Formula One News — October 2001

Testing continued in Barcelona on Thursday with four teams participating. McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz set the fastest time of the day, 1m 20.37s, half a second faster than Ralf Schumacher.

Two F3000 Champions tested for F1 teams at Mugello on Thursday.

Although he has not driven with the engine yet, Juan-Pablo Montoya says that the new 2002 BMW V10 is going to be a step forward from this year's power unit.

As we reported recently it has been agreed that there will be no bans on testing in 2002 - at least not ones which are enforced by the FIA.

Mika Hakkinen, bound for a sabbatical year from F1, has told the German racing magazine Auto Moto und Sport that he sees signs that Michael Schumacher may be beginning to consider retirement.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway F1 circuit is not going to be changed for next year but IMS President Tony George says he is looking at creating a more exciting track in the longer term.

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has voted to allow radio signals to pass backwards and forwards from cars to pits in the course of races.

THE 17 race FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar which was published yesterday contains no real surprises and there is as yet no indication of major break with its bedrock European program.

Canada's Nortel Networks, which in recent years has been a big sponsor of the Williams team, has announced that it is cutting staff by 30% having lost $3.6bn so far this year.

A month ago we published the planned Formula 1 calendar for 2002. This was entirely correct.

Eddie Irvine posted the fastest time Wednesday at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona during testing in preparation for the Japanese Grand Prix and the 2002 World Championship season.

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone has been included on the 2002 formula one world championship calendar as a provisional date for the second year running.

Jean Alesi has told Eddie Jordan to clarify whether he is a part of his plans for 2002 before the Japanese Grand Prix on October 14.

While American attention was on Indianapolis and on the adventures of Patrick Long in the British Formula Ford Championship, last weekend marked the return to European competition of another US driver with ambitions to make it to F1 one day.

Reemtsma, the parent company of McLaren sponsor West, is to be floated although the company is also in talks about a sale to Japan Tobacco.

Felipe Massa was behind the wheel of a Sauber for the second day in a row on Wednesday.

The main focus of Formula 1 activity is in Italy this week as Mugello plays host to several teams, and key among them are the movements of the two Honda-powered teams.

Alex Zanardi, the two time CART champion and former Formula 1 driver who lost both legs in a horrific accident at the Lausitzring CART race has spoken to the media for the first time since the accident on September 15.

The joint FIA and AIT Congresses takes place this week in Cologne, Germany.

Mika Hakkinen's brilliant victory in the United States Grand Prix will have left many F1 insiders wondering whether the 33-year old Finn will, after all, return to the business reinvigorated and refreshed in 2003 following his much-publicized sabbatical.

Ferrari and Sauber both tested Tuesday in preparation for the final round of the 2001 World Championship in Japan, as well as for the 2002 season.

Formula 1 has no major following in the United States of America, despite the fact that 185,000 people showed up for the race at Indianapolis on Sunday.

Formula 1 needs to expand its schedule to include two races in the USA if it is to seriously re-establish the benchmark popularity it enjoyed during the 1970s and 80s.

The Toyota Formula 1 team finished its three-day test in Malaysia on Monday night having completed a total of more than 150 laps of the track.