En de Vaudeville is nog niet gedaan...

[Bart.Vandecavey]

bron: planet-f1.com

Minardi Still Unpaid

Stoddart says he's prepared to quit F1 racing if he is 'shafted'

ALTHOUGH it has been widely reported that KL Minardi Asiatech have been awarded the ₤8m ($12m) won in last year's F1 world championship by the liquidated Prost team, Minardi boss Paul Stoddart claimed on Thursday that he had yet to see a penny of it.

The Australian millionaire also hinted strongly that if it was not paid today, he would quit F1 in disgust.

"The facts are simple," an angry Stoddart told Reuters. "Not a penny has been forthcoming and there's yet another meeting at four o'clock tomorrow [Friday].

"We're being played with. I don't think there are any other words for it.

"We seem to be pawns in a rather big game of politics, which I don't feel very happy about at all.

"We need to be paid. If I can come out of that meeting tomorrow [Friday] with the money paid, then I'll make an announcement that I had planned to make tonight that Minardi will continue for the rest of the year.

"But if I'm shafted tomorrow, then I will certainly have a different opinion.

Speaking bluntly Stoddart said he was "not one to cry wolf" and that this weekend he would make a decision about his team's future "one way or the other".

"If we've been shafted, then I want no part of this paddock. Those are pretty strong words but it's how I feel."

"There are a couple of team owners," said Stoddart without naming names, "who are incredibly upset and seem to think that they have some legal claim to this money. They just don't want to accept reality.

"I suspect the reason we haven't had it, is because he [Bernie Ecclestone] is hoping to have an amicable solution."

On the money Minardi received from Ecclestone at the start of the year, Stoddart said it was paid over as a loan under a separate agreement "like he's done to many teams and still is doing to many teams."

"You cannot confuse the two. What he lent, and there is proper security and a repayment programme against that, has absolutely sod all to do with the Concorde money. The agreement with Bernie at the start of the year was completely separate," Stoddart emphasised.

Minardi, meanwhile, have issued an announcement that they will be joined at this weekend's Grand Prix of Europe by a new commercial partner, the Quadriga Group.

Founded by Christian Baha, Quadriga, a successful global hedge fund manager with capital under its management of at least US$200 million, has not been involved in Formula One racing before now, but Baha sees it as a good setting to take his company to pole position in the financial world.

"In the world of investing, the hedge fund industry is surely considered the premier class, just as Formula One is considered the pinnacle when it comes to motor racing," he said

Trouwens dit is die nieuwe sponsor voor Minardi (foto: minardi.it)

[Bart.Vandecavey]

Zoals ik al elders zij: I love Silly Season!

bron: f1-live.com

What is Jaguar up to?
Button in talks with Lauda?

New reports indicate that Renault driver Jenson Button made a brief detour before arriving at the Nurburgring for this weekend's European Grand Prix, the young Brit paying a visit to Jaguar Headquarters along the way. Reports in the British press claim that Jenson flew to the team's Milton-Keynes base on Tuesday for secret talks with Niki Lauda.

Jenson is currently under contract with Williams however he is on loan to Renault until the end of the 2002 season. From there he was meant to return to the team that gave him his break in Formula One back in the 2000 season. However Juan Pablo Montoya is rumoured to have a new contract lined up that will see him with the BMW powered squad until 2004 while Jenson has stated he would like to remain with Renault.

As the season progresses, it looks more and more like Eddie Irvine won't be driving for Jaguar next season, the Irishman stressing on several occasions that he wants to be in a competitive drive if he continues in Formula One. Jaguar have already tested Fernando Alonso and plan to test Minardi driver Mark Webber next week, both men contracted to Renault boss, Flavio Briatore.

The team explained that they were testing Webber to evaluate the young Australian in case they should find themselves with an empty seat next season, and that is a similar story to the one given in the Sun.

"Jenson is very happy at Renault but he still has to look at all the other opportunities that may be open to him,” a source close to Button was quoted as saying. “Jaguar were the ones who phoned Jenson and he felt it was only right to listen to what they had to say. The team outlined their plans and made it clear that they would like to have further talks should an opening arise."

Another rumour to add to the long list of possible driver moves we have already read about this season, or another indication that Jaguar are definitely hunting a new driver? More should come to light after Irvine tests the new package next week, the new improved version of the R3 ahead of the British Grand Prix.

[Finish]

Het enige wat de F1 momenteel kan boeien is wie waar rijdt volgend jaar...

[TiBo]

Originally posted by Finish
Het enige wat de F1 momenteel kan boeien is wie waar rijdt volgend jaar...

Hard dudeski, hard.

Tja, na alles wat er de laatste tijd gebeurd is kan ik dat best begrijpen. Wat de F1 momenteel nodig heeft is een nieuwe start, spijtig genoeg komt die er pas in 2003. We zullen dus de komende maanden nog verder moeten met wat we hebben.
Voornamelijk van Hockenheim en Spa verwacht ik vrij veel. Op Hochenheim staat iedereen terug op nul en op Spa is men nooit zeker, dus ....

Binnen drie dagen vertrek in richting Maranello om de troepen terug moed in te spreken. Als ik even veel geluk heb als vorig jaar volgt er een mooie fotoreportage vanop "Pista di Fiorano".