Sad Alonso pays respects with black armband.
Former double F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso calls for a minute's silence ahead of the European Grand Prix in Valencia this weekend, in tribute to the victims of the Spanair plane tragedy earlier this week.
Fernando Alonso has expressed his sadness at the Spanair plane crash that killed 153 people at Madrid's Barajas Airport on Wednesday - revealing that he will wear a black armband in tribute this weekend, as he prepares to race in front of his home fans for the second time this season.
The European Grand Prix - the first Formula 1 race to be held in Valencia - has had a shadow cast over it by the tragedy, and Spaniard Alonso has admitted that the accident has deeply affected him. He is set to discuss with the sport's 19 other drivers whether it will be appropriate to hold a minute's silence ahead of the start of the grand prix on Sunday.
"It will definitely change the weekend for me because it's a tragedy," the double F1 World Champion reflected, quoted by international news agency Reuters. "All the Spanish people are in shock and I am too. It's probably the saddest approach to a weekend I have had.
"I will wear a black armband and I will talk with the [other] drivers. Maybe we can do something before starting, maybe one minute's silence in the pit-lane.
"[On Friday] we will start slowly to get into the weekend. Life continues, but it's a different weekend compared to what it should be."
Indeed, what should have been a celebratory weekend to cap Spain's recent sporting successes - from its football team's Euro 2008 glory to Rafael Nadal's Wimbledon and Olympic Games victories and Carlos Sastre's Tour de France triumph - has been transformed into a sombre three-day period of mourning, with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia set to visit hospitals, morgues and bereaved families.
Fellow drivers certainly seem to be in accordance with Alonso's wishes, with Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa and Jarno Trulli all agreeing when questioned on the subject that a minute's silence would be the right way to pay their respects.
"I would definitely be looking to do that," Hamilton acknowledged. "I just want to send out my heartfelt thoughts and best wishes to all the families and to all the people in Spain. I think it's a tragedy; I was really sad to hear it had happened.
"We're in a beautiful country, in a beautiful city. I just hope that doesn't stall our weekend. I hope we are able to move on and do the country proud."
"Last year we had a similar accident in Brazil," added Massa. "It was a disaster; it was so sad. As Lewis said, I give 100 per cent support to the people because we are here for sport, and there are so many important things apart from sport which are the lives of these people. It's a very sad moment, and I think all of us need to do everything we can to help these people."
Turning his attentions towards his hopes for the race, meanwhile, Alonso mused that Renault would likely be fighting for around fifth to eighth positions once again, whilst tipping former employers McLaren-Mercedes to have 'a further advantage' over chief rivals Ferrari around the harbour-side street circuit thanks to the Woking-based outfit's superior simulation technologies.
As to his own future within the top flight beyond the end of the current campaign, the 27-year-old continues to remain coy - whilst seeming to give Renault hope that he may yet stay at the French concern in 2009.
"Now is the time to give our maximum," the Oviedo native stressed in an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, "and in September or October I will think about next year and examine the best options.
"Two years ago they (Renault) were world champions, and it is not possible in that time to forget how to build championship-winning cars."
Copyright 2008 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
German company plays down F1 rumours
A German motor racing company has denied suggestions it is about to launch a Formula One foray.
But Hans-Juergen Abt, Managing Director of Abt Sportsline, admits that the outfit is interested in expanding beyond the premier German touring car category DTM in the future.
"One should never say never," he told DTM-Magazin. "In fact I have looked at it in detail. But you have to keep your feet on the ground."
Abt said entering F1 would require the backing of a car manufacturer.
"If Volkswagen say they are coming into F1, then I would probably ask them (about collaborating)," he said. "But at the moment that is not relevant."
Copyright 2008 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
Five F1 teams interested in Bruno Senna for 2009.
GP2 Series title challenger Bruno Senna, nephew of the late, great three-time F1 World Champion Ayrton, is looking increasingly likely to get his break in the top flight in 2009 - but will it be with STR, Williams, BMW-Sauber, Honda or Toyota..?
Though he has been most prominently linked with Scuderia Toro Rosso, it has emerged that Bruno Senna is also under consideration at four other Formula 1 teams for 2009 - Williams, Honda, Toyota and BMW-Sauber.
The GP2 Series front-runner - currently trailing championship leader and ex-F1 ace Giorgio Pantano by seven points in the title standings with three rounds to go - has been most strongly connected with STR due to the close friendship shared between the small Faenza-based squad's co-owner Gerhard Berger and the Austrian's former McLaren team-mate Ayrton Senna, Bruno's late uncle.
There will be a vacant seat at STR next season following Sebastian Vettel's promotion to the parent Red Bull Racing outfit - indeed possibly even two should Sébastien Bourdais not be retained beyond the end of the campaign either.
What's more, both BMW-Sauber and Toyota have reportedly discussed the possibility of employing Senna as a test driver in the top flight in 2009 with the Brazilian's management, whilst it has now been suggested that with potential race seats coming up at both Williams and Honda, the 24-year-old may find an opening there too.
Furthermore, it has been claimed that Brazilian oil company - and current Williams sponsor - Petrobras could be willing to substantially support the São Paulo-born star's graduation to F1 should he make the jump with the multiple-championship-winning Grove-based concern.
"If a very good team offered me a test drive for a year and a race drive for the next year, that's a good prospect," Senna told GPWeek, "but I'd primarily prefer to have a race seat."
Honda CEO Nick Fry also refused to deny that he was keeping a keen eye on Senna, whilst adding: "But there's been no specific move in that direction."
Meanwhile, Senna has spoken of how he has long been accustomed to living his life in the spotlight, despite having not begun his racing career until the relatively late age of 18, following his uncle's fatal accident in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix and his father's death in a motorcycle incident not long after, when Bruno was just eight.
"It was kind of a taboo," the iSport International ace told The Associated Press. "I just had to respect the pain and the family; I just had to cope with it. [My mother] wasn't expecting [me to say I wanted to race]. It was more surprising than about getting mad over it for her.
"I'm quite used to having a lot of attention, since the beginning when there was no reason to have attention - it was just because of the name. Now it is because of the name and because I'm doing quite well and maybe on the verge of going to F1, and I think people recognise my work.
"I had very good bases and it helped me to grow and be strong inside. When I have bad results I don't get down inside; I keep up the momentum [and] energy, [and] I'm still pushing strong to come back. I try to keep on a good run.
"Hopefully most of the interest that I'm getting, which is growing with each race, is because of the results. I want an opportunity in F1, whether it's Toro Rosso or another."
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that STR - which is likely to lose its Red Bull Technology support post-2009 once customer cars are outlawed in F1 - is looking to add up to 50 extra staff to its workforce.
"We are trying to grow," Berger told GPWeek, "and if we want to improve our performance we have to grow. I wouldn't say 50 people, but I would say that we definitely want to strengthen ourselves for the future."
One of the new appointments is believed to be Fabio Segalini, a man heavily involved in the design of the first GP2 car.
Copyright 2008 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
Hungarian GP - Hamilton eyes three-peat
McLaren's Formula One championship leader, now four points clear of Ferrari's Felipe Massa after stunning wins in Germany and Britain, has every chance of extending his advantage before the summer break.
Despite the ease with which he went past his rivals at Hockenheim, and his astonishing performance in the wet at Silverstone, the 23-year-old was taking nothing for granted.
"I'm wary about making any strong predictions," the Briton said.
"Yes, we were strong in the last two races but we encountered difficulties in the two before that. So it's impossible to call this weekend.
"I don't go into this weekend surfing any particular wave of confidence. It's such a different type of circuit that it's difficult for anybody to feel certain about their chances," added Hamilton.
The example of last year, and of 2006 when Honda's Jenson Button won against the odds, serves as a reminder of how the unexpected can always happen at the Hungaroring despite the difficulties of overtaking.
Last year saw any pretence of friendship between Hamilton and his then team-mate, double world champion Fernando Alonso, blown away spectacularly in Saturday qualifying.
After earlier refusing to give way to the Spaniard, Hamilton was blocked in the pits by Alonso in a move that prevented the rookie from getting in a final quick lap.
Alonso secured pole but the stewards demoted him to sixth place on the starting grid, promoting Hamilton to the top slot. The Briton won the race and dialogue between the two drivers ceased, with Alonso and McLaren bosses also falling out.
By the end of the year, Alonso was back at Renault and Hamilton the main man at McLaren after finishing runner-up in a championship he had led to the final race.
Alonso, who took his first Grand Prix win with Renault in Hungary in 2003, will be less of a worry to Hamilton this time than his own Finnish team mate Heikki Kovalainen and the Ferraris.
Ferrari have not won in Hungary since seven-times champion Michael Schumacher triumphed in 2004 but Kimi Raikkonen won there for McLaren in 2005.
The champions struggled at Hockenheim but team boss Stefano Domenicali said subsequent analysis showed the problems were tyre-related.
"Despite the fact that the last two races have been negative for us, the Scuderia (team) is definitely not in crisis," he said on the Ferrari website.
"The team is still leading the constructors' championship and theoretically one of our drivers could again be back at the top of the drivers' classification on Sunday night.
"We are on a similar points tally to last year, we have won half the races so far and indeed taken half the pole positions," he added.
"If we look at where Ferrari was in 2007 after 10 races, today we are in a much better position and this year there is one more race than last, which gives us even more opportunities to fight back."
Copyright 2008 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
F1 back to Donington as British GP moves home.
F1's British Grand Prix gets a new home from 2010, as traditional venue Silverstone loses out to Donington Park in a ten-year deal.
Formula 1 is set to return to Donington Park for the first time since 1993, as it has been officially announced that Silverstone has lost the rights to host the British Grand Prix.
The news means the race - the blue riband event on the British motorsport calendar - will be held at Silverstone, the self-styled 'Home of British Motor Racing', for the final time in 2009.
Since the inception of the F1 world championship all the way back in 1950, the former Northants airfield has welcomed the sport on no fewer than 41 occasions, with Donington's sole appearance on the schedule coming when it featured as the European Grand Prix 15 years ago - a race made famous by the late, great three-time world champion Ayrton Senna's spellbinding performance in torrential conditions.
With Silverstone's owners the British Racing Drivers' Club having failed to come to an agreement with F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone over financial terms for a new deal, however, the race will now be held at Donington from 2010 - in an unusually long ten-year agreement.
"Finally the uncertainty is over," Ecclestone announced. "A contract has been signed with Donington Park, and the future of the British Grand Prix is now secure.
"We wanted a world-class venue for F1 in Britain, something that the teams and British F1 fans could be proud of. The major development plans for Donington will give us exactly that - a venue that will put British motorsport back on the map."
Those development plans - said to take the form of a five-year investment programme - are believed to be the product of a healthy £100 million boost from an unidentified donor, referred to only as 'a private investor who is also a large shareholder'.
All of that will undoubtedly be needed to bring the circuit's facilities up to F1 standard, with the Leicestershire venue currently lagging a long way behind Silverstone in that regard. The track itself will also require lengthening.
Ecclestone admitted that he was disappointed that the UK government had not intervened to help Silverstone retain the race.
"I am sorry that we could not have helped Silverstone to raise the money to carry out the circuit improvements and run Formula One," the 77-year-old said. "I believe that the government should have supported them, which would have cost probably less than .002 per cent of the government's commitment for the Olympic Games."
"After many years of patient but fruitless negotiation with the BRDC, we are delighted that Bernie has nevertheless been able to ensure that the British Grand Prix will keep its place on the Formula One World Championship calendar," concurred FIA President Max Mosley, who stressed that he was delighted that the race's future had at last been secured.
"We understand that the development programme planned for Donington will achieve the very high standards we and FOM (Formula One Management - Ecclestone's company) expect from a modern F1 circuit. Finally, British Formula One fans will get the grand prix venue they deserve."
Donington's history with F1 actually dates back to the pre-war days, prior to the official launch of the world championship, with races held there from 1935 until the outbreak of World War Two. Indeed, the circuit famously hosted the battle between the Silver Arrows of Mercedes and Auto Union (the fore-runner of Audi) in 1937 and 1938.
"We are naturally delighted and extremely proud to have acquired the rights to bring Formula One back to Donington Park from 2010," read a statement issued by circuit owners and joint CEOs Simon Gillett and Lee Gill.
"At the beginning of last year when we acquired the circuit and its substantial lands, we made clear our commitment towards realising the full potential of the park by making the necessary investments in current and future events that will see Donington revitalised, ensuring its leading position as one of the most iconic racing circuits in the world.
"To that end, we have now entered a new and exciting chapter in the development of the park, and one that will bring significant investment and regional development while securing the future of one of the most important and significant sporting events in Britain."
Copyright 2008 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
Rampf takes on new role at BMW Sauber.
BMW Sauber has reshuffled its senior technical personnel in order to allow seasoned technical director Willy Rampf a little more free time.
Long-time servant Willy Rampf is to take on a reduced role in the BMW Sauber F1 operation as the team attempts to streamline its technical department in search of success on track.
The change has come about at Rampf's request. The 55-year old Swiss F1 veteran has been keen to reduce his work schedule, and will take up the new post of technical co-ordinator on 1 November, once the current season has ended. He will continue to be responsible for F1 vehicle concept and will lead the team at the race track in his new role, but responsibility for business operations and line management will pass to Walter Riedl, who already heads up operations at the team's Hinwil plant and overall project management in his capacity as managing director.
Riedl joined BMW as a development engineer in 1983 and has worked in a leading position in F1 for nine years, with responsibility for the entire F1 project. He took over the management of the Hinwil factory on 1 January 2006 following the company's decision to acquire a majority stake in Sauber, and has also been responsible for project management across both locations since the summer of 2005. The 48-year old will retain his current role alongside the newly-appointed functions.
"I have been technical director since April 2000, initially at Sauber, and now for the BMW Sauber F1 team," Rampf explained, "It has been an extremely enjoyable, but also very intense, phase of my life.
"The idea of cutting back professionally has been growing in my mind for some time. I discussed the subject with Mario Theissen and we have found a solution together. I'm looking forward to focusing on my original technical responsibilities again and am in no doubt that we can continue to build on our success."
Riedl will take over responsibility for the development process of next year's F1.09 with immediate effect, while Rampf will continue to look after the further development of the current F1.08.
"I have already been working very closely and very effectively with Willy, and this co-operation will now reach another new level," Riedl explained, "The new structure guarantees continuity and ensures that the BMW Sauber F1 Team is in good shape for the future."
BMW Sauber is edging closer to the year in which it claimed it would be ready to challenge for the Formula One world championship, and has already broken into the winners' circle courtesy of Robert Kubica victory in Canada earlier this month. Team boss Theissen is therefore delighted to have found a solution that will see the Hinwil/Munich-based squad continue to benefit from Rampf's input.
"I can totally understand that Willy wants to cut down on his workload," he said, "I'm pleased that we have found an internal solution with the new structure, one which fits in with the philosophy of the team.
"All responsibilities will continue to lie in the hands of experienced managers who have played a key role throughout the development phase of the young team. At the same time, the team will continue to benefit from Willy's expertise and great experience. His contribution to the team - both before and after BMW acquired a majority stake - deserves the utmost respect. His record is extremely impressive, and our one-two victory in Montreal represents the crowning moment of his time with us so far."
BMW Sauber might not be the only team considering revisions to its technical structure either, with rumours that former technical partner Williams is unhappy with its performance under the guidance of former Renault man Rod Nelson.
The team's chief operations engineer - who formerly oversaw Fernando Alonso's championship campaigns at Renault - was left to run the French Grand Prix programme at the weekend, in the absence of technical director Sam Michael, but has failed to impress the hierarchy at Grove, according to Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell.
Copyright 2008 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
Bourdais fears for French GP
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said last month that the French Grand Prix would be held at the circuit for the last time this year and hoped a new track could be built near Paris to enable a return in 2010.
However last year's race was also billed as a farewell to Magny-Cours, a circuit buried in the heart of rural France and unpopular with teams and sponsors, before the government stepped in to secure a reprieve.
"I think there have been good negotiations and discussions with the French government. I think everybody is on the same frequency," Toro Rosso driver Bourdais said.
"Obviously France is a big nation of racing and cars and we need a French Grand Prix - it is as basic as that.
"It doesn't matter whether it is here or somewhere else, but if we want to do it somewhere else we are going to need a bit of time and it's probably not going to happen overnight.
"I personally hope that we will see it here again next year because we can't afford to have a blank year and not coming to France because that would drop the interest."
Bourdais said there were no obvious alternatives to Magny-Cours and a new circuit would be a huge undertaking.
"You need to find the right place and to build it," the Frenchman said. "And it's going to take some time.
"It won't be in the centre of Paris. It could be nearby. I think that is probably the best option but it's very complex and there are a lot of people that will be involved.
"It is a huge amount of money to find to get the project done."
Bourdais, a rookie this season after winning four successive Champ Car titles in the United States, will be making his French Grand Prix debut this weekend.
The Le Mans-born driver said Monaco had meant a bit more to him but Sunday's race would still be special and he looked forward to turning around his season.
"We've had a pretty much disastrous last four races," said Bourdais.
"It's part of the career of a race car driver, sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't.
"You just need to keep working and plugging away. It's been a bit tough lately but at some point the wind is going to turn."
Copyright 2008 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
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