Formula One News — January 1997

THERE have been some interesting developments in recent days with IMSA's parent company the International Motorsports Speedway Group (IMSG) announcing that it has bought two of North America's most famous racing circuits: Sebring in Florida and Mosport Park in Canada.

THE Danka Arrows Yamaha team unveiled its 1997 car - the Arrows-Yamaha A18 - at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham, England.

JOHN BARNARD, Ferrari's design chief since August 1992, said at the launch of the Ferrari F310B that he is discussing his future at Ferrari with team boss Jean Todt and company chairman Luca di Montezemolo.

FERRARI launched its F310B at Maranello last week with the clear intention of going into the 1997 season with a reliable car, prepared for the season.

WITH only a couple of days between the New Year and the weekend there was not much activity around Europe.

WITH Nicola Larini having joined Sauber after five years as the Ferrari test driver, the Italian team is having to look for a replacement.

THERE are suggestions in France that more Renault Sport engineers are likely to leave Bernard Dudot's team at Viry-Chatillon to take up jobs with rival F1 teams.

THE Benson & Hedges Jordan Peugeot team has recently signed up highly-rated British engineer Dr. John Davis. He will be helping the team with its new windtunnel facility at Brackley.

THE FIA's new testing regulations will make life very difficult for Formula 1 teams.

WITH just eight weeks to go before the start of the 1997 FIA Formula 1 World Championship in Melbourne, Australia, there are only two drives still open in the field, which will comprise 12 teams fielding 24 cars.

AS we suggested in October, Damon Hill has been honored by the British in the New Year Honors list, being granted the status of an Officer in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), one of the country's orders of chivalry.

BENETTON will unveil its Benetton-Renault B197 in London on January 23 and at the launch the team is expected to reveal that in addition to regular drivers Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi it will use test drivers Jarno Trulli and Alexander Wurz in the course of the 1997 season.