Formula 1: 2005 Season Results, News & Photos

[TennisHack]

THE FORMULA ONE CALENDAR 2005

DATE GRAND PRIX LOCATION

Mar 6 AUSTRALIA ALBERT PARK
Mar 20 MALAYSIA SEPANG
Apr 3 BAHRAIN BAHRAIN
Apr 24 SAN MARINO IMOLA, ITALY
May 8 SPAIN BARCELONA
May 22 MONACO MONTE CARLO
May 29 EUROPE NURBURGRING, GERMANY
Jun 12 CANADA CIRCUIT GILLES VILLENEUVE
Jun 19 UNITED STATES INDIANAPOLIS
Jul 3 FRANCE MAGNY COURS
Jul 10 BRITAIN SILVERSTONE
Jul 24 GERMANY HOCKENHEIM
Jul 31 HUNGARY HUNGARORING, BUDAPEST
Aug 21 TURKEY ISTANBUL
Sept 4 ITALY MONZA
Sept 11 BELGIUM SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS
Sept 25 BRAZIL INTERLAGOS
Oct 9 JAPAN SUZUKA
Oct 16 CHINA SHANGHAI

[TennisHack]

Button gets new manager for 2005
SUNDAY 2ND JANUARY 2005

www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=103912

Jenson Button will have a new manager this coming season, after John Byfield was ousted from his position as boss of Essentially Sport.

Byfield was the man responsible for Button's ill-attempted move to Williams, which was blocked by F1's Contract Recognition Board [CRB], which ruled in favour of BAR, the team the Englishman will drive for in 2005.

It is believed that Button's decision to extend his contract with Essentially Sport for another three years' was dependent on confirmation that Byfield would leave his position as chief executive and chairman.

Byfield's role will be taken over by director, Duncan Hickman in the short term, until a permanent replacement is made.

"I am delighted to announce that the company has signed a new three-year commercial agreement with Jenson Button," Hickman told British newspaper, The Independent.

"John [Byfield] has done an excellent job as CEO and chairman and, in particular, has established the group as one of the market leading management companies.

"We have identified the candidate who has been selected to succeed John and we hope to announce their appointment shortly."

[TennisHack]

Who's Got Something To Prove in 2005?
Saturday January 01 2005

www.planet-f1.com/features/editorial/story_18350.shtml

The New Year is here and we enter what could be a new era for Formula One. There are a lot of people in the sport with things to prove in 2005. Here's why....

Ralf Schumacher
Ralf has moved from a top team (Williams) to the grid’s phenomenal under-achievers, Toyota. Last year all the pundits were predicting that 2004 would be the year when they would start to get podiums and put in the kind of performance that the BAR-Honda team ultimately achieved.

Ralf has had a fairly mixed career so far. There were times at Jordan in 1998 when he couldn’t start a race and it really looked like he was going to get the boot.

The move to Williams was a dream come true and he stepped up to the plate, thoroughly demoralising Alex Zanardi in his attempt to get back into Formula One. He scored his debut win for the team, but in 2000 his rookie team-mate, Button, got the better of him in the latter half of the season, and when Montoya joined he was always playing catch-up.

On occasions Ralf can be mighty, but he has the reputation of being an inconsistent driver. Now he has to prove that he can be consistently quick in a team, who for the first time have two ‘star’ drivers. If he can regularly outqualify Jarno Trulli and outrace him too (probably not the harder of the two tasks) then F1 pundits will sit up and take notice.

Toyota
The Japanese team are reckoned to have the second biggest budget in F1, only Ferrari spend more than them. A quick glance at the Constructors’ Championship table tells you all you need to know – 8th out of 10 in 2004 and less points than they scored in 2003.

F1 teams are like Supertankers in terms of control, it takes a long time to turn them round. Ex-Jordan and Renault Technical Director Mike Gascoyne took over in '04 and has introduced new ways of working.

He has to prove that he can significantly move the team up the grid. The team have the right tyres, the right engine and the best drivers that were available last year. In 2005 Gascoyne has to deliver.

Juan Montoya
In his first year at Williams he got the better of his team-mate. Though there were times in 2001 – particularly after Monaco and Montreal – that he looked like going the way of Zanardi, he eventually turned it round.

Such was Montoya’s status within the team (both for speed and all-round mateyness) it got to the point where Ralf Schumacher didn’t mind where he came in the race as long as he beat Montoya.

His move to McLaren was announced very early and even though JPM turned it on to win the final race in Brazil, there were times in 2004 when he looked like he was just serving out his time at Williams.

The Colombian has to prove in 2005 that he can produce the kind of performance we saw in Brazil, in every race. Otherwise Kimi’ll relegate him to the kind of status DC endured in 2004.

Honda
They may have produced a much better engine in 2004, but they also managed to come up with a mystifying decision. After dragging BAR up from mid-grid status, David Richards was given his P.45.

This was the guy who’d signed the team’s No.2 biggest asset (Jenson Button – Geoff Willis, the No.1, was signed by Craig Pollock) and given the team a proper management structure. Things were working for a change.

To justify dropping DR, Honda will have to prove that in 2005 they can give the team a better engine and challenge for wins. Anything short of that will look a bit like hari kiri.

Takuma Sato
Taku’s raw pace was at the fore in 2004 and we saw flashes of brilliance from the young Japanese. In his third season of F1 he will need to produce consistency. The fact that he had Jacques Villeneuve’s highly experienced engineer Jock Clear behind him helped him a great deal.

In 2005 Taku will need to prove that he is learning and that he can balance sheer speed with a bit of Schumacher-esque guile.

David Coulthard
DC quite simply will have to prove that he deserves a drive in 2005 and that he’s not past it. He’s spent the last nine years driving with two World Champions – one past, one future (had Kimi been in a Ferrari in 04 with no team orders then he could have run Michael much closer than Rubens did) so it’s been difficult to know how good David is.

In 2005 he could prove that a one-year contract with Red Bull wasn’t nearly enough.

Bernie Ecclestone
If the teams are going to set up their rival GPWC then they need to start serious planning in 2005. The more they start planning, the harder it will be to come to an agreement with Bernie Ecclestone. And while the GPWC have Ferrari onboard, they have the advantage.

In the past, Ecclestone has resisted a deal because he was in overall control of the commercial rights and is a skilled negotiator. His brinkmanship deal-making style has made him his billions.

But now the banks have established in court that they control the commercial rights, Bernie doesn’t have such free rein. He’s still their man in charge, but if they object to where he’s taking negotiations, then they can force a compromise with the GPWC.

Ecclestone wants to keep F1 and is likely to make a series of higher and higher offers to the teams until they say yes to signing a new Concorde Agreement. Bernie hasn’t changed since he was a teenager in post-war Britain. He offered Frederick Compton more and more money to use half his forecourt to sell motorcycles until Compton couldn’t turn the money down.

Bernie needs to prove in 2005 that he can hang onto control of F1 and put an end to the ambitions of the GPWC. However in Ferrari’s Luca Montezemolo he has quite an adversary, with the Italian backed up by Renault, BMW and Mercedes, it should be quite a fight.

Michael Schumacher
The one person who has nothing to prove in 2005 is Michael Schumacher. He has an awesome collection of F1 records which he could add to in the forthcoming season. Ayrton Senna’s record of 65 pole positions could fall, Riccardo Patrese’s 255 GP starts, however, won’t go.

There is a downside, though. Michael has started to collect worst records too. In China 2004 he recorded his worst ever F1 finish, 12th, and thanks to his 10 grid place penalty in Brazil he started nearer the back than we’ve ever seen him do before...

Andrew Davies

[TennisHack]

Ferrari accepts new Concorde deal, forsakes GPWC
WEDNESDAY 19TH JANUARY 2005

www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=104412

Formula One's governing body, the FIA, as well as Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management [FOM] and Ferrari have agreed a deal to extend the Concorde Agreement for a further four years, from 2008 to 2012.

The news will come as a blow to the other car manufacturers', who had been planning to set up their own series, the GPWC, in order to try and ensure that the teams' get a bigger percentage of the sport's commercial income.

Ferrari were a part of this group, along with Renault, DaimlerChrysler [representing Mercedes] and BMW, but it now appears that the Italian giant has negotiated its own settlement, something that leaves the GPWC in a more vulnerable position, especially as that alliance had already been weakened following Ford's decision to pull out of F1 at the end of last year.

Speaking following the announcement, Ferrari president and CEO Luca di Montezemolo stated that 'the agreement is in line with what Ferrari had hoped for'.

"It is important and also pleasing that the FIA, which is the governing body, and FOM, which represents those who have organised Formula One in these past years, and Ferrari, which is the only team to have taken part in the world championship, without a break, since its inception, have put out a strong message of stability for the future of Formula One," he noted.

The position of F1 tsar Ecclestone, meanwhile, now looks stronger than of late. Having divided his opposition, he has taken an important step to ensuring a direct rival to F1 never comes into fruition.

"Formula One Management is delighted that this agreement is in place," he commented, "and that the future of Formula One has now been stabilised."

FIA president, Max Mosley, was also pleased with the deal, which he sees as effectively ensuring the defeat of 'the rebels'.

"We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with Formula One's commercial rights holder and the oldest team in the championship," Mosley said, "The agreement is significant because it will ensure the future development of the FIA's most important championship."

[TennisHack]

Ecclestone: New deal addresses GPWC grievances
THURSDAY 20TH JANUARY 2005

www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=1&nid=104438

Bernie Ecclestone has heralded Ferrari's decision to sign an extension to the Concorde Agreement as beginning a process that will 'stabilise' the future of Formula One and, potentially, reduce the threat of a breakaway series being formed by the four major manufacturers involved in the category.

Ferrari's decision to turn its back on the GPWC has caused a lot of suspicion in motorsport circles, with many suspecting that the Scuderia has done a deal that will benefit itself above all else. There was also the belief that Ferrari had done its deal with Ecclestone's Formula One Management and the FIA in the absence of the other nine teams. Ecclestone, however, claims to have spoken with most of the Scuderia's rivals and received a positive response to the deal, even if no-one else had signed the revised Agreement.

"They are all relieved," he told Reuters, whilst revealing that only Jordan had not been contacted, "Their main concern is that the technical regulations don't keep changing. That's what's cost them a fortune."

Ecclestone later revealed to the BBC that the revised Agreement addressed many of the grievances held by the GPWC, primarily the call for a greater percentage of F1's income and a bigger say in how the sport was run.

"The parts of the Concorde Agreement they were concerned with will be dealt with, and they are going to get more money," he said, "The people I have spoken to are happy - the answer was: 'It's positive'."

Ecclestone confirmed that he had offered the ten teams a share of an additional $500million over the next three years in response to the renewed threat of a GPWC-inspired breakaway.

"It's what we should have done a year ago," he told Reuters, before claiming that Ferrari had actually withdrawn from the GPWC during 2004 - a fact denied by the manufacturers' group.

Ferrari's defection may appear to have weakened the GPWC's position, but the group is not dead and buried yet, particularly as the three banks that hold a majority share in the sport's holding company may yet decide to offer up its controlling position. One court case with Ecclestone has seen Speed Investments allowed to increase its presence on the board of SLEC, and further action is expected to pose similar questions over the validity of both FOA and FOM's hold on the sport. Should that happen, how will the three remaining GPWC members decide to treat the Scuderia?

[TennisHack]

CBS Sports Revs Up with Formula 1
Thu Jan 13, 2005 08:54 PM ET
By Paul J. Gough

NEW YORK (Reuters - Hollywood Reporter) - CBS Sports is taking Formula 1 racing for a spin.

The network will broadcast four Formula 1 races beginning in late April along with two hourlong lifestyle specials for a total of 10 hours of programming.

The first race will be aired April 24 on a tape delay from San Marino. Other races will be broadcast from Barcelona, Spain, and Nurburgring, Germany, also on tape delay. The Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal will be aired live.

CBS once carried NASCAR and now broadcasts the Daytona 500 and, in recent years, champ cars and the American Le Mans. Robert J. Correa, senior vp programming at CBS Sports, said Formula 1 will fit well into CBS' racing package.

"It's the most popular racing series in the world," Correa said Tuesday. It had previously been on ABC as well as ESPN and Speed Channel in recent years.

Formula 1 features such big names in the auto industry as BMW, Ferrari and Jaguar, along with such advertisers as AMD and Hewlett-Packard.

[TennisHack]

Rules make for excitement: Webber
22jan05

www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,12016171%255E23770,00.html

FORMULA One racing will be spiced up this year by a new rule virtually banning tyre changes, Australian driver Mark Webber said.

Preparing for his first race with Williams-BMW at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne in March, Webber said drivers are going to have to adapt to "totally new conditions".

Teams will also need to rethink traditional race strategies, he said.

Harder tyre compounds will be introduced by French manufacturer Michelin, which supplies several top teams including Williams, and Japanese manufacturer Bridgestone, which supplies the dominant Ferrari.

Lap times are expected to be two to three seconds slower on average, while cars will probably slide much more than previously towards the end of races.

It is also anticipated that new aerodynamic limits will make the 900-horsepower cars harder for drivers to control.

"It is going to need a different type of mentality from the drivers - both in terms of how you approach qualifying and the race," Webber said.

"Now there will be lots of pressure all the way through.

"You are going to have to use a bit of 'grey matter' and the races this year will not be over until they are over."

Drivers are going to have to make one set of tyres last through two qualifying sessions - one on Saturday afternoon, the other Sunday morning - and then a 300km Grand Prix.

Under the new rule, a tyre can only be changed during qualifying or a race if it is punctured or badly damaged.

Rain tyres will still be available, but only when a track has been declared wet by the race director.

Meanwhile, Danish driver Nicholas Kiesa is in contention for the vacancy with the Minardi team of Australian Paul Stoddart after testing with it in Italy this week.

Kiesa, 26, drove several GPs with Minardi late in the 2003 season after British driver Justin Wilson left the team to become Webber's Jaguar Racing teammate.

Kiesa is believed to be close to raising the sponsorship demanded by Stoddart for the Minardi vacancy.

Stoddart has already named Dutch rookie Christijan Albers as his driver for the other Minardi.

[TennisHack]

Ferrari alone as teams shun F1 meeting
Fri Jan 28, 2005 08:05 PM GMT
By Alan Baldwin

LONDON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The rift between Ferrari and the rest of Formula One was laid bare on Friday when only the world champions turned up for a meeting to discuss rule changes and the sport's long-term future.

With nine of the 10 teams shunning the talks, Ferrari boss Jean Todt, technical director Ross Brawn and International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley spent two hours deliberating alone.

Mosley said it had nonetheless been worthwhile and hoped the rest would attend another meeting scheduled for April 15 in Paris, if they were not still 'sulking'.

"I think there is an element of sulking at the moment," he told reporters. "It's a question of whether they are still sulking after Bahrain."

The nine, angered by Ferrari's refusal to restrict testing and decision to split with the carmaker group planning for a rival series from 2008, had wanted the meeting postponed until after the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 3.

Many also feel that the world body favours Ferrari, the only team to have raced in the championship since the beginning in 1950.

USEFUL INFORMATION

The London meeting was to discuss cost-cutting measures for 2008, and possibly earlier, which have to be set out this year under the terms of the existing 'Concorde Agreement' which expires at the end of 2007.

"We gleaned a great deal of useful information today, probably more than if we'd had the other teams here," said Mosley.

"It's much easier to talk to one team...and we were fortunate enough today to be able to talk to a team who have demonstrated that they have got a good understanding of Formula One, what it takes to be successful and also what it costs."

Mosley made clear that the FIA was free to lay down the law for 2008 and beyond.

"The FIA make the rules for 2008, that I think is very clear," he said. "The sooner we make them, the better it is for everybody. The earlier people know, the less money it costs to make any change.

"All we need do, and all we are doing, is consult the teams. We don't have to get their agreement. The meeting today was to consult them. Well, if they don't want to be consulted, that's fine."

He said a modified Concorde Agreement from 2008 to 2012 would be drawn up. Ferrari agreed an extension with the FIA and commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone last week.

The Briton said he was not at all concerned by the manufacturers' plans to set up their own Grand Prix World Championship or by the risk of the sport splitting in two.

"Not in the slightest, it's impossible to take it seriously," he said.

"At the moment it's very easy for people to huff and puff and take positions. In the end they will all be there...in 2008. It will all sort itself out."

Mosley said he and Ferrari had agreed several technical measures, such as standard brakes, but ruled out the radical idea put forward by one team to impose a cap on drivers' salaries and a maximum age limit for second drivers.

Ferrari made clear their continued opposition to proposed testing limits, arguing that they did nothing for small teams and should be based on mileage rather than the number of days.

[TennisHack]

Pizzonia and Heidfeld wait to hear their fate
Fri Jan 28, 2005 11:54 AM GMT
By Alan Baldwin

LONDON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Mark Webber will find out on Monday whether his Williams team mate is to be Antonio Pizzonia or Nick Heidfeld.

The former champions, winners of more Formula One constructors' titles than any team other than Ferrari, will reveal all at the launch of their 2005 car in the Spanish city of Valencia.

Only team boss Frank Williams, co-owner Patrick Head, technical director Sam Michael and BMW motorsport head Mario Theissen will know before then and even they will meet on Monday for a final decision.

Press releases are being prepared to cover either eventuality, with the drivers waiting in the wings on tenterhooks for the announcement once the launch is underway.

There is little doubt, all things being equal, that Webber would rather Heidfeld filled what ranks as the most desirable vacancy in the sport.

The experienced German can also be assumed to be engine partner BMW's preferred option, though they and the team insist they will not be driven by nationality and sponsorship issues.

Pizzonia, 24, has been very quick in testing and has Petrobras pushing his case, but the Brazilian also has a history with Webber that suggests they would make uneasy partners.

They were team mates together at Jaguar in 2003, where the Australian was consistently faster until Pizzonia was dumped after 11 races without a point.

The Brazilian later claimed, to Webber's disgust, that the team had favoured one driver over the other.

BUTTON PRECEDENT

Williams will take that past into consideration, along with many other factors after head-to-head tests over the last month.

"I think Mark might be a little uncomfortable but if Antonio is the quicker driver we have to do what's best for our team," Frank Williams said this month. "It'll be a factor in our discussions and final judgement I guess."

Pizzonia was the clear favourite until Heidfeld came along, at BMW's instigation, and Williams are a difficult team to second guess. They make up their own minds and are not overly concerned about driver harmony.

Briton Jenson Button owes his career to them making just such a difficult decision in his favour five years ago.

In January 2000, Brazilian Bruno Junquiera was the experienced test driver in pole position for the race seat until Button suddenly entered the equation.

Yet it was a delighted Button, barely 20-years-old, who was informed minutes before the launch in Barcelona that he had got the nod.

Williams revealed later that on the Sunday night the decision had tipped towards Junquiera only for he and technical director Patrick Head to decide over breakfast the next day that Button was their man.

Pizzonia and Heidfeld face the most nervous wait of their careers this weekend, with one handed a real chance of winning races and the other facing a year as test driver.

"I did all I could and now it is just a question of waiting," said Heidfeld this week.

[TennisHack]

Honda and Toyota side with GPWC over F1 future
Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:00 PM GMT
By Alan Baldwin

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Japanese car giants Honda and Toyota have sided with manufacturers planning a rival series to Formula One by issuing a joint statement setting out their vision for the sport's future.

While a spokesman for the Grand Prix World Championship (GPWC) said the two had not formally joined BMW, DaimlerChrysler and Renault in the group, Wednesday's statement made clear that they were in agreement.

The move was a boost for the GPWC, whose demise was widely proclaimed after FIAT-owned Ferrari announced last week that they had agreed unilaterally to remain in the existing championship until 2012.

A source close to the carmakers said Ferrari's action, despite being founder members of the GPWC, had fuelled the anger of the Japanese to the extent that they approached their European rivals asking for a meeting.

The statement said all five carmakers met to discuss their views about the future after the expiry of the existing 'Concorde Agreement' in 2007 which governs the sport's commercial matters.

"All participants have unanimously agreed upon a comprehensive set of governing principles which they believe represent an appropriate framework for the sport," it said.

It listed five main objectives:

-- To keep grand prix motor racing at the pinnacle of motorsport.

-- To provide the basis of a long-term plan for the prosperity of grand prix motor racing and its stakeholders.

-- To support and encourage the participation of independent teams through technical assistance and engine supply.

-- To attract and excite and provide good value to fans.

-- To be open, transparent and fair in commercial, technical and sporting governance.

The detailed principles also talked of the importance of rule stability, ways of reducing costs and of providing a far greater share of the sport's revenues.

Renault and Toyota both own teams while Honda have 45 percent of BAR and Mercedes have a stake in McLaren. BMW are engine partners to Williams and Toyota are also supplying Jordan with engines this year.

The statement said the manufacturers would talk to all the teams and try to draw up detailed regulations which meet the principal objectives.

The GPWC, led by former Mercedes board member Juergen Hubbert, has already said that it will meet the teams next month to outline its own blueprint for the future.

Teams wrote a letter to International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley on Tuesday seeking the postponement of a meeting on Friday to discuss possible rule changes from 2008, arguing that they needed more time.

"The manufacturers support the approach and look forward to participating in the process recommended by the teams in their letter of January 25 to the FIA," said Wednesday's statement.

[TennisHack]

Midland plan Moscow Red Square launch for F1 team
Wed Jan 26, 2005 02:50 PM GMT

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Midland Group, who took over Jordan this week, plan to launch their Formula One team in Moscow's Red Square on February 25 with Russian president Vladimir Putin on the guest list.

"He (Putin) will be invited, naturally, but whether he can attend is another matter," said a spokeswoman on Wednesday.

Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who was involved in a failed attempt to bring a grand prix to the capital, will also be expected.

Midland owner Alex Shnaider, 36, was born in St Petersburg, Putin's home city, but left Russia as a child and is now a naturalised Canadian citizen.

Shnaider said last year, when Midland first announced a plan to enter Formula One in 2006, that the team would have a Russian flavour and hoped eventually to bring a Russian driver into the glamour sport.

Midland Group have extensive interests across Russia, the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe -- mainly in old-fashioned heavy industries, manufacturing, agriculture and scrap-metal dealing.

[TennisHack]

Driver salary cap on F1's cost-cutting agenda
Wed Jan 26, 2005 01:17 PM GMT
By Alan Baldwin

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Formula One teams have been asked to consider capping drivers' salaries and imposing age limits in a raft of cost-cutting measures up for discussion.

Max Mosley, president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), last week sent all 10 team bosses a detailed agenda for scheduled talks on Friday to look at possible changes from 2008.

The FIA said on Wednesday the meeting would go ahead, possibly with just champions Ferrari after the other nine teams sought a postponement until later in the season.

Ferrari are the only team committed so far to remaining in the FIA's Formula One championship after 2007, when an existing commercial agreement expires, with leading car manufacturers still planning a possible rival series.

The agenda, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters, brings together ideas from the FIA and four teams -- BAR, Ferrari, Renault and Williams -- who responded to a request for suggestions.

The list included a salary cap for drivers, in line with some other sports such as the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as a maximum age for second drivers. An FIA spokesman said the ideas came from the teams themselves.

Ferrari's seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, now 36 and the oldest driver on the starting grid, is estimated to earn around $50 million a year.

Mosley wrote in a covering letter that "at this stage each of these measures is an item for discussion rather than a proposal".

URGENT THOUGHT

The FIA's meeting was intended originally to look at cost-cutting measures from next year but Mosley said the best approach was to start with 2008, the earliest year for which the FIA is free to implement change.

He hoped plans for 2008 could be finalised in a matter of weeks with teams then giving 'urgent thought' to 2006 and 2007.

"Early implementation of cost-saving measures is highly desirable in order to achieve financial stability in the interests of all competitors, but particularly the independent teams," wrote Mosley.

His agenda declared current levels of expenditure in Formula One to be unsustainable, with some manufacturers spending $250 million a season on engines for a single team while others employ up to 1,000 people.

"It is certainly possible to reduce costs drastically without altering the look, sound or (public) technical appeal of Formula One," it said.

"Increased income combined with very significant cost reductions will make all properly-managed Formula One teams profitable. This will preserve what we have and enable new teams to enter and compete with the best."

The list of possible technical, sporting and regulatory measures included ending the so-called 'tyre wars' by turning to a single tyre supplier.

That would likely involve a significant amount of discussion with existing suppliers as well as legal debate about EU competition law.

There could be slick tyres, a ban on tyre warming devices and increasing use of standard parts and long-life components.

Bodywork regulations would reduce the potential for aerodynamic development, with downforce cut to 10 percent of current levels.

Spare cars could be banned along with a third car for Friday practice, and race weekends would be trimmed to two days.

Technical and sporting regulations would be frozen for a long period, perhaps three years, with changes announced well in advance. Testing would be significantly restricted.

[TennisHack]

Drivers breakdown by team for the 2005 season:

JENSON BUTTON BRITISH (ENGLISH) BAR-HONDA
TAKUMA SATO JAPANESE BAR-HONDA

RUBENS BARRICHELLO BRAZILIAN FERRARI-FERRARI
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER GERMAN FERRARI-FERRARI

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA COLOMBIAN MCLAREN-MERCEDES
KIMI RAIKKONEN FINNISH MCLAREN-MERCEDES

CHRISTIJAN ALBERS DUTCH MINARDI-COSWORTH
DAVID COULTHARD BRITISH (SCOTTISH) RED BULL-COSWORTH
VITANTONIO LIUZZI ITALIAN RED BULL-COSWORTH
CHRISTIAN KLIEN AUSTRIAN RED BULL-COSWORTH

GIANCARLO FISICHELLA ITALIAN RENAULT-RENAULT
FERNANDO ALONSO SPANISH RENAULT-RENAULT

JACQUES VILLENEUVE CANADIAN SAUBER-PETRONAS FERRARI
FELIPE MASSA BRAZILIAN SAUBER-PETRONAS FERRARI

RALF SCHUMACHER GERMAN TOYOTA-TOYOTA
JARNO TRULLI ITALIAN TOYOTA-TOYOTA

MARK WEBBER AUSTRALIAN WILLIAMS-BMW

[TennisHack]

Jordan name Karthikeyan and Monteiro for 2005
Thursday February 03 2005

www.planet-f1.com/news/story_18571.shtml

Jordan have confirmed that Narain Karthikeyan and Tiago Monteiro will be their driver pairing in the forthcoming season.

Having previously been the only team on the grid who hadn't confirmed the identity of either of their 2005 drivers, Jordan ended weeks of speculation in a single swoop by naming both Karthikeyan and Monteiro on Thursday afternoon.

Midland's recent takeover of Jordan has clearly impacted on the decision, with both Karthikeyan and Monteiro familiar to sporting director Trevor Carlin. And predictably, and understandably, Carlin was happy to enthuse about both drivers.

"I know Narain very well because he drove for me in 1998 in Formula 3 and I have run him in various formulae every year since then," he said of India’s first grand prix driver.

"We've won a lot of races together. He's very competitive, a super-quick driver, sometimes a little bit raw and wild in his style, but he is a proven race winner and I am confident that in our environment he will thrive. He's ready for F1 now and I think he'll do a good job for us."

"Tiago has also raced for me before," Carlin added. "He is super-professional and very good technically; we will see him work well with the team to get the best out of the car and improve it.

"He's extremely fit and has a very good race pace, rarely makes mistakes and brings us a very technically competent, polished and consistent package. This is the chance for him to prove himself and make people notice him. He's ready to make a big impression."

Meanwhile, the team is finally set to put through their 2005 charger, an updated version of the EJ14, through its paces at Silverstone next Monday.

[Lee]

from sina.com

Hopefully there will be more pix like this in 2005 for Kimi



So far so good with Montoya

[TennisHack]

Yes, I hope that smile graces a lot of podiums this season ;D

Hehe, wait til the season begins, then we'll see what sort of animosity holds between the two teammates.

Though I must say, Montoya is looking rather trim!

[Lee]

from sina.com

[TennisHack]

I'm watching a replay of Friday qualifying. The Indian guy for Jordan did very well, surprisingly well I thought. It was a pretty crap day, with rain coming in and out.

[TennisHack]

So Shumi won't win the first GP of the year. Nice work, Heidfield!

I can't find the results yet but the race has finished, no? Or am I really watching it live? Wow!

Fisichella is winning with 9 laps to go. Kimi's in 8th. The Renaults are very impressive, and David Coultard is, too I think he's fourth now.

[TennisHack]

Apparently a movie is being made about Jacques Villineuve's father.

Top 8 with 3 laps to go:
Fisichella
Barrichello
Alonso
Coutard
Webber
Montoya
Klein
Raikkonen



They are saying that McClaren are having problems with their tyres wearing down...

Red Bull surprising everyone with their performance

[TennisHack]

And that's the final finishing order. Congrats Fisichella, at least you actually won this one this time and didn't have to steal a victory

So McLaren needs to get their tyres sorted out and hopefully they will do better in the coming races

Red Bull blew everybody's socks off and David Coultard looked like he had a point to prove.

[Lee]

TennisHack said:

So McLaren needs to get their tyres sorted out and hopefully they will do better in the coming races

I remembered McLaren has trouble with their tyres whenever it rained. (am I correct here?)

[TennisHack]

I dunno, but there's a new rule that tyres have to last the whole race now and they were having some trouble with that. I didn't catch the first part of the race but since it was only 57 laps I'm guessing they were expecting bad weather and must have used different tyres than the other teams. Renault also uses Michelin and they didn't have the same problems, IIRC.

[TennisHack]

Race result - Malaysian Grand Prix

1. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 56 laps
2. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota +00:24.300
3. Nick Heidfeld Germany Williams-BMW +00:32.100
4. Juan Pablo Montoya Colombia McLaren-Mercedes +00:41.600
5. Ralf Schumacher Germany Toyota-Toyota +00:51.800
6. David Coulthard Britain Red Bull-Cosworth +01:12.500
7. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari +01:19.9
8. Christian Klien Austria Red Bull-Cosworth +01:20.8

9. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes +01:21.5
10. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas +1 lap
11. Narain Karthikeyan India Jordan-Toyota +2 laps
12. Tiago Monteiro Portugal Jordan-Toyota +3 laps
13. Christijan Albers Holland Minardi-Cosworth +4 laps
14. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari 49 laps completed
15. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Renault-Renault 36 laps completed
16. Mark Webber Australia Williams-BMW 36 laps completed
17. Jacques Villeneuve Canada Sauber-Petronas 26 laps completed
18. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda 2 laps completed
19. Anthony Davidson Britain BAR-Honda 2 laps completed
20. Patrick Friesacher Austria Minardi-Cosworth 2 laps completed

[TennisHack]

Malaysian GP Race Winner + Losers
Sunday March 20 2005

www.planet-f1.com/features/race_features/story_18952.shtml

[TennisHack]

Montoya may miss Bahrain GP

LONDON (AP) - McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya could miss the Bahrain Grand Prix after injuring his shoulder playing tennis.

McLaren spokeswoman Ellen Kolby said the Colombian was hurt Saturday while playing tennis with trainer Gerry Convey. Kolby did not know where the two were playing when Montoya was injured.

Kolby said the team would decide on its driver lineup Thursday, three days before the start of the Bahrain race.

"He (Montoya) slipped and he fell on his shoulder and got a very tiny hairline crack and a tiny bit of tissue damage," Kolby said. "He slipped and fell quite awkwardly.

"In the next couple of days he's going to undergo some further scans. The injury is very minor."

Montoya finished fourth in the Malaysian GP a week ago and is tied for third in the season standings with eight points. Fernando Alonso of Renault leads with 16 points.

If Montoya is unable to team with Kimi Raikkonen, he would probably be replaced by one of the team's test drivers: Pedro de la Rosa of Spain or Alexander Wurz or Austria.

[Ilhame]

I wonder who will replace him. Personally I think Alex deserves the spot.

[TennisHack]

Bahrain GP Race Result:

1. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 57 laps 01:29:18.531
2. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota +00:13.400
3. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes +00:32.000
4. Ralf Schumacher Germany Toyota-Toyota +00:53.200
5. Pedro de la Rosa Spain McLaren-Mercedes +01:04.900
6. Mark Webber Australia Williams-BMW +01:14.700
7. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas +1 lap
8. David Coulthard Britain Red Bull-Cosworth +1 lap

9. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +1 lap
10. Tiago Monteiro Portugal Jordan-Toyota +2 laps
11. Jacques Villeneuve Canada Sauber-Petronas +3 laps
12. Patrick Friesacher Austria Minardi-Cosworth +3 laps
13. Christijan Albers Holland Minardi-Cosworth +4 laps

14. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda +11 laps
15. Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda +30 laps
16. Nick Heidfeld Germany Williams-BMW +32 laps
17. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari +45 laps
18. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Renault-Renault +53 laps
19. Narain Karthikeyan India Jordan-Toyota +55 laps
20. Christian Klien Austria Red Bull-Cosworth Did not start

[TennisHack]

F1 DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP (AFTER ROUND 3 OF 19)
POSITION DRIVER TEAM POINTS
1. FERNANDO ALONSO RENAULT 26
2. JARNO TRULLI TOYOTA 16
3. GIANCARLO FISICHELLA RENAULT 10
4. DAVID COULTHARD RED BULL RACING 9
= RALF SCHUMACHER TOYOTA 9
6. RUBENS BARRICHELLO FERRARI 8
= JUAN PABLO MONTOYA MCLAREN 8
8. MARK WEBBER WILLIAMS 7
= KIMI RAIKKONEN MCLAREN 7
10. NICK HEIDFELD WILLIAMS 6
11. PEDRO DE LA ROSA MCLAREN 4
12. CHRISTIAN KLIEN RED BULL RACING 3
13. MICHAEL SCHUMACHER FERRARI 2
= FELIPE MASSA SAUBER 2

F1 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP (AFTER ROUND 3 OF 19)
POSITION TEAM POINTS
1. RENAULT 36
2. TOYOTA 25
3. MCLAREN 19
4. WILLIAMS 13
5. RED BULL RACING 12
6. FERRARI 10
7. SAUBER 2
8. JORDAN 0
= MINARDI 0
= BAR 0

[TennisHack]

Bahrain Winners & Losers

www.planet-f1.com/features/race_features/story_19091.shtml