Formula One News — April 2006

The BMW Sauber F1 Team is putting its name to a new "theme park" area at the Nurburgring, in which race fans can get a look up close at what happens in the pit lane and team garages at a Grand Prix.

Super Aguri F1 has put down some more roots at the Leafield Technical Centre with the news that the Japanese team has leased a portion of the Technical Centre until December 2008.

The MF1 Racing team has lost its Sporting Director Adrian Burgess with immediate effect. Burgess has been increasingly disenchanted with the team in recent months and has now decided to depart.

Toyota Motorsport and Mike Gascoyne have reached a mutual agreement which will see both parties terminate their working relationship with immediate effect. Gascoyne will remain a fully contracted employee of Toyota Motorsport until the end of October 2006.

The European Commission has announced that it is takes action against four member states for their failure to comply with the provisions of European anti-tobacco legislation.

Although everyone likes to say that the A1 Grand Prix series is not in competition with the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, it is inevitable that the two will be compared.

There has been some chuntering in the last few days about the performance of the Toro Rossos in Australia with some of the teams at the back making noises about life not being fair because the team is using V10 engines, albeit in rev-limited form.

In recent days there has been talk that Red Bull Racing is considering hiring Juan Pablo Montoya. This has naturally led to suggestions that David Coulthard may move on.

The various Formula 1 teams - quasi or otherwise - were due to meet with the FIA at the Heathrow Hilton on April 10. It was never really clear what the meeting was going to be about, apart from showing that there were 22 representatives present and that, as a result of this, the sport could go on without the manufacturers.

Toyota has announced that technical director Mike Gascoyne has been suspended indefinitely after what the Japanese team described as a "fundamental difference of opinion".

Red Bull Racing continues its recruiting and has just hit Renault F1 for another key player, having hired the Enstone team's head of manufacturing Keith Saunt. The news was announced at Red Bull this morning.

The news that Mike Gascoyne has left Panasonic Toyota Racing came as a surprise as things seemed to be moving in the right direction, particularly with Ralf Schumacher's third place in Melbourne.

The word from Cologne is that the departure of Mike Gascoyne, which is still to be officially confirmed, will see Pascal Vasselon move up from his current role as General Manager (Car Design and Development) to take on Gascoyne's role as technical director (chassis).

Damon Hill has been nominated as a potential new President for the British Racing Drivers' Club. The election will take place on April 28 and has become necessary because of the decision of Sir Jackie Stewart not to seek re-election.

The word on the street on Tuesday was that there has been a major shake-up at Toyota with our sources saying that Mike Gascoyne has departed the team. We contacted Gascoyne to see if there was a story. He is saying nothing at all.

The Australian Grand Prix was a bruising business for most of the Formula 1 drivers. Bodies and egos took a thumping as the F1 fly-boys did their thing between the wicked walls of Albert Park. It is a terrific show with some wild action and some spectacular crashes.

Flavio Briatore is well known for his theatrical tendencies, particularly on the pitwall at races, but his sense of humour landed him in hot water in Germany over the weekend after he went down to the Mercedes-Benz garage in Melbourne to visit Norbert Haug.

Australian GP - Race Notes

The FIA Stewards in Melbourne have deprived Scott Speed of his eighth place finish in the Australian Grand Prix. The American Scuderia Toro Rosso driver was reprimanded and given a 25 second penalty for ignoring yellow flags.

Australian GP - Sunday Photos

Australian GP - Sunday Press Conference

Australian GP - Sunday Team Quotes

Australian GP - Race Incidents

Australian GP - Race Results

Jenson Button took pole position for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne after a incident-packed qualifying session.