Formula One News — September 2008

Lewis Hamilton set the pace in the first practice session for the Singapore GP on Friday evening. The British driver took his McLaren around the floodlit track just fast enough to edge out his World Championship rival Felipe Massa, in his Ferrari.

Singapore GP - Practice 1 Results

Bernie Ecclestone says that plans to hold a Grand Prix in India in 2010 may not be possible. India announced plans for a race at a new purpose-built circuit near New Delhi, but Ecclestone says that he would prefer to see the race in 2011.

There are already at least five projects for the French Grand Prix and later this morning there will be another as the departement of the Yvelines throws its hat into the ring with a project at Mureaux, in the Seine Valley to the west of Paris, between Maisons-Laffitte and Mantes-la-Jolie.

Singapore was hit by huge storms in the course of Thursday night with torrential downpours that lasted for more than six hours. The weather began to clear up in the early afternoon and the first practice will probably take place in dry conditions now that the humidity has been reduced significantly.

European Union legislators have rejected an attempt to delay planned limits on carbon dioxide emissions from cars. German and French politicians have led the campaign to put off the European Commission's plan to cut emissions by 17% by 2012, arguing that the proposal threatens thousands of jobs in the automobile industry.

The general reaction in F1 to the new Singapore circuit has been good, but there are several drivers who are worried about Turn 10, the chicane at the end of the back straight, in front of the Old Supreme Court building. The kerbs in the chicane are spectacularly high and drivers fear that any mistake will result in serious damage to the cars.

Singapore GP - Thursday Press Conference

The Singapore Grand Prix will highlight the development of the new digiflag system to warn drivers with lights rather than flags.

Richard Cregan, the team manager of the Panasonic Racing team hs joined Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM) as the "team manager" of the new Formula 1 circuit.

The FIA Court of Appeal has rejected the McLaren appeal from the Grand Prix of Belgium on the grounds that Article 152 of the International Sporting Code states that drive-through penalties are "not susceptible to appeal".

Work is underway at the old Osterreichring near Zeltweg to create a new Formula 1-standard testing facility, which will be funded by Red Bull's Dietrich Mateschitz to the tune of $100m.

Tony Scott Andrews is a man who has a great deal of credibility in Formula 1 circles. You need only to look at the man to know he is honest and thus the claims being made in the FIA Court of Appeal in Paris on Monday were very disquieting.

The FIA International Court of Appeal will give its ruling tomorrow on the question of Lewis Hamilton's penalty in Belgium. The court met today in Paris to listen to the arguments about whether the appeal was admissible and then the details of the case itself.

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport is due to hit the ground running with a full line of up of both new and renewed TV deals ensuring continued worldwide exposure for the series that kicks off Season Four in less than a month.

There has been a restructuring of the management at Honda Racing F1, which has resulted from the arrival of Ross Brawn almost a year ago.

The insular world of Formula 1 eats money, which is fine as long as money is available to spend. The upheavals in the financial world in recent weeks will have an effect on confidence in the business world and that will probably result in companies being less likely to invest in expensive F1 sponsorships.

The Parisian suburb of Sarcelles is best known these days for the riots that took place in the public housing districts in the south of the commune in November 2005 which brought to light the plight of France's young immigrants. Ever since the commune has suffered with that reputation.

Scuderia Toro Rosso's victory at Monza was a popular one, but now that the spray is settling there are going to be some questions asked about how that victory was achieved - and whether it was something that is acceptable in F1 circles.

The news that hedge fund RAB Capital has removed its chief executive Philip Richards is not good news for the A1GP Series, as it is a sign that RAB recognises that the investment made in the series was not a good idea.

McLaren's head of race operations Steve Hallam is leaving the team at the end of the current season to take a senior role in NASCAR. There are currently no word on what that role will be, but it is a significant hiring nonetheless as few Formula 1 engineers have gone to NASCAR in the past.

Jonathan Palmer has been giving more details about the new Formula 2, which will start in May next year. Palmer has won the FIA tender process to not only supply the cars to the championship, but also to be the commercial rights holder to the new series.

Lehman Brothers, the fourth biggest financial institution in the United States, has applied for bankruptcy protection with debts of around $750bn and assets worth only $639bn.

You have to laugh sometimes in Grand Prix racing. Pretty much everyone was delighted to see Sebastian Vettel win the Italian GP. It is always nice to have a new winner and Vettel is a popular guy. He's naturally funny and not in the least bit precious.

The FIA has awarded the tender to supply chassis and engines for the new FIA Formula 2 Championship to Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision company. MSV will become the promoter of the series in addition to operating all of the cars.