Formula One News — April 2005

The problems after the race in Imola with regard to the BAR-Honda team raise a number of questions: some legal, some political and, for the moment at least, there is little in the way of answers.

The FIA is to appeal against the decision by the stewards at the San Marino Grand Prix not to take any action against BAR after the race. There was a six-hour period in which something was obviously happening before the stewards decided that the BAR-Honda was legal.

The FIA Stewards at Imola decided to give Ralf Schumacher a 25-second penalty for an unsafe pit stop, arguing that the Toyota driver was released into the path of Nick Heidfeld's Williams. Heidfeld said that he had to brake hard to avoid the Toyota.

San Marino GP - Race Notes

It took the FIA Stewards the best part of six hours to confirm that Jenson Button's BAR-Honda was legal after the San Marino Grand Prix. According to a statement the car was weighed after the race and was above the minimum weight limit but was subsequently drained of fuel and found to be underweight.

As night was falling in Imola word went around the F1 paddock that there might be a problem with the BAR-Honda of Jenson Button. The car remains in the scrutineering area at the moment.

San Marino GP - Sunday Photos

San Marino GP - Sunday Press Conference

San Marino GP - Race Incidents

San Marino GP - Sunday Team Quotes

San Marino GP - Race Results

The GP2 series had its second race on Sunday morning with the top eight finishers on Saturday starting in reverse order for the event. This gave Nicolas Todt's ART team 1-2 on the grid.

Reports in the Italian media suggest that Bernie Ecclestone has just done a new deal with the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.

There are some serious implications as a result of the Red Bull Racing deal with Ferrari.

San Marino GP - Qualifying Session 2 Report

San Marino GP - Starting Grid

San Marino GP - Qualifying Session 2 Results

It was a fascinating qualifying session at Imola with the weather changing in the middle of the session but at the same time the track getting faster as more rubber was put down by the cars.

Billionaire racing team owner Dietrich Mateschitz was in a very jolly mood at Imola, having announced a new engine deal with Ferrari for 2006 and 2007.

San Marino GP - Saturday Photos

The GP2 series kicked off in Imola on Saturday with a race which left bemused observers wondering what on earth is going on in motor racing. The race was won by Heikki Kovalainen from Jose Maria Lopez and so the Renault Development Driver programme did all right.

Renault has announced that Flavio Briatore will stay on with the F1 team for another one year.

San Marino GP - Saturday Press Conference

San Marino GP - Saturday Team Quotes

Dietrich Mateschitz's desire to send a representative to the meeting last week in Paris is perhaps best explained by a press release which came out at lunchtime on Saturday when it was announced that the team will be supplied by Ferrari next year and in 2007.