NEWS ARCHIVE
CONSPIRACY THEORIES IN FORMULA 1
Max Mosley has hired the private investigation company Quest to look into the question of whether the revelations about his sexual activities were the result of a plot against him. Quest has been asked to identify who, if anyone, was behind the investigation which Mosley claims was going on into his private life.
JUSTICE, PRIVACY, POLITICS AND THE FUTURE
Justice Joel Boyer has ruled that he cannot ban Internet access to the video of Max Mosley's London adventures with prostitutes, simply because the FIA is headquartered in Paris.
FORMER HEAD OF LOTUS R&D JOINS WILLIAMS
Williams F1 has acquired a company called Automotive Hybrid Power Ltd, which was established at the end of 2006 in order to look at the technologies involved in the planned Kinetic Energy Recovery System which will be introduced in F1 next year.
WEIGL AIMS FOR SUPER AGURI DEAL
The Weigl Group, a German automotive component supplier, is tipped to be bidding to save the Super Aguri F1 team. The bad news is that Weigl has been around for some months and Honda has shown no great interest in getting involved in a deal, as Weigl does not appear to have the kind of money that is needed to bankroll an F1 team.
RACE REPORT - KIMI ALL THE WAY (WELL NEARLY)
There was not a great deal to analyse about the Spanish Grand Prix of 2008. The Finnish journalists in the F1 Paddock reckoned before the race that Kimi Raikkonen would lead from start to finish and even keep the lead during the pits stops.
THE F1 BURGER?
The Formula One company is beginning to exploit the potential of licensed products which are not immediately related to the sport. In the past the company has produced F1-branded clothing and accessories, such as watches, but these have not been a huge success.
SINGAPORE LOOKS AT HOTEL PRICES
The Singapore government is hinting that some of the hotels need to reassess their policies regarding the forthcoming Grand Prix at the end of September. The government is keen to allow market forces to dictate the price of hotel rooms, but with the price being as high as $1500 a night, with a minimum of three or even five nights, the race teams, the sponsors, the media and the fans are beginning to complain.
INSIDE WILLIAMS
The Eurosport TV channel is currently working on a new documentary which will be called The Factory and will concentrate on the activities of a handful of different members of the Williams F1 team who work at the team's headquarters in Grove but never go to the Grands Prix.
MOVEMENT ON BUDGET-CAPPING IN FORMULA 1
While the political situation in Formula 1 at the moment is somewhat unstable as some of the players seem to be beginning to look beyond the current regime, particularly in the light of the weakening of the power of FIA President Max Mosley as a result of the ongoing sex scandal and his reaction to it.
BMW TAKES A HIT
The global credit crunch has yet to have any real impact on Formula 1 but there is little doubt that some of the companies involved in the sport are feeling the pain being caused by the downturn of the world economy.
INTERESTING MOVES IN SYDNEY
The Australian Racing Drivers' Club (ARDC) has asked Apex Circuit Design, a British company, to evaluate the Eastern Creek racing facility, in the western suburbs of Sydney, and advise on how easy it will be to upgrade the facility to Formula 1 standard. The aim of the study is to try to convince the state government of New South Wales to fund a Grand Prix.
RACE RESULTS
Spanish GP - Race Results
QUALIFYING REPORT - KIMI AND A LITTLE THEATRE
Kimi Raikkonen took pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix, while Fernando Alonso made a Lazurus-like comeback to grab second place on the grid, in front of his own home crown.
THE F1 BOSSES GO TO A MEETING
The Formula 1 team principals gathered for a meeting on Saturday morning in Barcelona and, after a fruitless discussion about whether to speed up or slow down the introduction of KERS, the conversation turned to whether or not the teams should issue a public statement asking FIA President Max Mosley to resign.
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Spanish GP - Qualifying Results
PRACTICE 3 REPORT - NO CLEAR PICTURE IN SPAIN
Nick Heidfeld set the fastest time of the Saturday morning in Barcelona but the times suggested that we have yet to see a serious effort from the big players. David Coulthard was second quickest for Red Bull with Fernando Alonso third in his Renault.
PRACTICE 3 RESULTS
Spanish GP - Practice 3 Results
SPANISH FIA OFFICIAL HAPPY NOT TO HAVE MOSLEY
Carlos Gracia, the boss of the Real Federacion Espanola de Automoviliso, told the Associated Press that he is "delighted that Max is not here.
MOSLEY'S LATEST ADVENTURES
Max Mosley went to Jordan for the first World Rally Championship event in the Middle East and given his support in the region it was no surprise, although it was judged rather odd that he was not in Barcelona, where the FIA launched its EveryRace anti-racism campaign.
PRACTICE 2 REPORT - RAIKKONEN QUICKEST, RENAULTS ODDLY FAST
Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest lap of the afternoon session on Friday afternoon but was only just ahead of the Renaults of Nelson Piquet and Fernando Alonso.
PRACTICE 2 RESULTS
Spanish GP - Practice 2 Results
DOES RUBENS BEAT THE RECORD?
There is some debate about whether or not Rubens Barrichello will beat Riccardo Patrese's record of the number of Grand Prix starts this weekend in Spain, because no-one can agree on how many races the Brazilian has taken part in.
PRACTICE 1 RESULTS
Spanish GP - Practice 1 Results
SUPER AGURI OK FOR SPAIN
The Super Aguri F1 team will be able to compete in this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, but the future of the team remains in the balance, following the collapse of negotiations between the parties involved in buying the team.
THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
Spanish GP - Thursday Press Conference
FIA LAUNCHES ANTI-RACISM CAMPAIGN
The FIA has launched its planned anti-racism campaign, called the EveryRace campaign. The aim is to send a message that discrimination and prejudice can have no place in sport or in society.
F1'S DEAL OF THE CENTURY
The word in the Formula 1 paddock in Barcelona is that things are coming to a head over the future of the Super Aguri F1 team. Magma International now seems to have reached the end of the road with the Dubai Investment Corporation (DIC) and is looking for an alternative arrangement.
RUMOURS FROM AMERICA
The American racing media is getting excited about the possibility that Rubens Barrichello may move to Andretti Green Racing in 2009, and that his place at Honda Racing F1 would be handed over to Marco Andretti.
A CHANGE OF SCENE
Honda Racing F1's chief mechanic Alastair Gibson left the team a few weeks ago, his aim being to pursue a career in the art world, creating carbonfibre sculptures. He will be displaying his most recent works, called Racing Brown and Racing Piranha, with the Russell Gallery at the Chelsea Art Fair this week in London.
THE FUTURE OF FERNANDO ALONSO
Fernando Alonso has not been very competitive this year in his Renault and the Spaniard is already beginning to speculate about the future. He says that his goal is to get back to a winning car and he told the El Pais newspaper in Spain that there are several teams who could offer him that opportunity, naming Ferrari, BMW, Williams and Toyota.
SUPER AGURI LOOKING GOOD FOR SPAIN
The Super Aguri F1 team has sent its cars to Spain and the race team is flying out later today. There is expected to be a decision about the team's involvement in the event by the morning, but all the signs are that the cars will race, if only to give the negotiations the chance to continue.
KEEPING UP WITH SPEED
Scott Speed disappeared from Formula 1 last year, disaffected with Scuderia Toro Rosso and keen to rebuild his career in the United States of America. Red Bull stuck by the 25-year-old Californian racer and this year he has been racing in the ARCA Re/Max Series.
MEANWHILE AT SILVERSTONE
The Formula 1 world has been paying very little attention in recent weeks to its normal goings-on, with FIA President Max Mosley hogging the limelight. However, we are hearing disquieting stories from Northamptonshire, where the British Grand Prix is facing a troubled future.
CHAMP CAR POWERS INTO HISTORY
The Champ Car World Series came to a close on Sunday with Will Power scoring a dominant victory on the streets of Long Beach. The event was the last hurrah for the series, which dates back to 1979, and next week the teams that are switching into the Indy Racing League will be in action with the IRL regulars in Kansas.
MOSLEY SAYS HE WILL GO IN 2009 (AND MAYBE BEFORE)
FIA President Max Mosley says he wants to finish his term of office and will then stand down voluntarily in October 2009. Mosley told the Sunday Telegraph that the scandal which has engulfed him, the FIA and the whole sport, has had no effect on his ability to run the federation.
DANICA WINS MOTEGI!
It has taken a while to get there, but Danica Patrick finally won an Indycar race with victory in the rain-delayed Indy Japan 300 at Motegi, taking the chequered flag nearly six seconds ahead of Penske's Helio Castroneves.
WEBBER SAYS MOSLEY SCANDAL HAS BROUGHT THE SPORT INTO DISREPUTE
Red Bull Racing driver Mark Webber has condemned the Mosley Scandal. "The current scandal has brought the sport into disrepute," Webber told the BBC. "Whether we like it or not, all of us in Formula 1 are role models and F1 simply cannot have scandals of this type. He is in a very influential position and it's a very important role that he has. It makes it difficult when any of these sort of scandals are involved, when they become public. It will be more challenging for him to do his role."
WHY SUPER AGURI NEEDS TO BE SAVED
There are rumours suggesting that Super Aguri F1 may be in danger as a result of a decision by the backers of Magma International not to push ahead with the deal that was close to being signed.
MOSLEY AIMING TO FIGHT CONFIDENCE VOTE
There are clear signs emerging that FIA President Max Mosley is not intending to disappear gracefully at the FIA General Assembly in June, despite the fact that clubs which represent more than 60% of the FIA membership have either requested or demanded his resignation.
FOUR DAYS IN SPAIN
Twenty-three drivers were in action in Barcelona over four days this week, but different development programmes, including work on 2009 slick tyres and rain on the final day meant that the times were largely meaningless.
ALONSO DOWNBEAT ON RENAULT PROGRESS
Fernando Alonso has told the Spanish press that although modifications to the Renault R28 have improved the car, otheer teams have also made progress in recent weeks and that it is not likely that the team will he able to emerge from the midfield group. The car features much modified aerodynamics.
A SETBACK FOR TORO ROSSO
Scuderia Toro Rosso suffered a setback yesterday in Barcelona when Sebastien Bourdais crashed the new STR3 heavily.
MOSLEY TO ATTEND JORDAN RALLY
FIA President Max Mosley has found some more support in the Middle East, with an invitation to attend the Jordan Rally between April 24-27. The event will mark the return of the WRC to the Arab World for the first time in 32 years.
MUCH PROGRESS AT FORCE INDIA
Vijay Mallya is a mover and a shaker in the aviation world. His Kingfisher Airlines, and its sister company Deccan, operate 80 planes but have nearly 200 more planes ordered, mainly from Airbus.
WAS F1 WEEKEND A TERRORIST TARGET?
A court in Melbourne, Australia, has been hearing that a group of Australian muslims planned an attack on Melbourne’s Crown Casino during the Formula 1 race weekend in 2006. Spiritual leader Abdul Nacer Benbrika and 11 of his followers have pleaded not guilty to charges that they planned a bomb attack in order to force Australia to pull its troops out of Iraq.
SUPER AGURI DEAL IN TROUBLE?
The word in the Middle East is that the bid from Magma International to buy Super Aguri F1 may have run into trouble, with Magma's backers, believed to be Dubai International Capital, apparently wavering about the price.
SOUTH AFRICANS COME OUT AGAINST MOSLEY
Motorsport SA, the national sporting authority of South Africa, has come out against FIA President Max Mosley.
THOUGHTS FROM WITHIN THE FIA
The FIA member clubs are not very forthcoming at the moment about their intentions towards Max Mosley, the disgraced president of the international automobile federation. Some believe that Mosley will be able to survive in office when the Extraordinary General Assembly meets in June and the media hype about his sexual adventures has died down.
BERGER HOPES FOR KUWAITI CASH
Scuderia Toro Rosso is up for sale but former F1 driver Gerhard Berger wants to hold on to his share in the team and is looking for a buyer for the shares currently owned by Red Bull.
HAPPY TIMES IN DUBAI AND SHANGHAI
Johnny Herbert sealed the title in the inaugural Speedcar Series at the weekend in Dubai. He ended the season level on points with France's David Terrien, who runs the driving school operations at the Dubai Autodrome, but scored more wins than the Frenchman and thus took the title.
HONDA SIGNS STEVENS
Honda Racing F1 has announced that it has signed 16-year-old British karting star Will Stevens under a long-term driver support agreement. Stevens, who is managed by former F1 racers Mark Blundell and Martin Brundle, is currently racing for the TonyKart Racing Team in the KF1 class.
SITTING ON THE FENCE
The Motor Sports Association (MSA), the governing body for motor sports in the United Kingdom, has been kept very quiet in recent days about the goings-on at the FIA, but clearly it is now getting pressure to say something. The result is a statement which says very little.
VALENCIA RUNS OUT OF SEATS
The European Grand Prix in Valencia has sold out all of its grandstand seating. The sale of tickets started on April 1 and after just 10 days none are left. According to the organisers nearly 40% of the seats have been sold to non-Spanish fans. The track is now looking at schemes to build more grandstands to meet further demand.
WORDS FROM NEW ZEALAND
Motorsport New Zealand is the latest body to comment on FIA boss Max Mosley. Ross Armstrong, general manager of the organization, told Radio New Zealand that it would be an "excellent result" if Mosley resigned rather than being pushed out. Mosley had been invited to the New Zealand Automobile Association's transport and environment summit here in June but organisers this week withdrew that invitation.
PRAISE AND RIDICULE
Mohammed ben Sulayem, the President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, who oversees all motorsports events in United Arab Emirates, has come out in favour of Max Mosley.
WHAT THE COURT DECIDED
Max Mosley took on News Group Newspapers Ltd in London, hoping for an injunction to stop the News Of the World newspaper using video footage of Mosley's sexual activities, with Mr Justice Eady presiding.
FIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY SET TO MEET JUNE 3RD
The FIA has set a date of June 3rd for the Extraordinary General Assembly meeting of the FIA Senate, which was called for by Max Mosley, the President of the FIA.
MOSLEY LOSES COURT INJUNCTION
The High Court in London has refused an injunction against the News of the World which would have prevented them from publishing the controversial video of FIA President Max Mosley.
AND SO TO COURT...
The FIA President Max Mosley will be watching the courts today in London as Mr Justice Eady considers the next round of a legal action between Mosley and News Group Newspapers Ltd in the Queens Bench Division of the High Court.
RUMINATIONS FROM THE RUBBLE OF A PRESIDENCY
The full effect of the Mosley Scandal is still to be seen. FIA President Max Mosley is clinging on to office and there are few outside the FIA who understand the logic of why he is still there.
A DOUBLE WHAMMY
The Grands Prix of France and Spain have joined forces for the first ever joint promotional ticket package in Formula 1 history. The deal means that F1 fans can attend two races using a special discounted double ticket.
MASSA ON HIS OWN
Felipe Massa's victory in Bahrain requires little analysis. The Brazilian took the lead at the start from poleman Robert Kubica and he held on to the advantage throughout the race, allowing others to lead only when there were pit stops.
RACE RESULTS
Bahrain GP - Race Results
QUALIFYING REPORT - ROBERT IN POLE-LAND
Robert Kubica scored his first Formula 1 pole position in Bahrain, beating Felipe Massa to pole by a tiny margin. The BMW Sauber driver is probably running with a slightly smaller fuel load than his rivals but both Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton said they could have done better, so the difference may not be enormous.
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Bahrain GP - Qualifying Results
PRACTICE 3 RESULTS
Bahrain GP - Practice 3 Results
LOOKING BACK
Last September the FIA World Motor Sport Council judged the McLaren team, based on the existence of a number of text messages and telephone calls which were supposed to indicate McLaren guilt. The right to use that information was challenged by McLaren on the basis that it was not acquired legally. This was Mosley's response.
BRAZILIAN SUPPORTS MOSLEY
The Brazilian motorsport federation Confederacao Brasileira De Automobilismo (CBA) President Paulo Eneas Scaglione, has said that FIA President Max Mosley has a right to privacy in his private life and should go on and complete his mandate, if he chooses to do so.
PRACTICE 2 REPORT - ALL QUIET UNTIL ...
It was a very quiet Friday on the race track in Bahrain until eight minutes before the end of the second practice session when Lewis Hamilton lost control of his McLaren over a kerb and slid sideways into a wall.
MOSLEY LAUNCHES LEGAL ACTION
FIA President Max Mosley has launched a legal action against the News of the World, claiming "unlimited damages". Mosley is understood to be angry about an invasion of his privacy. It remains to be seen how the arguments in the case will develop and it is best not to speculate on this.
THE AAA COMES OUT AGAINST MOSLEY
The American Automobile Association has joined in the calls for Max Mosley to step down as FIA President.
MORE PUNISHMENT FOR MOSLEY
FIA President Max Mosley has been under pressure for the last day or so following announcements from four of Formula 1's six manufacturers that they were none too happen about the allegations about his private life. ADAC, the biggest European automobile club, weighed in on Friday calling for Mosley to "very carefully reconsider" his position as president of the FIA.
PRACTICE 2 RESULTS
Bahrain GP - Practice 2 Results
HUNTERS IN THE FIA JUNGLE
If Max Mosley has to go as FIA President, there is no obvious successor. There has been talk of the job going to Ferrari's Jean Todt but his close association with Mosley in recent times could possibly count against him.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The news that the FIA is to convene an Extraordinary General Assembly in order to discuss "the widespread publicity following an apparently illegal invasion of the FIA President’s privacy" may not be as significant a gathering as it appears.
PRACTICE 1 RESULTS
Bahrain GP - Practice 1 Results
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
For the last few days the Formula 1 world has held its breath. Almost nothing was said. At the Bahrain Motor Sport Business Forum no-one was willing to talk publicly about the allegations levelled at FIA President Max Mosley by the News of the World newspaper on Sunday.
THURSDAY PRESS CONFERENCE
Bahrain GP - Thursday Press Conference
THE FIA CALLS A GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The FIA is governed by its General Assembly. This is the ultimate decision-making organisation of the federation and is made up of delegates from each of the members clubs.
A JOINT STATEMENT FROM BMW AND MERCEDES-BENZ
The content of the publications is disgraceful. As a company, we strongly distance ourselves from it. This incident concerns Max Mosley both personally and as President of the FIA, the global umbrella organisation for motoring clubs. Its consequences therefore extend far beyond the motor sport industry. We await a response from the relevant FIA bodies.
HARTLEY TESTS FOR TORO ROSSO
New Zealand teenager Brendon Hartley has been secretly testing for Toro Rosso in Italy in recent days. The 18-year-old from Palmerston North drove the Italian team's latest F1 car at the Vairano circuit in Italy.
THE EXPANSION OF F1
The second day of the Motor Sport Business Forum Middle East resulted in Formula 1 team bosses calling for the championship to be expanded to 20 races. During his keynote speech, McLaren's Ron Dennis fully supported the Formula One company’s expansion into new markets and said that 20 races would be the natural logistical limit for teams.
MOTORSPORT BUSINESS FORUM TO EXPAND TO ASIA
The Motorsport Business Forum is to expand to Asia in 2009. The concept which has been taking place in Monaco in December in recent years spread to the Middle East this year and will expand further next year with an annual conference in Malaysia/Singapore. I
MEANWHILE AT THE FORUM
The Motor Sport Business Forum in Bahrain kicked off to day with a keynote speech from David Richards, highlighting the development of the region in the last 10 years and drawing attention to the estimated $11bn that has been invested in motorsport in the last few years with a series of new circuits springing up and new championships being established.
REMEMBER IT IS APRIL 1 ...
So be prepared for daft stories such as Ernesto Bertarelli buying out Bernie Ecclestone and leaving the America's Cup behind. Formula 1 has enough crazy stories of its own at the moment.
