Formula One News — September 2006

The former BBC motor racing commentator Raymond Baxter has died at the age of 84.

The FIA has contacted us to point out that the F1total.com survey about perceptions of manipulation and fairness in F1 is not the only such survey available and that we should take others into account if we are to be totally fair. This is a good point.

The latest accounts of Formula One Administration (FOA), covering the year 2005, have revealed a pre-tax profit of $435m, up from $413m the previous year. The turnover increased from $705m to $787m, an increase of more than 10%.

As we predicted two days ago, Renault has announced a deal to supply engines to Red Bull GmbH in 2007 and 2008. The Austrian drinks company has yet to confirm which team will use which engines as the company also has an engine deal in 2007 with Ferrari.

The FIA has issued a clarification to the Formula 1 teams, regarding the way in which the question of blocking in qualifying is handled. This effectively gives more power to race director Charlie Whiting.

The Formula One has taken another step towards becoming a more traditional company by announcing the appointment of two serious international businessmen to the board of Alpha Topco Ltd, the holding company of the business.

Fiat has confirmed that it is in the process of spending around $800m to buy back 29% of Ferrari. Fiat chief executive Sergio Marchione says that he hopes to have the deal completed by the end of the month.

Rumours from Hinwil suggest that we could be seeing a new test driver in the third BMW in the last three races of the season. Sebastian Vettel has done a very impressive job in recent events.

Lewis Hamilton won the GP2 series in emphatic style this year. For the first half of the year the ART team seemed to have an advantage but Hamilton blitzed his more experienced team mate Alexandre Premat much more than Nico Rosberg did in 2005, when Premat and Rosberg had the same level of experience.

The FIA might not have done itself many favours at Monza last weekend, but it is now keen to put a more positive spin on the weekend with the announcement that it used a new "High Speed Safety Barrier" for the first time.

It will shortly be announced that Red Bull GmbH has signed an engine supply deal with Renault for a supply of Formula 1 engines for 2007 and beyond.

The large amounts of money that move around in motor racing circles have been known to attract a range of people, from those who are happy to cut a few corners to others who see the potential for a sting. We hear on the Formula 1 grapevine that a rather nasty sting is being perpetrated at the moment.

The Alabama Gulf Coast is not a big area but its white sand beaches and clear waters are popular with the locals, who flock to the beaches in the summer months. The area is not as well known as the nearby resort cities of Biloxi, Missipippi and Pensacola, Florida, but the locals think that there is a lot of potential.

Christian Klien's decision not to accept the offer of a Red Bull-sponsored Champ Car drive in 2007 with Kevin Kalhoven's PKV Racing has opened the way for Scuderia Toro Rosso test driver Neel Jani to head off to America, where he hopes he will finally get his name in lights and use success in America to return one day to F1.

Red Bull Racing is going to have an interesting time in Jerez this week, following the departure of Christian Klien. The team will be running his replacement Robert Doornbos, the likely third driver Michael Ammermueller and, curiously, Tonio Liuzzi of Scuderia Toro Rosso.

The 2006 Italian Grand Prix was an extraordinary Formula 1 event. Not because the racing was good but rather for other reasons. It was, in truth, a rather bad-natured meeting with Renault getting hot and bothered about a very dubious FIA decision after qualifying.

GP2 driver Michael Ammermueller could get the Red Bull racing test drive fror the last three races of the year, but if that is going to happen he is going to need to sort out a superlicense in the course of the next few days.

As we revealed last night, Christian Klien has departed Red Bull Racing and will be replaced in the final three races of the year by Dutchman Robert Doornbos. It has not yet been revealed who will be the team's third driver in China, Japan and Brazil.

Paul Stoddart says that he is now in a position to enter Champ Car next year but has yet to convince himself that he wants to spend his life flying backwards and forwards across the Atlantic.

The Formula 1 teams are planning to propose an alternative solution to the FIA's Central Downwash Generating rear wing.

The Grand Prix Drivers Association, which represents 27 of the current F1 drivers and test drivers, has issued a statement to clarify its position with regard to the Autodromo Nazionale at Monza.

Michael Schumacher has announced his retirement.

Italian GP - Race Notes

Dan Wheldon won the final Indy Racing League race of the season for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, beating his team mate Scott Dixon at Chicagoland ahead of Penske rivals Sam Hornish Jr and Helio Castroneves.

As darkness was falling at Monza on Sunday evening the word in the pitlane was that we will not be seeing Christian Klien again in a Red Bull-Ferrari. We hear that the Austrian youngster told his mechanics that he would not be back in China and that opens up some interesting possibilities for the team.