Formula One News — April 2002

Bernie Ecclestone was back on the front page of the The Times in London on Monday.

Jean Alesi's test drive with McLaren was supposed to be a one-off affair but the problems encountered with the new Mercedes-Benz V10 engines mean that Jean will be back in a car this week at the Mugello test track in Italy, driving alongside McLaren's regular test driver Alexander Wurz.

Dubai is planning to build a Formula 1 circuit in the course of the next 18 months as part of a new development which will be called the Dubai Autodrome and Business Park.

There have been all kinds of strange rumors floating about in Formula 1 circles in recent days but the most believable one is that the links between BAR and Honda are going to be strengthened in the years ahead.

John Hogan, one of the pivotal figures in the history of Marlboro's involvement in Formula 1, has retired from his job as one of the top Philip Morris marketing men in the EEC region.

Sebastien Bourdais led from start to finish to win the International Formula 3000 Championship race at Imola.

John Judd has landed a major new deal to supply MG Rover with engines for the CART series next year.

McLaren-Mercedes announced Sunday that Canon Europe has extended their partnership with the Woking-based team.

Total secrecy surrounds the negotiations between the automobile manufacturers and the commercial rights holder in F1, SLEC.

The board of directors of the newly-constituted GPWC Holdings BV (Grand Prix World Championship) have confirmed that they have been approached by the banks representing the Kirch group and asked if there are interested in buying the share of SLEC owned by Kirch.

The Phoenix Finance Ltd. bid to run a Formula 1 team has ended up in the courts with the representatives of Phoenix trying to force the FIA and FOM to let them compete this year.

Full details are now coming to light about the new structure of British American Racing.

FIA President Max Mosley encountered the international Formula 1 press corps at Imola for the first time in a couple of years and fended off questions about the latest activities of the federation.

The Imola paddock witnessed a delegation of nine representatives of the planned Grand Prix in Moscow.

top management of the motor manufacturers are to meet on Saturday at Imola with the major talking point being the possibility of a deal with Bernie Ecclestone over the future of F1 television rights.

There is speculation in Formula 1 circles that Reynard's former technical director Nick Wirth could be the man on Jaguar Racing's shopping list as an aerodynamicist.

At a CART press conference in Long Beach, California, MG Rover has announced that it will be supplying engines to the CART series starting in 2003.

Jordan announced a sponsorship deal with British telecom company Virgin Mobile Friday, to begin at this weekend's San Marino GP.

In the last few days there have been rumors that the Minardi team will soon relocate from Faenza to Ledbury.

The Ford Motor Company is rumored to be considering pulling back on its motor racing activities as the company faces massive restructuring and job cuts.

People often forget that throughout the 1950s the Indianapolis 500 was a round of the Formula 1 World Championship and so it is fair to say that the death at the age of 76 of George Francis Flaherty, known as Pat, marks the passing of one of the last Grand Prix winners of the 1950s.

Although information was hard to come by in the Imola paddock on Thursday, there were suggestions that back in London there was some fairly intense legal activity going on as Phoenix Finance Ltd. apparently tried to get an injunction to lift the ban on the cars competing in F1 his year.

Charlie Kimball, son of former Benetton technical director Gordon Kimball, it is worth noting that the 17-year-old from Camarillo, California last week completely dominated his first race in Formula Ford, beating two former US national champions and setting a new track record at the Thunderhill circuit.

Penske is looking at building its own IRL chassis, a move that could prevent Lola from entering the series next year according to this week's Autosport.