Formula One News — October 2005

The Bonhams auction house is to sell a number of Williams cars at a sale in December at the team's base in Grove. The team is selling 20 famous cars from its impressive private collection.

The Bridgestone company has agreed to pay the Ford Motor Company $240m to end the five-year dispute between the two firms relating to tyre failures on Ford sport utility vehicles.

The commercial methods used in Formula 1 could change dramatically in the years ahead with the announcement by Siemens of an impressive new technology which would create cheap, paper-thin TV screens.

The Chinese government announced on Thursday that it has now formally ratified the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the international treaty which aims to stub out tobacco advertising.

The news in Shanghai is that the British Grand Prix is on the move from its traditional mid-July date. The problem has been caused by the decision that the United States Grand Prix be held on July 2 next year.

There are reports in the German media that the new team principal of the soon-to-be-renamed Minardi team is going to be BMW's Franz Tost.

The Fiat empire has suffered a series of humiliations in recent years as the company has struggled to compete in the super-competitive automotive world. The empire, which includes Ferrari, is currently headed by former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo.

Chinese GP - Preview

It seems that negotiations are pushing along for drives in 2007 and 2008 with Michael Schumacher's manager Willi Weber telling German reporters that Michael will probably keep going until 2008.

Four robotic vehicles succeeded in completing the Grand Challenge race at the weekend in the Mojave Desert in Nevada. The winning team from Stanford University took home a prize of $2m. The odd thing about the 150 mile race was that none of the 23 competing vehicles had a driver.

It may read like a headline from a few years ago but it seems that it could be a story in the future as well as the 41-year-old Frenchman looks at things to do when he decides to hang up with helmet.

The Bayerische Landesbank has taken sole control of the Speed Investments Ltd, the company which controls the commercial rights of Formula 1 motor racing.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge is to attend the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai to see how the Chinese cope with a major international sporting event.

It was a sunny day. The grandstands were bursting. And motor racing was on the agenda. Real motor racing. Not the scrappy politics that has dominated Formula 1 for so long; nor the unhealthy domination of one team, but rather good old-fashioned spectacular motor racing.

There were rumours in Suzuka that the Emirates Airline, which is owned by the ruling family of Dubai, is looking very seriously about a Formula 1 sponsorship deal. This may be related to stories of a second Mercedes-Benz team.

Japanese GP - Race Notes

France's Nicolas Lapierre scored a double win the A1 Grand Prix races at the Lausitzring in Germany, beating Switzerland's Neel Jani and Nelson Piquet Jr of Brazil in the first race and then seeing off Robbie Kerr (Great Britain) and Canada's Sean McIntosh in the second.

The Formula 1 Commission has not met since June 28 2004. A meeting was planned for December last year but was called off, apparently in order to stop nine of the 10 teams from forcing through rules for a control tyre and a restriction of testing, which had been agreed between them in Brazil.

Japanese GP - Sunday Photos

The FIA sent a fax to the Formula 1 teams at Suzuka with a list of proposals for new regulations in 2006. These include a plan for a knock-out system in qualifying and the return of tyre changes in the races.

Former F1 team owner Tom Walkinshaw took control of the Holden Racing Team earlier this year, without much ceremony but on Sunday the team won Australia's biggest touring car race with Mark Skaife and Todd Kelly winning the Bathurst 1000 in their Holden Commodore.

Japanese GP - Sunday Press Conference

Japanese GP - Sunday Team Quotes

Japanese GP - Race Incidents

Japanese GP - Race Results