Formula One News — November 2008

The British Grand Prix at Donington - if it happens - will be held without fans being able to drive into the circuit. If all goes according to plan the spectators would have to take buses from Nottingham, Leicester or Derby, take the train to East Midlands Parkway Station or fly to East Midlands Airport.

Key representatives from Formula 1™s teams, sponsors, media and governing body will take centre stage at this year™s Motor Sport Business Forum to discuss the findings of a recent global survey of motor racing fans.

Scuderia Ferrari has been testing three young Italian drivers to see how they do wioth F1 power. The team ran a test for Edoardo Piscopo, Salvatore Cicatelli and Mirko Bortolotti at Fiorano. Piscopo currently races in the Atlantic series in the United States, while Cicatella and Bortolotti have been racing in Formula 3 in Italy.

The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) and Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM) have reached an agreement to work together to identify and harness opportunities stemming from the presence of two Grand Prix circuits in the Gulf region.

Bernie Ecclestone's desire to have medals rather than points to decide the World Championship is much in the spotlight again. Ecclestone argues that deciding the World Championship on the number of gold, silver and bronze medals that a driver collects is a better way than adding up points in the course of the season.

The FIA wants Formula 1 teams to come up with a sensible scheme for cost-cutting in the mid-term and it seems to be intent on forcing the issue if there are no concrete proposals agreed with regard to engine supply.

It seems that the authorities in Shanghai have become rather uppity at reports that the Chinese Grand Prix may not continue in the city at the end of the current contract. The authorities say that the reports, quoting the city's deputy sports director, Qiu Weichang, were incorrect, probably due to problems of translation.

The announcement of a global partnership between LG and the Formula One group seems set to mark the start of a campaign to raise money for the sport from marketing partnerships. This is logical given what has been seen with the Olympic Games and the soccer World Cup.

The Formula One group is moving forward with its plans to increase revenues in the years ahead with the announcement in London of a global partnership with Korea's LG Electronics.

Red Bull has bought Gerhard Berger's share of Scuderia Toro Rosso and will once again own 100% of the shares in the Italian-based team, previously known as Minardi. "I'm very grateful to Gerhard for his enormous input," said Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz.

Force India F1 test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi clocked the quickest lap at the Speedcar Series test at the Dubai Autodrome, beating Jacques Villeneuve's best time and clear of rising star Nico Hulkenberg, who in the Formula 3 Euroseries champion and the Williams F1 test driver.

Rupert Manwaring, who for many years was involved with various Formula 1 teams, has departed Lola Cars International and will become the new sponsorship and marketing director of the RML Group.

Mark Webber has been talking to the Herald Sun newspaper in Australia about the cycling accident in Tasmania which left him with a broken right leg. The Red Bull driver is in Hobart Private Hospital and says he will be back in action as soon as he can be.

For years there have been indications that Rubens Barrichello was forced to hand over victory to Michael Schumacher in the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix at the A1 Ring. Ferrari wanted Schumacher to win the race and collect the maximum points for the Drivers' World Championship but he could not beat Barrichello and only won the race when Rubens let him at the finish line.

Nico Rosberg has warned Williams F1 that he could leave after next season if the former World Champions fail to give him a competitive car. Rosberg is free to go at the end of the current season.

The British Olympic Association has appointed Hugh Chambers as its chief commercial officer. Chambers was a leading player in Prodrive from 1995 until 2005 during which time the company won multiple touring car, Le Mans and World Rally titles.

Martin Brundle will lead the BBC television commentary team next year with David Coulthard alongside him. And in the wings will be opinionated Irishman Eddie Jordan, the former F1 team owner.

David Clare has resigned as chief executive officer (Asia Pacific) for A1 GP World Cup of Motorsport, his intention being to pursue automobile manufacturing, PR and marketing projects in Asia.

Mark Webber says that he will beback in actiuon next year, after suffering a broken leg while riding a bike in a charity event in Tasmania. The 32-year-old Red Bull Racing driver collided head-on with a car during the annual Mark Webber Challenge and suffered fractures of the two bones in his lower right leg.

The new Formula 1 cars of 2009 may look a bit odd at the moment and the front wings may be ugly, but the first impressions from the drivers are that the new aerodynamic rules that have been devised by the Overtaking Working Group will make it easy for them to race.

Slavica Ecclestone has confirmed that she is starting divorce proceedings against her husband, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

Reading financial returns is not an easy thing to do and often those who are not trained in the arts of accountants will make serious mistakes if they take the numbers in front of them at face value.

The company Lagardere Sports and Disneyland Paris have abandoned their project to hold the French Grand Prix, saying that the event is not economically viable. The plan was for a race in 2010 but it seems that the local government was not willing to come up with the funding because of fears that the local population would object to the event.

The word in Formula 1 circles is that the paddock newspaper, known as The Red Bulletin is to cease production in F1 next year. Red Bull is continuing to fund other publications and is in the process of launching a glossy lifestyle magazine.

There are reports in the Spanish media that McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa will be signed to race for the Force India F1 team in 2009. De la Rosa tested a Force India car today, in an effort to see the potential of the current chassis.