12-Jun-08: Ferrari Head Up First Test Day in Spain
You’re listening to F1 Minute for the 12th June 2008.
Testing in Barcelona kicked off today with Luca Badoer topping the timesheets for Ferrari. Robert Kubica was second in his BMW, and David Coulthard third with Red Bull.
The day was relatively uneventful, with some rain towards the end limiting the running. Anthony Davidson returned to Formula 1 action, for the first time since the demise of Super Aguri. He was testing for Honda and finished 6th out of 9 drivers. Only eight of the teams were represented with Force India and Toro Rosso not on track.
Elsewhere today, Giedo van der Garde has launched claims against Force India, saying that when they were Spyker, they did not allow him the testing mileage they had promised. He is demanding the sponsor money returned to him as his contract was breached, he wants 1.3 million Euros, and the case will be heard on the 20th June.
Finally, today, the boss of the Montreal circuit has said that they will definitely be looking into the problems that were experienced with the track during the last race, he admits it’s unacceptable.
That’s all for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
06-May-08: Super Aguri Withdraw From F1
Welcome to F1 Minute, it’s the 6th May 2008.
Apologies for the second Minute in a row about Super Aguri, but unfortunately it is most likely the last.
Today, they announced that the team are withdrawing from the championship, with immediate effect. Aguri Suzuki met with Honda to discuss the possible Weigl group deal but the outcome of the meeting today was bad news.
Suzuki announced the team’s departure from the sport, and blamed it on the non-payment of SS United from 2007, which put the financial position into immediate turmoil. He went on to thank the entire team including Davidson and Sato for always pushing hard and staying loyal.
Of the future, Suzuki said he was exhausted from the last few weeks of trying to save the team, and so he wasn’t planning a rush return to F1. And he left with a parting thought to the recent comments of Nick Fry.
“Honda were our backers and he’s not the CEO of Honda. I have no interest in Nick Fry whatsoever and have no idea what he was talking about.”
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
28-Apr-08: An Update on Heikki’s Condition After Barcelona Crash
Hi everyone, this is F1 Minute for the 28th April.
An update on Heikki Kovalainen after his big crash in Barcelona this weekend. He stayed in hospital overnight, but should be released today. Heikki said he had no recollection of the crash or what happened immediately afterwards, so he has to trust McLaren’s version of events. They say it was possibly a stone that got into the wheel and caused the sudden tyre deflation. Nevertheless, Heikki said he had a headache and a stiff neck but was otherwise okay, and he’s going to concentrate on getting better so he can pass the FIA medical to be allowed to race in Turkey.
Elsewhere today, Williams have bought a stake in a company called Automotive Hybrid Power Limited, who research and develop energy recovery technologies. The team are obviously preparing for the introduction of KERS from next year, and are perhaps now one step ahead of some of the competition.
Two quick snippets to finish, Davidson has said he is preparing for Turkey as normal, despite not knowing whether his team will race, and Sydney are prepared to evaluate whether they could host F1 instead of Melbourne.
That’s all for today, please join me again tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
13-Mar-08: Super Aguri May Not Be Called So Forever
This is F1 Minute for the 13th March.
Last night, chief of the Magma group Martin Leach spoke to Super Aguri staff in Melbourne about the team’s future. Already, speculation is mounting about the future of Managing Director Daniel Audetto who hasn’t missed a Super Aguri race yet, but is not present in Australia. It’s also believed that before the Monaco Grand Prix, the team will be rebranded and given a new colour scheme, and they may even end up with a new name.
Anthony Davidson has admitted that although he is relieved to have a confirmed race drive and actually be in Melbourne, at the moment he feels the team are just there to make up the numbers. Of Free Practice, Davidson says: “ We will probably be able to get about 25-30 laps in in total tomorrow, so that makes it harder still on us.”
Finally, ITV have announced they’ve secured the rights to show the practice sessions online, and broadcast qualifying and the race via their website at the same time as on the TV. It looks like this is only available in the UK at the moment, but it’s a step in the right direction.
That’s all for today, join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
10-Mar-08: Super Aguri are Saved by British Magma Group
This is F1 Minute for the 10th March 2008.
Super Aguri have announced they have new owners, British company Magma Group. The financial backing means that drivers Anthony Davidson and Takuma Sato have been confirmed for this season, but there are very few details out about the actual financial arrangement.
Nigel Stepney escaped sanction from the FIA over last year’s espionage scandal, however teams have been warned not to work with Stepney for over a year. The FIA have advised against collaboration with him until 1st July 2009.
Bernie Ecclestone was threatening the future of the Australian Grand Prix again this weekend, saying it would have to become a night race or else it would be off the calendar. Organisers have offered a compromise, saying that if the delayed start time this year raises viewing figures, they will delay it again next year to start at 5pm local time.
Finally, as the teams line up in the Melbourne pit lane, McLaren are not at the end as expected. Their motorhome is apparently too big to fit, so McLaren have secured the 5th garage down the line.
That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
30-Jan-08: Super Aguri Struggling for 2008
I’m Christine, it’s the 30th January 2008 and this is F1 Minute.
2007 was a difficult season for Super Aguri in terms of revenue and budget, and the team are looking for investors for the coming season. This has prompted all kinds of speculation, from some saying the team won’t make it through the year, to others saying they’ll need to bring in pay drivers. Honda have said that they will continue to support Super Aguri but only if they keep a driver like Anthony Davidson on board. They want someone who can bring valued feedback to the team. Nick Fry also essentially said that supporting Super Aguri is a bit of a distraction for him and Ross Brawn and that their primary focus needs to be on Honda.
On that subject, Alex Wurz has obviously been listening to the speculation about his ability to stand in at a race after his sudden retirement from competitive racing last year. He has cleared the air saying he would stand in if required, but it’s not what he wants to do all season long.
And finally, the schedule for the Singapore GP has been released and shows that practice sessions and qualifying will also be at night, along with the race.
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
04-Jan-08: 2008 Entry List Confirms Super Aguri Drivers
I’m Christine, this is F1 Minute and these are your headlines for today, 4th January 2008.
The FIA have announced the Official 2008 Entry list, with names filling 21 of the 22 seats, and only Force India’s number two left undecided. Super Aguri are not happy with the announcement, as they claim their drivers are not confirmed yet, despite Davidson and Sato being listed. A spokesperson for the team said that they do intend to retain the pair for the upcoming season, but negotiations are still ongoing and no contracts have been signed yet.
Jean Todt has been interviewed in the German press, and revealed that Michael Schumacher was offered the top job at Ferrari in Todt’s place. He said: “He would have been the best candidate for this job, but he did not want it.” Todt also said that he may only attend a couple of races next year, he is confident that Raikkonen will not be walking away from Ferrari anytime soon, and the team remain friendly with Ross Brawn, despite him being a rival now.
That’s all for today, have a great weekend, and join me on Monday for another F1 Minute.