Formula One News — April 2006

The word in the paddock in Imola on Friday was that the FIA has decided that the 12th team in F1 in 2008 will be David Richards's Prodrive. This is no surprise as Prodrive started out as the favourite to get the deal.

San Marino GP - Thursday Press Conference

Felipe Massa has, in the mind of most of the F1 circus, done a good job this year as team mate to Michael Schumacher. Coming into a top team for the first time and getting even close to a seven-time World Champion (and beating him on occasion) is a pretty good effort for a young driver like Massa.

Alain Dassas, the new boss of Renault F1, has been talking about the team's plans for the future.

Although Formula 1 people like to say that NASCAR is only a domestic championship there are increasing signs that the search for more revenue will eventually push the American stock car series to move into the international markets.

The Emirates airline has signed a $195m deal to become a partner of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) from 2007 to 2014.

There was good news for Raikkonen Robertson Racing over the Easter weekend with two wins for Bruno Senna, nephew of the late Ayrton Senna, in the opening rounds of the British Formula 3 Championship at Oulton Park.

Midland Formula 1 Racing has announced that Fabrizio Del Monte will be a test and reserve driver with the team. It remains to be seen when he will be seen in action but the 26-year-old Italian tested for the team in Jerez de la Frontera in December last year.

It being the holidays, the recent days have seen the Formula 1 rumour mill busy speculating about the future of Michael Schumacher. The 37-year-old Ferrari star says that he is not planning to make any decision about his future until July.

In the last few days in Australia Foster's has announced the end of its sponsorship in Formula 1 after 20 years. This follows the sale of the Foster's brand name in Europe to Foster's UK brewing and distribution partner, Scottish and Newcastle. Different regions will now make their own decisions about sponsorship.

Renault headed the times on two of the three days of testing in Barcelona this week, with Heikki Kovalainen setting the fastest time overall of 1m 13.928s on Friday to head team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.

Following recent speculation that managing director Colin Kolles is about to decamp MF1 Racing has taken the unusual step of issuing a press release confirming that it is alive and well and not about to lose further staff.

Michael Schumacher's manager Willi Weber is stalling over an approach to the seven-time champion from former boss Flavio Briatore of Renault.

Bernie Ecclestone has stepped back into the political fight currently raging within the British Racing Drivers' Club.

As rumours do the rounds that Michael Schumacher intends to sign a new deal with Ferrari for 2007, sources close to Maranello continue to suggest that Kimi Raikkonen's deal to go there was signed a year ago.

The world of rallying is in mourning for Shekhar Mehta, the Kenyan driver best known for winning the East African Safari Rally on four occasions for Datsun

Trevor Carlin has admitted that his is one of the 22 team bosses who have submitted an entry for the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has again put pressure on Christian Klien to outperform Red Bull Racing team-mate David Coulthard.

WilliamsF1 has signed Scott Garrett as its new Head of Marketing, to replace Jim Wright who left over the weekend of the Australian Grand Prix.

The fledgling Super Aguri F1 Team has unexpectedly topped the reliability table compiled after the first three races of the season.

Super Aguri Formula 1 has thrown Yuji Ide a lifeline following suggestions that the Japanese rookie would be replaced before the San Marino Grand Prix next weekend.

According to a survey conducted in Australia, a disappointing number of people watched the Australian Grand Prix on television.

Two-time defending champion Sebastien Bourdais won the Champ Car World Series opener at Long Beach yesterday over Justin Wilson.

German rookie Michael Ammermuller won Sunday's GP2 race at Valencia for Arden International, ahead of Ernesto Viso in second and Nicolas Lapierre in third.

Nelson Piquet Jr. won the opening race of the 2006 GP2 championship today in Valencia with a 16 second margin over rookie Lewis Hamilton. Spanish driver Adrian Valles took third.