10-Nov-08: Force India Announce Partnership with McLaren-Mercedes
This is F1 Minute and it’s the 10th November 2008.
Force India have confirmed what we all suspected, that they are partnering with McLaren next year. The deal will see the 2009 Force India feature a Mercedes HighPerformanceEngine and a McLaren gearbox and hydraulic system. The agreement lasts for five years, and has given Vijay Mallya a lot of hope for the future. He says: “Of course in 2009 it’s virtually a brand new car and a brand new design. At least from my perspective, winning races I think I can certainly aspire for maybe in 2010, but for 2009 I would be happy if we are regularly in the points. ” For McLaren, Martin Whitmarsh has said the deal makes the two teams very close, and they will discuss all aspects of racing together, however they won’t be making driver decisions on Force India’s behalf.
Also this weekend, the FOTA have agreed that cutting the cost of customer engines is a way to appease the FIA, and have set the price at £4 million.
That’s all for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
25-Oct-08: Wurz Believes Honda Have KERS Edge
Today is the 25th October 2008, and this is F1 Minute.
Alex Wurz, test driver for Honda, believes that his team have made great strides in their KERS development for next season, so much so that they should be way ahead of the competition. However, the Austrian is still realistic about what Honda will be able to achieve next year: “It’s not going to take you from the back of the grid to the front. By the same token, not having it on-board isn’t going to demote you from the front row to the back either. The influence of KERS on the whole package is not enough to create that significant a difference, but we’ll rest easier in our beds than many of our opponents.”
Meanwhile DTM driver Paul di Resta feels that he is ready to break into F1 and it doesn’t matter which team helps him make the step up. He is currently linked with McLaren, through the Mercedes Young Driver Program but said he wouldn’t mind being at the back of the grid. This hints at a Force India seat, as they have the rumoured technology deal with McLaren for next year. However, Force India have already announced their drivers, so this could be pure speculation.
That’s it for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
09-Oct-08: Teams Decide to Meet to Discuss Canada Fate
Welcome to F1 Minute for the 9th October 2008.
Apparently, F1 team principals are organising a meeting to get together and discuss the possibility of reinstating Canada to the calendar. They don’t want to lose the only North American Grand Prix of the season, and no one wants to lose the Canada race as it’s such a good one. However, it seems as though a commercial disagreement cut short negotiations between organisers of the Canadian GP and Bernie Ecclestone, and the Montreal circuit officials say the only way it could return is with government help.
Other negotiations are going on, according to autosport.com, who are reporting that Force India, McLaren and Mercedes Benz are in talks to supply engines for 2009. Force India do have a contract with Ferrari for next season, but are clearly keeping their options open. The engine deal proposed could also extend to technical help and Force India running some drivers to eventually make the switch to McLaren.
That’s it for today, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.
03-Apr-08: Teams Distance Themselves From Mosley
This is F1 Minute for the 3rd April.
The fallout from the Mosley scandal continues, with the Bahraini Crown Prince requesting for Max not to attend the race this weekend. Teams have begun to distance themselves from the President, with BMW, Mercedes, Toyota and Honda all criticising his position and asking the FIA to reconsider his tenure at the top. Mosley responded to BMW and Mercedes, saying he understood their reservations but they should have contacted him first to get the full facts and find out what was true and what was fiction. He has also called an extraordinary meeting of the FIA to discuss the situation, it will most likely take place in Paris, although no date has been confirmed as yet.
Elsewhere, Sebastian Vettel has been talking about his position at Red Bull, saying that he was one of the options for McLaren for 2008. However, after discussing the offer with his Red Bull bosses, he was denied the chance to leave. Although he’s now stuck in the mid-field, Vettel says he is perfectly happy where he is at the moment.
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.
07-Mar-08: Honda Finish Their Final Test Amid Reshuffle
Today is the 7th March, I’m Christine and this is F1 Minute.
Honda wrapped up their final three-day test in Jerez yesterday, with Jenson saying new aero parts have given them a big step forward, but he’s still feeling realistic about the prospects for the first few races. Honda are also facing a management reshuffle, with reports that chief designer Kevin Taylor has left his position, and chairman Yasuhiro Wada may be leaving before the end of March.
Bridgestone have announced that they will be putting a white stripe on the extreme wet weather tyres to distinguish between them and the regular wets. The teams and the FIA have requested this additional change, after the success of last year’s distinction between hard and soft tyres.
Rumours continue regarding the future of Ron Dennis, but Mercedes boss Norbert Haug has said that there is no pressure coming from their side of the business. He said talks are always going on about investing more in the company, but said: “It’s clear that we don’t need to own more than 50% of the shares in order to ensure that we’re listened to as much as we want to be.”
That’s all for this week, have a wonderful weekend, and join me on Monday for another F1 Minute.
18-Dec-07: WMSC Cancel Hearing Into McLaren Car
I’m Christine and this is F1 Minute for the 18th December 2007.
The World Motorsport Council have cancelled the hearing into McLaren’s 2008 car that was due to take place in February. This brings the espionage troubles to a close, although Ferrari are still continuing with some personal court cases that surround the issue. Max Mosley had requested the hearing be called off after McLaren’s apology, and the team are now free to focus on their 2008 car without worrying about any prosecution from the FIA.
Alonso has spoken out about his time at McLaren, saying that only a tenth of the things written about him actually happened. The fact he was still in with a chance at the championship until the very end meant he was satisfied within the team. Alonso says he’s not thinking about winning the championship with Renault, after their poor season last year he is going to concentrate on improving the car.
And finally, Lewis Hamilton was caught speeding in France, doing over 120mph in his Mercedes. He was fined 600 Euros and banned from driving in the country for a month.
That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.