Formula One News — July 2001

KOREA's biggest car company Hyundai has ambitions to enter Formula 1 racing as part of its dream to become a world class automobile company.

THE Executive Committee of the international karting federation, the CIK-FIA, is proposing that the World Karting Championship be held in conjunction with F1 races.

HONDA is on the verge of shutting down its racing program in North America to allow the company to concentrate on Formula 1.

THE Asiatech engine company looks to be in trouble with none of the Formula 1 teams showing much interest in using the French-built engines next year - even if they are supplied free of charge.

THE official inquiry into the death of Michele Alboreto at the Lausitzring in April has concluded with the authorities deciding that there are no grounds for any further legal action as there was no evidence of criminal negligence.

BENETTON has announced a couple of appointments in recent days and one of them is very significant.

THE German motoring publication AUTO BILD published a story on Tuesday saying that Mika Hakkinen will retire at the end of the season and that his place will be taken at McLaren by Olivier Panis.

JAGUAR RACING has renewed its sponsorship deal with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. The new deal runs through 2004 and speculation suggests that it is worth at least $30m a year to Jaguar.

YOU cannot prove that the BMW Formula 1 program is having a vast effect on the company's sales but there is no doubt that the Munich-based car manufacturer is not suffering from its engagement in the sport.

THE announcement that Patrizia Spinelli has left Prost Grand Prix is a further indication that the French team is going through troubled times. Despite the best efforts of Alain Prost and his team, which is led by Joan Villadelprat, no money has yet be found and the team has been forced in recent weeks to cut back on its testing schedules in order to save money.

FERRARI president Luca di Montezemolo is continuing the campaign being waged by the automobile manufacturers to try to convince the world that there is the potential for a rival series to the Formula 1 World Championship.

TOM WALKINSHAW has not been having a good year in Formula 1 with his Arrows team but over in the United States things are looking a bit better with the TWR-built Nissan Infiniti engine winning the Ameristar Casino and Hotel 200, the first Indy Racing League event at the new Kansas Speedway.

EDDIE IRVINE has told David Coulthard that he is not quick enough to beat Michael Schumacher ahead of next weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

POSSIBLY, just possibly, Bobby Rahal may come to think that his failure to recruit McLaren technical chief Adrian Newey might turn out to be the best thing that's happened to Britain's newest F1 team.

INSIDE F1's Young Driver of the Year, Patrick Long, enjoyed a superb weekend's racing on the full Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit to put himself in the thick of the championship battle in Britain's Slick 50 Formula Ford Zetec Championship.

AS Honda and Toyota both gear up for major assaults on Formula 1, Japan looks to be on the verge of producing a new generation of F1 drivers to follow in the traditions of Satoru Nakajima, Aguri Suzuki, Ukyo Katayama and others.

FRANK WILLIAMS is looking forward to taking his Williams team back to Silverstone - the scene of their first ever victory.

EDDIE IRVINE has said he has no intention of changing his aggressive driving style for next weekend's British Grand Prix.

AFTER two weeks of nerves being strained taut as a bow over Tim Henman's roller-coaster ride at Wimbledon, British sports fans will have to spend another week agonizing as another of its heroes,

JENSON BUTTON's problems with the under-performing Benetton team this season were put into perspective as the young Briton struggled to control his car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Sunday.

FORMULA ONE's elder statesman Jean Alesi has said he is ready to stay in the series until he is nearly 40 -- and has set himself a two-year target to help his Prost team get to the top.

SEVEN Formula One teams paraded their cars at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England on Saturday.

ALEXANDER YOONG went one step closer to a drive with the Minardi team on Friday as he completed a two-day test for them at the Mugello circuit in Italy.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER has spoken out against his perceived arrogant image and indicated that he has always struggled to adhere himself to the English people.