams continue their discussions about the future.

Ferrari will decide within the next couple of days whether or not to take the F2005 to Bahrain. The decision will make a big difference as the logistics or changing cars is a massive job and it may be better to run all new cars rather than try to do two different models at the same time.

The word on the strasse in Cologne is that Pascal Vasselon, formerly head of Michelin's F1 programme, has decided to leave the Clermont-Ferrand company and will take up a new role as a research and development engineer at Panasonic Toyota Racing.

John DeLorean has died at the age of 80. He was not involved in Formula 1 but played an important role in destroying the Lotus brand, taking the gloss off what had been a stellar name in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Turkish Grand Prix is fast approaching but the Fomrula 1 circus knows little about the place we were are going to race in the middle of August. The Istanbul Otodrom, as it is is known, is located in the Tepeoren-Tuzla area, to the south-east of Istanbul near the new Sabiha Gokcen International Airport.

The America's Cup and Formula 1 have a great deal in common and it is not surprising that over the years there has been a considerable amount of crossover between the two sports.

It is fair to say that this year the Minardi team's primary aim has not been on the race track, as the team has battled with the FIA over the rules. This is not about Minardi alone but with an old car the team's hopes in the early races were not high.

The Formula 1 banks have been lurking around the edge of the sport for the last couple of years. They are not interested in the business beyond getting out money which they "invested" in the sport when they acquired the shares of the Formula One group from the assets of the crumbled Kirch media empire.

Former Jordan F1 driver Ralph Firman Jr is going back to Japan where he made his name and earned himself the chance in F1 in 2003. Firmin will join Team Honda Racing in the Super GT Championship and will be seen at the wheel of an Autobacs Honda NSX.

Formula 1's love affair with India is currently in its passionate phase, with the paddock awash with Indian reporters, stacking up to interview Narain Karthikeyan and to encourage Bernie Ecclestone to find somewhere to have an F1 race in India.

Peter Sauber says that the team is considering running a third car but needs a driver with money in order to make that happen.

We understand that there are developments going on in the long-running fight within the British Racing Drivers' Club and that a denouement could occur within the next few days.

This morning in London the ongoing court case between Formula One Holdings and Formula One Administration took another step forward with a hearing before Mr Justice Peter Smith.