Formula One News — May 2006

European GP - Friday Team Quotes

We would like to apologise the our readers today for a lack of news from the Nurburgring. This is because of difficulties encountered with communications as the circuit feels the need to charge each member of the international media $380 to get access to high-speed Internet services.

European GP - Practice 2 Results

The F1 test drivers had it all to themselves on Friday morning with Alexander Wurz ending the first session at the top of the timesheets. He was three-tenths ahead of Honda's Anthony Davidson with BMW's Robert Kubica third fastest ahead of Michael Schumacher and Red Bull Racing's Robert Doornbos.

European GP - Practice 1 Results

Business F1 magazine has taken another major hit in the High Court in London with Tony Purnell having been awarded damages of $138,000 (£75,000) and legal costs of $243,000 (£132,000). The former Jaguar team boss took the magazine to court claiming that he had been libelled.

European GP - Thursday Press Conference

The FIA says it has nothing to add to the Super Aguri press release earlier today that revealed that the team had been "offered" advice by the federation to switch Yuji Ide to a testing role and put Franck Montagny in the second Super Aguri.

Super Aguri F1 have announced that Frenchman Franck Montagny will replace Yuji Ide in the race team starting at the European Grand Prix this weekend.

Ray Bellm is one of three new directors of the British Racing Drivers' Club. Bellm was previously chairman of the board of the club but was ousted in a power struggle with the club president Sir Jackie Stewart.

Sport Business has launched a new industry report into "The Business of Formula One". The two-volume report is designed to be a guide to anyone who is interested in getting involved in the sport and looks at all aspects of the Grand Prix world.

These are not easy times for Bahrain, despite the efforts being made by the authorities to create a tourist paradise in the years ahead. The Formula 1 Grand Prix is an important part of that process along with massive construction projects which are either underway or now being planned.

The Canadian Grand Prix weekend has always been a busy one for Montreal retailers but this year the shift of date created some problems in the city as the race will now fall on the St Jean Baptiste holiday weekend rather than its usual date in mid June.

Volkswagen chief executive officer Bernd Pischetsrieder has won a five-year extension to his contract. This means that he will remain in charge of Europe's biggest car company until April 2012.

Jacques Regis, the president of the French motor sport federation and an FIA Vice President has played down the impact of accidents which hit the sport over the weekend.

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has moved to end its naming dispute with A1 Grand Prix. Lawyers representing the AGPC and A1 have been meeting in Melbourne to try to settle the disagreement out of court.

Al Unser Jr has been named as the driver for A1 Team USA at the Indianapolis 500. The A1 Team USA organisation will join with Geico to fund the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing-prepared Dallara-Honda which Unser will race in the 500 on May 28.

Jenson Button gets a great deal of criticism that he really does not deserve.

It is 12 years yesterday since Ayrton Senna became the last F1 driver to die in an accident. It is five years since the death of a trackside marshal during the Australian Grand Prix. This is a great safety record for F1 but, quite rightly, the FIA continues to look at ways to maintain and improve safety standards in Grand Prix racing.

With Ferrari saying its car is legal and that it will protest all the other cars if it is protested and the FIA seeming to agree that the Ferrari is legal, the scene is set for a scrutineering bloodbath at the European Grand Prix this weekend at the European Grand Prix.