Formula One News — November 2009

The FIA has issued the 2010 Formula 1 entry list:

One rumour doing the rounds in F1 circles at the moment is that Japan's Panasonic wants to stay in F1 and with Toyota having folded up its F1 tent the sponsorship, agreed for three years in March last year, is up for grabs. It is rumoured to be worth around $48m a year.

Renault F1 Team will test Belgian Bertrand Baguette, China's Ho-Pin Tung and Brazil's Lucas Di Grassi at Jerez in December.

The Force India F1has confirmed that Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi will be its drivers in 2010. It will be Sutil's fourth season in Formula 1. Liuzzi retains his race seat following his move up from the team's test and reserve driver role at Monza this year.

British driver Paul di Resta and current Indy Lights champion American JR Hildebrand will share driving duties of the VJM02 for the test in Jerez, Spain next week

Mercedes Grand Prix has announced Nico Rosberg as one of its drivers. The news has been expected for some time.

Frank Williams and Patrick Head have announced that they have sold a minority interest in Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited to an investment company led by Austrian investor Toto Wolff.

The company which held the lease over the Donington Park motor racing circuit and the British GP contract has entered administration.

Jenson Button has joined Lewis Hamilton at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. The deal is for several years. It is the first time that two British World Champions have been in the same team since 1968 when Jim Clark was partnered by Graham Hill.

Philippe Henry, the Walloon regional Minister of the Environment, Planning and Mobility, has signed a new decree granting the Spa-Francorchamps a new circuit licence.

Kimi Raikkonen will not be in Formula 1 in 2010. Steve Robertson, one of his management, told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat on Tuesday that negotiations for a drive with McLaren were over.

Timo Glock has signed a two-year deal Manor GP. It is expected that he will be partnered by new boy Lucas di Grassi, a former Renault test driver.

Mercedes will return to having its own team in Formula 1 next year, having acquired control of Brawn Grand Prix.

While most of France was on holiday the FIA was busy yesterday with an international seminar to examine the issue of overtaking in motor sport.

The Benetton-Ford B194 was the car that helped Michael Schumacher win his first Drivers' World Championship, admittedly in controversial circumstances when he nerfed Damon Hill off the track in Adelaide.

Cosworth has hired experienced F1 engineer Gerry Hughes to be the head of its team liaison next year.

Everyone in F1 circles knows that Virgin is planning to launch its own Virgin F1 operation in 2010, based on the entry being created at the moment by Manor.

Sebastien Buemi says that he will be staying with Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2010.

The discussions over the British Grand Prix remain stuck at the moment with Silverstone having put what it says is its best possible offer to the Formula One group and Bernie Ecclestone saying that the circuit should sign the deal that he wants.

Formula 1 and NASCAR live in mutually exclusive worlds and there has been no crossover at all between the world's two biggest racing championships. That may change, however, in the years ahead as motor racing in the Gulf develops.

Toyota has decided to withdraw from Formula 1 immediately, and will announce its plans this morning.

The Formula 1 season is over and there are expected to be decisions soon over who will be driving where in 2010. The situation at the moment is that World Champions Brawn GP has yet to confirm a driver.

Abu Dhabi GP - Race Report

Williams F1 has confirmed that Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg will be its driver lineup for 2010.

Bridgestone is to leave Formula 1 at the end of next year.