Formula One News — September 2008

The third practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa did little to reveal who is competitive for the weekend, with Nick Heidfeld fastest in his BMW after a wet/dry session.

Belgian GP - Practice 3 Results

Fernando Alonso set the fastest time of the second practice session at Spa in his Renault. The session was disrupted by a rain shower after which there were several accidents as drivers pushed too hard on a damp track.

Belgian GP - Friday Photos

Belgian GP - Friday Press Conference

Belgian GP - Friday Team Quotes

The Spa Francorchamps authorities have announced that they are to name the track's Turn 15 (currently known as Stavelot) is to be renamed in honour of racer Paul Frere, who died earlier this year at the age of 91.

Lee Gill, Donington Park's chief operating officer and one of the partners in Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, the company that operates the track, has ended his involvement with the circuit.

Belgian GP - Practice 2 Results

The timetable for practice, qualifying and the race in Singapore have been a closely-guarded secret up to now, but we can reveal that the action will not begin until 7pm each day.

Felipe Massa set the fastest time of the first practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix with a time that was three-tenths of a second ahead of his team-mate, World Champion Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn was two-tenths of a second clear of Lewis Hamilton's McLaren, with his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen next up.

Belgian GP - Practice 1 Results

McLaren Electronic Systems, the specialist electronics arm of British Formula 1 racing and automotive company McLaren, has launched McLaren Electronics Inc, a North American subsidiary.

Belgian GP - Thursday Press Conference

East Midlands Airport is complaining about alleged abuses of Donington Park's licences. The airport General Manager Neil Robinson told a hearing that a fairground ride TV broadcast platforms, mobile phone towers and other constructions led to the airport being forced to close down a 400m section of runway and divert two big cargo planes which could not land because of the hazards.

There are rumours in Belgium that the Spa-Francorchamps circuit could be drastically changed before the Belgian GP in 2009. Much work has been done on the circuit in recent years, but it remains the longest on the Formula 1 calendar and this means that it has a number of disadvantages.

ESPN Star Sports has agreed to a new five-year deal with Formula One Management (FOM) for the exclusive rights to broadcast the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in 24 Asian markets.

Bernie Ecclestone has told the BBC that he would welcome Max Mosley back into the Grand Prix paddock after the sado-masochistic sex scandal in March, which has kept Mosley out of F1 for most of the year. The FIA President made a brief appearance at Monaco, but this was simply a photo opportunity designed to give the impression that it was business as usual.

Scuderia Toro Rosso is in need of a new driver line-up in 2009 and with Red Bull supplying much of the budget in 2009 the team will soon test Red Bull's latest favourite Sebastien Buemi and F1 veteran Takuma Sato at Jerez.

On Sunday Sebastien Bourdais took a tour of the city of Paris - at the wheel of his Toro Rosso-Ferrari. The midday drivers in Paris had a shock as the Frenchman hurtled through the streets, accompanied by a fleet of nine police outriders.

Richard Cregan is leaving Toyota F1 at the end of November. The 48-year-old Irishman, who runs the team, has been with the organisation for 24 years, after joining Ove Andersson's organisation as a rally mechanic. Cregan is moving to a new project, the details of which are yet to be made public.

Justin Wilson won his first Indycar victory on Sunday on the Belle Island track in Detroit. The former F1 driver, who races for the Newman Haas Lanigan team, beat Helio Castroneves (Penske Racing) and Tony Kanaan (Andretti Green). Wilson is the ninth different driver to win an IRL race this year.