Formula One News — July 2006

The Financial Times is reporting that Renault Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn would like to see Renault and Nissan take stakes in General Motors if the three-way deal under discussion is to go ahead. He would also like to see GM taking a shareholding in Renault and in Nissan to cement the alliance.

German rising star Sebastian Vettel is out of action after a big crash in the World Series by Renault race at Spa yesterday. Vettel crashed in Raidillon (the top of Eau Rouge) while running second in the first of the two races.

Porsche AG has opened a new motorsport centre at its Weissach research and development facility in Germany.

FIA President Max Mosley has written to all the Formula 1 team principals about the ongoing situation over engines in 2007.

Renault is playing it safe over the question of mass damping, despite the fact that the FIA Stewards say the systems are legal.

Robert Kubica showed Michael Schumacher the way on Friday afternooin at Hockenheim, lapping the German track two-tenths of a second faster in his BMW than Schumacher could go in his Ferrari.

German GP - Friday Photos

German GP - Friday Press Conference

German GP - Friday Team Quotes

Professor Gerard Saillant has been invited to become Deputy President of the FIA Institute. He will replace the late John Large. He is already a fellow the Institute.

The Grand Prix Drivers Association is supporting the publication of a new safety handbook created by the FIA Institute for all new motor racing drivers. The handbook aims to educate the younger drivers and remind the more experienced drivers about all aspects of safety in motor sport.

German GP - Practice 2 Results

Idle Internet surfers might be interested to see that the Mercure Hotel in Nevers, France, usually asks $108 per night for a room in the summer months. That is what you will pay if you visit this tranquil backwater on the banks of the Loire on June 1 next year or indeed on August 1.

The FIA is to appeal against the decision of the stewards of the German Grand Prix to allow Renault to continue to use a mass damping system in the nose of the cars.

The FIA stewards at Hockenheim that the mass dampers used by Renault are legal, despite a ruling from the federation's technical department since the French Grand Prix.

The FIA has acted to stop the use of infrared devices to heat tyres

Alex Wurz set the fastest time of the first practice at Hockenheim with a best lap of 1m16.349s in his Williams-Cosworth FW28.

German GP - Practice 1 Results

Jarno Trulli and Toyota have announced that they are to stay together until the end of the 2009 season.

The Australian Grand Prix says it will open next year's FIA Formula 1 World Championship on March 18. This makes no sense at all.

For several months now it has been an open secret that Williams and Toyota were on the verge of an engine supply deal, the British team having set out to find a new partner after its partnership with BMW fell apart at the end of last year.

German GP - Thursday Press Conference

There are widespread reports in Australia today that Melbourne will get the opening round of the 2007 Formula 1 World Championship on March 18. This is odd for a number of reasons, not least because it is a very late start for the championship.

While Ralf Schumacher smiled cheerfully through gritted teeth at today's FIA press conference, and agreed that Toyota supplying Williams with engines for the next three years could only be a good thing for the Cologne-based manufacturer, there are signs behind the scenes that Toyota has already started to ramp up its technical effort.

Ferrari's boss Jean Todt seems to be staying with Ferrari for another year - at least that is what Fiat boss Luca di Montzemolo has been telling Italian pressmen. The news has yet to be officially announced.