Latest F1 news in brief
by Andrew Maitland
August 3, 2005
Alonso to 'relax'
(GMMf1NET -- Aug.3) Title leader Fernando Alonso is playing down the
significance of his fruitless Hungarian grand prix.
The Spaniard sees no reason to panic or feel 'extra pressure' even
though McLaren rival Kimi Raikkonen closed the gap in the drivers'
Alonso, 24, is also unfazed by the silver team's quicker car.
''We have developments on the way,'' he insisted.
''We started this month with a 22 point lead and we end it with 26 and
four races less.''
Fernando vowed to 'relax a bit' in the two-weekend gap, which includes
a ban on testing, between Hungary and the first ever grand prix in
He then explained: ''In Hungary it was our turn to suffer -- now it's
time to rest, to plan the final sprint.''
No Williams deal - BMW
(GMMf1NET -- Aug.3) BMW will not supply customer engines to Williams
next year, Mario Theissen has effectively confirmed.
After vowing to end the works collaboration and buy Sauber, BMW - the
Munich based carmaker - vowed not to leave Frank Williams' team in the
lurch when it left the option open.
Germany's Theissen, though, hinted that he couldn't agree a deal with
the team principal 'under reasonable conditions.
''But actually,'' he told Autosport, ''we're not really interested (in
a deal) since we have our hands full of work building up our own
BMW-Sauber's likely 2006 boss then said he only left the Williams
option open because of their six-year collaboration since the year
Grove based Williams is expected to ink a one-year Cosworth 2.4 liter
V8 supply for 2006, ahead of a multi season semi works deal with
Kurt Busch visits F1
(GMMf1NET -- Aug.3) NASCAR champion Kurt Busch was an interested
spectator at the weekend's Hungarian grand prix.
With a rare weekend off, he stopped at the BAR garage and chatted to
Gil de Ferran, another star of the American racing scene as an Indy
''The amount of quality drivers you see come through this walk of life
is amazing,'' said the 27-year-old, ''and I am here to say hello.''
Busch, who also attended a grand prix at the Nurburgring two years
ago, will race in Indy's 'Brickyard 400' this weekend.
He is an unabashed F1 fan and once harbored an open ambition to
conquer single seaters. ''(F1) is so different,'' said the Las Vegas
native. ''I'm intrigued.
''I'd love to have a chance to drive one.''
'Calm down, Narain'
(GMMf1NET -- Aug.3) Indian rookie Narain Karthikeyan has been told to
'calm down' if he wants to stay in Formula One.
New team recruit Johnny Herbert, with more than a decade of F1 driving
experience, told 28-year-old Karthikeyan that he is making mistakes
and falling behind Tiago Monteiro because he is 'overdriving' his
Herbert, 41, is Jordan's new 'sporting relations manager'.
''Narain is a little bit wild at the moment,'' the Briton told
Malaysia's The Star newspaper. ''I have just said to him 'calm down,
be smooth, don't overdrive the thing'.''
Herbert said that, in contrast, Monteiro is calmer and 'more confident
He acknowledged: ''But Narain does have a billion people sitting on
his shoulder and that makes life quite difficult.''
Karthikeyan, meanwhile, hammered speculation that he is considering an
offer to race India's A1 grand prix car.
''I wouldn't want to be anywhere else,'' he told reporters. ''I do not
imagine racing anywhere else.''
Villeneuve off to Canada
(GMMf1NET -- Aug.3) F1's Jacques Villeneuve will travel to Canada in
the three-week summer break for a rest and to see friends and family.
The rare two weekend gap between Hungary and Turkey has been plugged
with a test ban so that the F1 fraternity can enjoy a day or two of
''It's good,'' the 34-year-old former world champion told his website,
''because everybody in the team is tired.''
JV, who was born in Quebec but today lives in rural Switzerland, said
his schedule between now and late August is 'training, holiday,
He added: ''I'll certainly go to Canada to meet a few friends and say
hello to the family.''
Haug's engine idea
(GMMf1NET -- Aug.3) Norbert Haug reckons F1 might be racing down the
wrong track with high-revving, V8 engines.
Illustrating the eerie political armistice at present, though,
Mercedes' motor sport chief was careful not to criticize next year's
debut of the once controversial 2.4 liter power plant.
''Let me stress,'' the German boss told Autosport magazine, ''we are
committed to the V8s.''
With the downsizing from 3.0 liter V10, next year's F1 engines will
rev to an incredible 20 to 21,000rpm. Haug thinks a better solution
for F1 would be a much bigger engine -- perhaps a 4.0 liter V10.
He said: ''You could have (it) restricted to, say, 15,000rpm. I hope
I'm wrong but I'm not sure that high-revving 2.4s are the way to go.''
Haug said his solution would produce an easy 750hp while a boost
button could pack an extra 100 horse power for passing.
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