Formula One Features — August 2001

Less than two years ago BMW's first F1 V10 engine was barely making it out of the garage door before consuming itself inelegantly amid a cloud of oil smoke. What the Bavarians achieved last year, in making it a reliable race engine by the first Grand Prix of the season, in Melbourne, was impressive enough. But the subsequent development that has made its successor F1's most powerful motor is little short of amazing when you consider the timescales involved and the threats posed by Ferrari, Cosworth and Mercedes-Benz. Next year BMW's latest wares will help Williams to challenge strongly for its first world title since 1997.

There are those who have said to me that, without the manic hullabaloo of 2000, Michael Schumacher seemed a bit, well, flat after winning his fourth world championship. I might have been entirely wrong, but I rather think that the lack of hysteria in Hungary belied a deeper satisfaction in the world champion.

A poignant thought. Last Friday Bobby Rahal's first US Jaguar dealership in Pittsburgh formally opened its doors - less than 24-hours after its proprietor had been given the bullet by the British F1 team.

Justin Wilson is all but there in the International Formula 3000 Championship. In Budapest he collected 10 points while his title rivals Mark Webber and Tomas Enge both failed to score. This gives Wilson a 20 point lead with two races remaining and as Wilson has been very consistent to date it is hard to imagine that he will not be able to pick up at least one more point. Webber will need to win both races without Wilson scoring if he is to take the title.

Few disagree that HANS (Head and Neck Support) is one of the most sensible safety advances of recent years. So why hasn't a single F1 diver actually raced it yet?

Last year he had praise and hype heaped upon him in almost equal measure, but this year all he's had is criticism. But the last two races have shown that Jenson Button is beginning to turn the corner rather faster than his recalcitrant Benetton-Renault.

Leo Kirch must be wondering where it all went wrong. The German media mogul has paid out $1.54 billion dollars so far, but he has not yet quite gained control of F1. And when he does it looks as though he might have to deal with the prospect of giving a larger share of its commercial revenues to the major car makers in a bid to prevent them starting their own independent series in direct competition to the present F1 Championship.

Now at the risk of getting everyone hot under the collar, here's a suggestion: Great Britain should not have a Grand Prix. Furthermore the image of a ?£5 billion industry' that has been conjured up by the Grand Prix lobby as the raison d'etre of the event is at present exactly that - an illusion.

As the F1 season slides inexorably into its final races, we rate the drivers, the teams, their cars and their engines.