Red Bull F1 with Checkers?

Courtesy of El Cheese

Suzuka to alternate with Fuji as F1 venue

Suzuka circuit will alternate with Fuji as host of the Japanese Grand Prix from 2009, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and local organisers said on Saturday.

Ecclestone said in a statement released by his Formula One Management at the Italian Grand Prix that the decision ensures "the progress and success of keeping Formula One in Japan over the long term".

"I appreciate that Fuji Speedway accepted this and am very happy that Fuji Speedway and Suzuka Circuit made this possible," he added.

"It also makes me very pleased that we will retain Suzuka as it has supported Formula One for 20 years and the large amount of our fans."

Toyota-owned Fuji Speedway, who hosted the Japanese Grand Prix in 1976 and 1977, returns to the calendar this year for the 15th round of the season on September 30. It is also assured of next year's race.

Honda's Suzuka facility was a favourite circuit with drivers and hosted the Japanese Grand Prix from 1987.

(Source: Reuters)

$100m record fine for McLaren on spy scandal

McLaren have been stripped of their points in the 2007 Formula One constructors' championship after the outcome of the "spygate" row.

The team were also fined a record $100m (£49.2m), which includes any prize and television money they would have earned from the constructors' championship.

But drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso can keep their points.

The team must also prove there is no Ferrari "intellectual property" in their cars next year before racing.

The decision means Ferrari, who go into this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix second in the constructors' championship, 57 points ahead of third-placed BMW Sauber, are almost certain to be crowned champions.

The row centres on McLaren being in possession of a confidential 780-page technical document belonging to Ferrari.

When he left the hearing, FIA president Max Mosley was asked if justice had been done, and replied "Yes".

A Ferrari statement said: "In light of new evidence, facts and behaviour of an extremely serious nature and grossly prejudicial to the interest of the sport have been further demonstrated.

"Ferrari is satisfied that the truth has now emerged."

The World Motor Sport Council said it would publish the reasoning behind its verdict on Friday.

And McLaren team chief Ron Dennis said he would wait until then before deciding whether to appeal.

"We believe we have grounds for appeal but of course we are going to wait for the findings of the FIA which are going to be published," Dennis explained.

"The most important thing is that we go motor racing this weekend, the rest of the season and next season."

Although he was clearly relieved that the team could continue racing, Dennis was understandably upset at what he saw as the besmirching of the team name.

"Having been at the hearing I do not accept that we deserve to be penalised or our reputation damaged in this way," he said.

"Today's evidence given to the FIA by our drivers, engineers and staff clearly demonstrated we did not use any leaked information to gain a competitive advantage.

"The WMSC received statements from Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Pedro de la Rosa stating categorically no Ferrari information had been used by McLaren, and that no confidential data had been passed to the team.

"The entire engineering team in excess of 140 people provided statements to the FIA affirming they had never received or used the Ferrari information.

"We have never denied that the information from Ferrari was in the personal possession of one of our employees at his home.

"The issue is: was this information used by McLaren? This is not the case and has not been proven."

At the first hearing into the row, on 26 July, McLaren got off without punishment, but another hearing was convened after new evidence emerged, and that led to the points deduction and huge financial penalty.

Three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart believes there is more information to be made public.

"All I can say, without being in full command of all of the information, is that the offence must be considerably larger than has been projected either by the governing body of the sport or within the media," he told BBC Radio 5live.

"This isn't murder that has been carried out, this is something that has happened before and there wasn't even a fine or disciplinary action taken by the same governing body.

"There is something very strange going on, there is no doubt about that.

"From what information we have been given so far, this does not constitute a penalty of this scale with regards to the crime that has been carried out.

"And even if they were found guilty of that particular crime, it doesn't justify this kind of penalty."

(Source: BBC co uk)

Spyker Agrees to Sell Formula One Team for $109 Million

Spyker Cars NV shares gained the most in more than a month after the Dutch maker of luxury sports cars agreed to sell its Formula One racing team to Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya for $109 million.

Spyker rose as much as 58 cents, or 11 percent, to 5.65 euros, the biggest intraday increase since July 24. The shares were up 7.5 percent at 9:42 a.m. in Amsterdam, giving the company a market value of 33 million euros ($45 million).

Mallya, who controls Bangalore, India-based brewer UB Group, has been granted exclusivity to proceed with due diligence, Spyker and Mallya said on Sept. 1. Spyker bought Midland Formula 1 Racing Ltd. last year from billionaire Alex Shnaider for $106.6 million. The racing team had a 13 million-euro loss in the first half, Spyker said.

Spyker dropped 12 percent to 4.61 euros on Aug. 28, the lowest since shares began trading, after the AD newspaper said creditors asked a court to declare the company bankrupt.

Dutch securities regulator AFM said on Sept. 1 it has asked the Amsterdam Court of Appeal's Enterprise Chamber for a revision of Spyker's 2006 financial accounts because of ``flaws.'' Spyker ``does not agree with the requests for restatement,'' the Zeewolde, Netherlands-based company said.

(Source: Bloomberg.com)

McLaren close to deal to sell cars to Richards

A cut-price Formula One team will save £150 million by not designing or making their own cars but by buying the same machines that propel Lewis Hamilton to victory.

McLaren Mercedes are said to be days away from signing a deal to supply cars and engines to a team being set up by David Richards, the former BAR Honda team principal and now head of the Aston Martin car company.

Formula One has become as much a contest between constructors as drivers with teams such as McLaren spending tens of millions of pounds designing sophisticated cars to beat rivals from Ferrari, Williams and Renault.

But Richards will enter the sport next year by a route that may anger traditionalists but which has been personally sanctioned by Max Mosley, president of the FIA, Formula One’s governing body. Mosley wants to slash the costs of entering a sport that, at the moment, demands entrepreneurs find as much as £100 million to design and build their own cars.

But Richards will simply buy complete cars from McLaren and then run them at Grand Prix events in direct competition with the same cars being driven by Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, his teammate.

While McLaren’s annual spending on research, development and manufacturing is thought to be more than £180 million a year, Richards’s as yet unnamed team will do the job for a fraction of the cost, thought to be about £30 million.

Richards said yesterday: “McLaren is one of three possible options for us, but they are closest. We will not be able to make an announcement until next month but talks are progressing very well and we will be on the Formula One grid in 2008.”

Sir Frank Williams, one of the longest serving team owners, is known to be opposed to teams racing so-called customer cars but Mosley points out that entrepreneurs such as him, who started more than 30 years ago, are now barred from entering F1 because of the prohibitive cost. Eddie Jordan was the last of the entrepreneur-owners to enter in 1991 and his place has been taken by car manufacturers and billion dollar conglomerates, including the Red Bull drinks operation.

Red Bull, with Honda, are already involved in supplying “junior” teams but on a downgraded scale: Super Aguri is using the Hondas driven in 2006 by Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, while Red Bull provides Scuderia Toro Rosso with variants of their machines.

But the McLaren deal would be the first full-blown supply of up-to-date cars to an independent rival, effectively creating a McLaren second team. Some sponsors who have been unable to join the McLaren roster this year are thought to be interested in switching to Richards’s operation.

It will be a masterstroke if Richards can pull off the McLaren contract. He proved to be one of Formula One’s cleverest strategists when he rescued Button from oblivion, placed him at BAR Honda and then propelled him to third place in the World Championship.

Richards left when Honda took over the operation but his own company, Prodrive, is one of the most successful in the motor industry, designing and manufacturing for some of the world’s biggest car companies. He also runs the World Championship-winning Subaru rally team and now heads the Aston Martin car company, which he took over this year backed by money from the Middle East.

Final legal issues are thought to stand in the way before McLaren can start supplying Richards. But those loopholes are expected to be cleared quickly and then the FIA will give the go-ahead for Richards to start his operation and become the twelfth team on the Formula One grid at the start of the 2008 season.

(Source: Timesonline.co.uk)

Forumula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix Photo Jihad!

All the photos are now up at DurkaDurkaPhoto.com including a large track girls gallery and photos of the GP2 and Porsche Supercup races.

A few highlights

Spyker considers selling Formula One team

Dutch sports car maker Spyker Cars NV might sell some or all of its Formula One team as part of a refinancing plan and strategic review, Spyker said on Tuesday.

Spyker said in a statement that negative publicity on its credit worthiness and survivability had forced it to get additional funds to secure its short term liquidity position and to continue investments.

"Of the various refinancing scenarios being considered, the (partial) sale of the Spyker Formula One Team is one possibility," said Spyker, adding that it was reviewing a number of unsolicited received offers for the team or parts of it.

Spyker's current interim chief executive and director of the Spyker Formula One team, Michiel Mol, is also considering buying the racing team and he would step down as CEO and director to prevent a conflict of interest, Spyker said.

The vice-chairman of its supervisory board, Hans Hugenholtz, will temporarily take on the role of CEO until a successor for Mol was found.

The company, founded in 2000, said it expected to make a loss in 2007 and added its Formula One team would be not be "cash neutral" due to higher than expected costs and lower than expected revenues from television rights and sponsors.

Spyker, which bought a Formula One team last September, said its short term liquidity position was tight and its shareholder Strongwind of Luxembourg had supported Spyker with an additional 2 million euros ($2.72 million) loan.

The car maker said it expected its refinancing operation to be completed by the end of the third quarter this year. Last month it said delisting was a possibility.

(Source: Reuters)

Silverstone plan gets green light

A £25m redevelopment of Silverstone, which could help secure the British Grand Prix's future, has been approved.

Members of the British Racing Drivers' Club, who own the Northamptonshire circuit, backed the ambitious scheme at an extraordinary general meeting.

It includes new grandstands, pit and paddock facilities, a science park, manufacturers' test centre, hotel and conference centre, plus new homes.

BRDC chief Damon Hill said: "It's a great result for British motorsport."

Silverstone's contract to stage the British GP expires in 2009, and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has insisted on major improvements at the track.

Former F1 champion Hill said: "The BRDC's masterplan is not only important to Silverstone and its continued hosting of the British GP, but also the development of the sport in this country.

"We can only continue to develop exciting young stars like Lewis Hamilton if we have the best facilities at which to nurture such talent.

"Having won the British Grand Prix myself I know how special it is for a driver to win their home race.

"So we would very much like for that opportunity to be there for future generations."

BRDC chairman Robert Brooks added: "This is a clear demonstration of the club's absolute commitment to deliver a world-class venue of which British motor sport enthusiasts can be truly proud."

(Source: BBC.co.uk)

FIA President gives fresh hope for Ferrari in spy row

Five days after the FIA's world motor sport council unanimously concluded that the McLaren formula one team should not be penalised for alleged industrial espionage against their world championship rivals Ferrari, the case was dramatically reopened last night by the personal intervention of Max Mosley, the FIA president.

Mosley, who is also president of the world motor sport council, has used his personal powers to permit Ferrari the opportunity to offer their interpretation of events in front of the governing body's court of appeal.

Ferrari were not technically a party to last week's proceedings when the FIA summoned McLaren to explain why more than 700 confidential design documents were found at the home of their chief designer, Mike Coughlan.

Ferrari have confirmed they are launching legal proceedings in Italy against their former mechanic Nigel Stepney for the alleged "theft of technical information". The proceedings come on top of those opened against Stepney for the alleged sabotage of fuel used in Ferrari cars during trials before the Monaco grand prix, which are being considered by a Modena magistrate. Stepney denies any wrongdoing.

Ferrari are also set to pursue their civil case against Coughlan and his wife in the London high court over the alleged receipt of the Ferrari technical information.

(Source: Guardian.co.uk)

Ferrari weigh up spy-case options

Ferrari appear to have accepted that they cannot appeal to the FIA against the governing body's decision last week not to punish McLaren after the British team were found guilty of having improperly acquired almost 800 technical drawings of this year's Ferrari F2007 contender.

A Ferrari spokesman was quoted as saying the formula one rules did not allow an appeal against a decision by the World Motor Sport Council. However, it was made clear to the bbc.sport website that the Italian team were "valuating all possible options" when it came to pursuing the case. This hints at a court challenge, although in the past most civil courts have simply referred such disputes back to the governing body.

The spokesman said the team's legal cases were continuing in Italy and England against the former Ferrari employee Nigel Stepney and the man to whom he is believed to have leaked the paperwork, McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan. The FIA ruled on Thursday that the championship was materially unaffected by McLaren's possession of the documents but they still face a ban if they are shown to have benefited from the information.
The high court said on Monday that no more proceedings were planned in Ferrari's case against Coughlan, who has been suspended by the McLaren team pending the outcome of these hearings. Ferrari said they were pressing on with their claim against the Englishman.

(Source: Guardian.co.uk)

Ferrari fury over McLaren verdict

The Ferrari Formula One team reacted with fury after rivals McLaren were let off without any immediate punishment in the F1 spying row.

Despite McLaren being in possession of confidential Ferrari data it was deemed there was "insufficient evidence" it had affected this year's title race.

"This decision legitimises dishonest behaviour in F1 and sets a very serious precedent," said a Ferrari statement.

"We feel this is highly prejudicial to the credibility of the sport."

McLaren described the verdict as "very balanced and fair" as they had committed a "purely technical breach" of the regulations.

The row erupted after the chance discovery that McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan - who has since been suspended by the team - was in possession of a confidential 780-page Ferrari technical dossier.

But the World Motorsport Council's disciplinary panel declined to impose any penalty because it said it could not find any evidence that "this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA F1 world championship."

Ferrari, who sacked former head of performance development Nigel Stepney over his alleged role in the affair, said they could not see any logic in this decision, and would continue with legal action in the Italian criminal courts and English civil courts.

"Ferrari... finds it incomprehensible that violating the fundamental principle of sporting honesty does not have, as a logical and inevitable consequence, the application of a sanction," the team statement said.

"In fact, the decision of the World Council signifies that possession, knowledge at the very highest level and use of highly confidential information acquired in an illicit manner and the acquiring of confidential information over the course of several months, represent violations that do not carry any punishment.

"This is all the more serious as it has occurred in a sport like F1 in which small details make all the difference."

However, in a statement from McLaren, team boss Ron Dennis said: "There is no doubt that the past 24 days have been challenging and the tremendous support we have received from our sponsor partners and the public has been much appreciated.

"Moving forward McLaren wants to re-affirm our long-standing commitment to honesty and integrity and re-state that we believe we have acted correctly throughout.

"Now, we have Formula One World Championships to win. As a result we intend to move on, so as to maintain the focus and commitment required to do exactly that."

McLaren's British driver Lewis Hamilton, who leads the drivers' standings, said: "Whilst it's only my first season in Formula One with the team, I already know and appreciate the commitment and dedication of the people there.

"As a result I am pleased with today's decision and can't wait for the rest of the season."

(Source: BBC.co.uk)

Spy row may cost us millions, claim Ferrari

Ferrari's lawyers have claimed that it is "likely" McLaren are leading the world championship only because their chief designer had access to the Italian team's secrets. In a document obtained by the Guardian and the Milan-based daily Corriere della Sera, Ferrari say that losing the title would cost them well over 5.5m Euros.

The document, lodged with the high court in London last Friday relating to an ongoing case taken out by Ferrari against McLaren's chief designer, Mike Coughlan, sets out in greater detail than ever before their accusations in the sabotage scandal that has divided formula one.

McLaren, who go before the governing body, the FIA, today to answer charges of benefiting from 780 pages of information about the design of the Ferrari which were allegedly passed from the former chief mechanic Nigel Stepney to Coughlan, have repeatedly and vigorously denied any wrongdoing. A spokeswoman for the team declined to make any comment.

McLaren have insisted from the outset that the only member of their technical organisation to have received Ferrari's confidential information was Coughlan, who was suspended this month. In its most recent statement, on July 16, McLaren repeated that "no Ferrari material or data are, or have ever been, in the possession of any McLaren employee other than the individual sued by Ferrari".

This is contested in the document, which lists five occasions on which, Ferrari claim, their secrets were made known to McLaren executives including Martin Witmarsh, the team's chief operations officer, and Paddy Lowe, the engineering director.

Contrary to reports this month, the Italian team have not dropped their high court action against Coughlan and his wife Trudy. Outlining their case against the couple before last Sunday's grand prix, Ferrari's lawyers noted that, at that time, they were only 25 points behind McLaren in the constructors' championship. "The difference between the two teams is so close that it is likely that McLaren's superior number of points is a consequence of its chief designer having the Ferrari documents," the team's lawyers say.

They also claim that the fact that Coughlan "was in possession of the Ferrari documents has given McLaren an unfair advantage over Ferrari" this season.

They add that if McLaren wins this year "Ferrari will suffer loss of at least ˆ5.5m" in payments under the agreement that governs the constructors' championship. But, in addition, they "may suffer loss in respect of damage to the Ferrari brand" - sponsorship and sales.

However, the team's claim does not put a figure on the damages that Ferrari is seeking from the British couple. The next stage will be for Coughlan and his wife to submit their defence to the court.

Trudy Coughlan is claimed to have arranged for documents belonging to Ferrari to be scanned to disk. They allegedly contained a wealth of detail about the Maranello team's operations - down to "freight rates, which would enable a competitor to evaluate the amount of material shipped from Ferrari's headquarters in Italy to each grand prix".

The document says that the papers were supplied to Coughlan by Stepney who denies all wrongdoing and was quoted as saying he had been "framed". Stepney is formally under investigation in Italy in a judicial inquiry sparked by Ferrari.

The Italian team's lawyers claimed Ste-pney also tipped off McLaren to a modification to the "floor" of the F2007 that was pointed out to the FIA by McLaren and subsequently banned. But their submission to the high court reveals Ferrari also accuse Stepney of informing McLaren about the brakes and rear wing-flap separators.

In successive statements, McLaren has claimed that no modifications were made to their cars as a result of information held by their chief designer.

Ferrari's lawyers do not argue the point. But, they say: "The chief designer is part of the key group of three to four people who drive the technical team to improve the car. The opportunity for a chief designer to influence the car's performance in all areas is huge."

(Source: Guardian.co.uk)

Ecclestone agrees to keep French GP

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has agreed to keep the French Grand Prix on the calendar next year at Magny-Cours, a spokesman for French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Tuesday.

The spokesman said Ecclestone and Fillon had met on Tuesday.

"He (Ecclestone) agreed in principle to maintain the race at Magny-Cours in 2008, and even 2009, if there were no other alternative," he said.

The Magny-Cours circuit near Nevers in the heart of rural France has suffered from weak attendances due in part to poor access, insufficient accommodation and the lack of French drivers and sponsors.

Ecclestone said this year he would prefer a venue nearer to Paris and added: "There is no future for Magny-Cours, 2007 will be the last race at this circuit."

The French federation (FFSA) said in a statement published last Friday they were determined to organise the race until the expiry of a contract with Ecclestone in 2011.

They added that the entry for next year's French Grand Prix would be confirmed for Magny-Cours if local and regional authorities provided more money to the federation to help the event break even until they find a new venue for future years.

(Source: Reuters.co.uk)

Formula One bosses fail in trademark case

Formula One bosses failed to secure exclusive rights to the sport's 'F1' abbreviation on Thursday after the Trademark Registry ruled against them.

Registry Official David Landau, relying on evidence from media coverage and online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, found that the public would recognise Formula One as a type of sport rather than a brand name.

"As Wikipedia comments, F1 is the highest class of single-seat, open-wheel formula auto racing. There is no hint in the Wikipedia references to indicate that F1 is seen as anything other than a particular form of motor racing," he said.

Landau said the fact that the Formula One Group was the only organisation organising F1 races "does not mean that the public will perceive F1 as a trademark.

"It just means that currently it enjoys a monopoly on the races. However, if private owners of F1 cars race them on a friendly basis is that not an F1 race, if not on a commercial basis?"

He rejected the trademark application by the Group's commercial rights arm, Formula One Licensing BV (FOL), and backed opposition to the move by motor racing news organisation Racing-Live SA.

(Source: Reuters.com)