Kimi Raikkonen has won the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix, beating championship leader, Fernando Alonso, into second position. Meanwhile reports that Michael Schumacher is considering a move to McLaren have emerged in the German press.
Renault F1’s executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds, has spoken of his confidence that Michelin can provide the tyres that will help the team win at the German Grand Prix.
The FIA senate has recommended that the World Motor Sport Council reverses the guilty verdict it imposed on seven Formula One teams following the US Grand Prix. It is anticipated that this recommendation will be put to the World Motor Sport Council by means of a fax vote in the next few days.
FIA president, Max Mosley, is considering introducing turbo boosters into Formula 1, The Guardian has reported. According to the newspaper, Mr Mosely is in discussion with “several of the car makers.” The idea is to introduce energy retention systems, like those used in hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius.
FIA, the world motorsports governing body, has found the seven F1 teams that pulled out of the US Grand Prix guilty on two charges, but has deferred punishment. The compromise is seen as a way of buying time for the international motorsports series to recover. The teams – Renault, McLaren, Williams, Toyota, Sauber, Red Bull and BAR – were found guilty of failing to arrive at Indianapolis with proper tyres and wrongfully refusing to allow their cars to race after Michelin issued a safety warning.
However, the teams were cleared of charges of failing to inform race stewards of their intention not to race, refusing to race subject to a speed limit and combining to put on a spectacle damaging to Formula One. Punishment was deferred until 14 September. The FIA cannot punish Michelin directly.
Michelin equipped Fernando Alonso dominated the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, winning by 24.3 seconds. Jarno Trulli, who scored Toyota’s first podium in Formula 1, took second place. Williams’ Nick Heidfeld was third with Juan Pablo Montoya fourth for McLaren. David Coulthard was sixth ahead of Michael Schumacher, who started 13th, while Jenson Button retired after three laps with engine failure. Seventh place Schumacher was the only Bridgestone driver to end up in the top eight, with teammate Rubens Barrichello retiring.
Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella wants to win again in Malaysia and is under no illusion about the part that tyres will play. “I will do everything I can to win the race,” the Italian told the Reuters news agency. “In Australia the tyres were fantastic,” he said. “I did my best lap time on the 55th lap with just two laps left. Malaysia will be more severe for the tyres because track temperature is much higher. We will need to save the tyres to win the race.”
Fisichella’s recent victory in Australia was his second in 142 races. The driver said Ferrari and McLaren would be Renault’s main threats and added that tyre preservation will be a crucial factor in Sunday’s race. New rules require drivers to qualify and complete the race on the same set of tyres.
An Ultima GTR sports car has broken the production car world record by accelerating to 100 mph and back to a complete standstill in a mere 10.3 seconds; half a second better than the previous record and more than a second faster than the McLaren F1. The car was fitted with Mintex Racing F4 compound friction on both front and rear and was fully street legal. 0-60 mph was achieved in 2.7 seconds and 100 mph in 5.5 seconds, then the car braked to a halt in only 82.2 metres.
The inaugural Chinese Grand Prix was certainly a successful one for race winner, Rubens Barichello. The Ferrari driver has now won two consecutive races for the first time in his career.
The Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello drove to victory at Monza for the Brazilian’s first win of the season.
Michael Schumacher has claimed a record-breaking seventh world championship title at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Press reports at the weekend suggest that Formula 1 team McLaren wants to pool R&D information on tyres with rival team Williams. Both teams run on Michelin tyres and McLaren MD Martin Whitmarsh believes that sharing information will serve both teams’ common interest in getting closer to Ferrari.
Although happy with the performance of Bridgestone tyres, McLaren are said to be considering switching to Michelin next season. The Michelins have performed well for competing team Williams, but are said to need further development. McLaren feel that any improvement in performance from the Michelins could put them at an advantage against arch-rivals Ferrari.
McLaren International and Michelin today announced that they have entered into a long term agreement for the supply of tyres to the ‘West McLaren Mercedes’ Formula One racing team with effect from 2002. In 1984 this successful pairing claimed 17 race wins and both the constructors and drivers world championship.
Jordan has extended its contract with Bridgestone and hopes to become the tyre manufacturer’s number one partner. There are rumours that McLaren and Ferrari are leaning towards Michelin like Jaguar Racing, the BMW/Williams team and Toyota did before.
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