Formula One News — June 2004

The FIA International Formula 3000 Championship could continue next year because teams are not happy with the deals on offer from the new GP2 Series.

The Shanghai International Circuit will be officially opened this weekend with a big event featuring a number of Ferraris past and present.

The future of the plan to host an Indian Grand Prix on a site near Hyderabad remains in the balance as the new state government begins to find its feet.

It is not a new story but there remains a certain amount of logic in the idea that the Ford Motor Company might sell its Formula 1 team to Red Bull and continue in Formula 1 solely as an engine supplier.

This week there have been rumours that Mark Webber could be on his way to Toyota next year. This is not entirely unexpected given that Mark Webber's management, which is run by Flavio Briatore, needs to find somewhere to put Webber next year.

Within the next few days it is expected that a new structure will be announced at Mercedes-Ilmor in Brixworth. For some weeks the company has been overseen by former McLaren managing-director Martin Whitmarsh.

Sauber Formula 1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella could race the new Maserati MC12 sports car later this year as a team mate to Mika Salo.

The partnership between Shell and Ferrari comes to an end at the end of the 2005 and both parties are now in the process of negotiating for a new deal.

Michelin and Bridgestone both want to stay in Formula 1 and are opposed to the plan from the FIA to have a single tyre supplier in the future. The two companies are now trying to discuss a situation which would allow them both to remain in the sport.

An appeals tribunal of Victoria's Medical Complaints Board has ruled that a doctor involved in the Formula 1 accident there in 2001 did not act unprofessionally.

Toyota is busy preparing the TF104B, an upgraded chassis which will be introduced in the summer.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been struggling against the gradual decline of interest in the Indianapolis 500 in recent years, but that process seems to be continuing with this year's race attracting 11% fewer visitors than last year.

Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo has become chairman of the entire Fiat group, replacing the late Umberto Agnelli. Montezemolo has spent most of his working career within the vast Fiat empire and his success at Ferrari over the last 12 years has made him the star of the new generation of Fiat managers.

Drivers are by nature optimists and so always look on the bright side of life. Thus it was not surprise that Kimi Raikkonen should say positive things about the McLaren MP4-19B.

The new McLaren MP4-19B made a public track debut today in Silverstone.

Monterrey, Mexico's third largest city, is a powerhouse of business and industry but at the same time is in the process of trying to build up its tourist trade having been overshadowed by the recent development of the Mexican beach resorts.

Fiat will name Sergio Marchionne as its fifth chief executive officer in two years, replacing Giuseppe Morchio, who resigned after he was not made chairman of the group. The board of directors instead chose Luca di Montezemolo, the boss of Ferrari.

Italian Enrico Toccacelo won his first Formula 3000 victory of the year at the Nurburgring and now leads the FIA International Championship, despite the fact that Tonio Liuzzi has won three of the four races this year.