Formula One News — November 2000

JORDAN GRAND PRIX will use the Honda Athena engine tested by British American Racing when they begin their preparations for 2001.

FERRARI president Luca di Montezemolo has said that he has no plans to quit at the helm of the double-winners and admitted that he wants more success next year.

A program of structured change leading to progressively revised F1 technical regulations could be prompted by the reintroduction of traction control next season.

PROST GRAND PRIX managing director Joan Villadelprat has said that talks to attract Telefonica back to the sport have failed.

1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve is to open a new restaurant/bar in Montreal next year - and his old friend BAR team boss Craig Pollock will be one of the investors.

BOB BELL, head of vehicle technology at Jordan, has welcomed the possibility of traction control returning to Formula One.

JENSON BUTTON has insisted that he is desperate to return to the cockpit and start testing for his new team Benetton next month - even though he has to prove himself all over again.

FERRARI president Luca di Montezemolo has insisted that Prost and Sauber will both be treated equally when they receive the Italian team's engines next season.

MINARDI driver Marc Gene's future in Formula One will be decided in the next two weeks, according to his manager Blanca De Foronda.

NEVER take anything for granted, or at face value. That's the golden rule of thumb which is consistently applicable to the F1 business.

NEW Jaguar driver Luciano Burti has suggested that his move onto the Formula One grid was down to luck.

MARK WEBBER announced on Tuesday that he will be the official test driver for the 2001 season for the Benetton Formula One team.

NARAIN KATHIKEYAN is set to become the first Indian to drive a Formula One car as he prepares to shakedown a Jaguar Racing R1B development chassis at Silverstone next month.

FERRARI have expanded their facilities at their Maranello base to help cope with their engine supply commitments with Sauber and Prost in the 2001 season.

WE understand that the political battles within British American Racing may not be over yet.

OUR spies at Ferrari tell us that the Italian team has offered 19-year-old Spaniard Fernando Alonso a five-year deal to join the team, initially as a test driver.

NEW Jordan chief operating officer John Putt has said he will relish the challenge of helping the team to become Formula One World Champions.

WE hear that there is to be an Emergency General Meeting of the British Racing Drivers' Club - the club which owns the Silverstone racing circuit, near Northampton.

COMPARED to the end of last week, Monday was not a bad day for Thomas Haffa of EM.TV.

BACK in 1991 there were rumors of several possible new Grands Prix being held.

JAGUAR RACING has secured planning permission to start building its new headquarters at Silverstone.

NEW Benetton technical director Mike Gascoyne has said that he is confident that work carried out since the end of the season will give the team's new chassis increased reliability.

MINARDI's chief mechanic Gabriele Pagliarini is expected to leave the team to join Prost Grand Prix.

While the FIA may have given Jenson Button the green light for an F1 super licence on the basis of his outstanding performance during testing last winter, his contemporary Kimi Raikkonen's lack of experience his likely to put a brake on his Grand Prix aspirations for at least another year.