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Formula One 2010
Ecclestone wants independent F1 rule-maker, Mansell a spec chassis
Bernie Ecclestone has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind. The latest big idea from F1's commercial chief? Appointing an independent body to formulate the regulations that govern Formula One.
Currently, the FIA makes the rules with considerable input from the constructors through the Formula One Teams Association. However Ecclestone believes these actors are too close to the sport to make objective decisions on the regulations they have to live by. The rules have been changing too frequently, says Bernie, and an independent rule-maker would be the best way to rectify the situation and return a degree of stability to the sport.
Another influential Brit in the sport's spotlight has a different idea. Former world champion Nigel Mansell believes F1 should switch to a spec racing series, switching from constructor-teams to a single spec chassis like those used in just about every other open-wheel racing series (like GP2, A1GP and IndyCar). Mansell's idea, being far more drastic, is less likely to transpire. Think there's any validity to either proposal?
Renault F1 looks to sign big names for next season
With Robert Kubica's contract up for renewal at the end of this season, speculation has been rampant around the F1 paddock as to where he'll end up next. The highly rated Polish driver debuted with BMW-Sauber in 2006 after winning the Formula Renault 3.5 title the year before, and went on to land as high as fourth place in the drivers' standings two years later. This season the Pole switched to Renault and is sitting in sixth place so far after a couple of notable podium finishes. Reports now indicate that he's looking to stay with the French team – which won back-to-back world titles just a few years ago – for another few years, so long as Renault can secure funding to compete at the top.
To that end, Renault is reportedly in discussions with MasterCard as title sponsor, something the team has been missing in the wake of the Crashgate scandal and subsequent dismissal of its top personnel. The credit firm had sponsored the Lola team in 1997, but failed to make it to the grid entirely. MasterCard's sponsorship money, however, could be just what Renault and Kubica need to get back on track.
And what about the second seat, you ask? That's currently filled by Vitaly Petrov, a young Russian rookie that Renault signed for financial concerns. With more cash on hand, the team could look to sign a more experienced and capable driver, and has been recently linked with bringing Kimi Raikkonen back to the series. This could get interesting.
Jenson Button sues Brawn-Mercedes for championship-winning car
To the victor go the spoils. It's an age-old adage, and with good reason. But after winning the world championship last year, Jenson Button had another battle on his hands.
In negotiating his contract with Brawn GP for last season, Button reportedly agreed to a salary cut given the team's drastically reduced budget compared to the well-funded Honda years. A clause, however improbable it may have seemed at the time, was included in the contract that stipulated that, should Button win the championship, he'd be entitled to keep one of the cars with which he won it.
After the season was done, Button moved to McLaren and Mercedes bought the Brawn team, the chassis wasn't delivered. Offering instead to build Button a replica, the team reportedly claimed there weren't enough chassis to go around, so Button's company took the team to court.
The parties have reportedly since settled out of court and Button is due to take possession of his championship-winning car. But if you thought he had an easy ride to the title, claiming the prize apparently proved anything but.
Americans reportedly looking into investing in existing F1 team
The USF1 project may be dead in the proverbial water, but that hasn't deterred a group of American investors from breaking into Formula One. In fact, it only appears to have whetted their appetites as representatives headed to Montreal this past weekend for the Canadian Grand Prix to meet with Bernie Ecclestone and others to discuss new opportunities for involvement in the sport.
According to Autosport, the delegation was led by Parris Mullins, who was there representing an unspecified group of American investors. An advisor and close friend of YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley, Mullins was directly involved with USF1 until it collapsed.
Apparently, Mullins and company aren't interested at this point in taking a fresh stab at forming another startup team, but are looking at possibilities to invest in existing operations. Given Mullins' close ties with Ferrari, speculation has linked him with either Toro Rosso or Sauber, both of which use Ferrari engines and are in need of a fresh injection of cash. The reports also add another layer to Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo's remarks regarding fielding a third car with American backing.
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