Doctors: Investigate Ferrari-Marlboro connection

RichardsF1    Catfights, Formula 1     Ferrari, Sponsors

Health industry groups are demanding an investigation into what they perceive is ‘subliminal’ Marlboro tobacco advertising from the Ferrari team.

With tobacco advertising banned in Formula 1 since mid-2005, Ferrari’s title sponsorship has been primarily bankrolled by Marlboro’s parent company Phillip Morris with an association dating back to the 1980s. Since the inception of the tobacco advertising ban, Ferrari has run barcode logos (pictured left)on its cars and driver overalls in place of a direct Marlboro association. The team’s official race entry is still ‘Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’.

It was well-known that Marlboro held a near-exclusive sponsorship arrangement with the Maranello squad – said to be worth about $100M per year – in the five years succeeding the advertising ban, and all other sponsor logos were not displayed. Until this season, that policy has changed with the addition of the Santander sponsorship on the cars’ rear wing.

The Times has reported that an enquiry is likely to commence regarding said barcode logos, and leading doctors look set to argue that the barcode logos are a form of subliminal advertising.

read more

Pirelli to submit 2011 tyre supply offer

RichardsF1    Formula 1     Avon, Michelin, Pirelli, Tyres

Despite speculation seeming to indicate that the choice of tyre suppliers for 2011 would be narrowed to a decision between two companies – Michelin and Cooper Avon – Italian tyre maker Pirelli has confirmed it will now make the contest a three-horse race.

We reported last week that, following a meeting of shareholders, Pirelli Chairman Marco Tronchetti hinted that his company might be interested in a tyre supply arrangement, subject to certain conditions being met. Tronchetti said that Pirelli would “look into [F1] with greater attention", provided that the permitted wheel diameter was increased to 18 inches and if a tyre supply arrangement made financial sense for the company.

Silverstone’s Arena layout launched

RichardsF1    Formula 1     Damon Hill, FIA, Silverstone

Silverstone’s new Arena layout has officially been unveiled today! The new infield layout will make the circuit among the quickest on the F1 calendar with the addition of a half-mile addition between the original Abbey bend, rejoining at Priory.

Following final inspections by the FIA’s race director Charlie Whiting, British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) President Damon Hill unveiled the new layout to the waiting media.

"This is a new circuit for a new generation of people to enjoy motorsport and we believe it will offer a big challenge to drivers as well," he said.

A host of VIPs were present, including Red Bull figures Mark Webber, David Coulthard, and Christian Horner, as well as Nicky Fry, Mike Gascoyne, Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert. His Royal Highness the Duke of York was also on hand, and officially awarded an honorary membership to the BRDC.

[Original image via AUTOSPORT]

Care to buy Jacques’ BAR?

RichardsF1    Formula 1     BAR, Jacques Villeneuve, Olivier Panis, Stefan GP

Anyone got a spare £29,995 they’d like to spare me?

One of the ex-Jacques Villeneuve 2001 B.A.R.-Honda 003’s is up for sale on Auto Trader!

Partnered with Olivier Panis, the pair took the former Tyrrell team to sixth in the 2001 Constructors’ Standings with 17 points, with podium finishes at Spain and Germany that year, both to Villeneuve.

The 003 was certainly not regarded as one of the marque’s finest efforts in its brief F1 history, but being a piece of F1 memorabilia, it’s hard to pass up this kind of opportunity! And don’t I know it!

Rumours that Stefan GP have put an early bid are yet to be confirmed…

[Original image via F1 Fanatic]

The fairer sex and the FIA

RichardsF1    Formula 1     FIA, Giovanna Amati, Jean Todt, Lella Lombardi

F1 ladies (L-R): Amati, de Filippis, Lombardi

A good initiative!

The FIA has launched a new push for women to become more involved in motorsport.

The very imaginatively named Woman & Motor Sport Committee – they were up all night thinking that one up! – it is headed by former World Rally winner Michele Mouton and held its inaugural meeting on Monday.

In the history of modern-era Formula 1, just five women – Maria Teresa de Filippis, Divina Galica, Lella Lombardi, Desiré Wilson and Giovanna Amati – have attempted to qualify for a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Of those, only Lombardi achieved a championship points finish, picking up half a point at the accident-halted 1975 Spanish Grand Prix.

read more

Villeneuve still waiting in the wings

RichardsF1    Driver Market, Former F1 Figures, Formula 1     Jacques Villeneuve, Stefan GP

And here’s a story we’re not surprised to hear!

Jacques Villeneuve has confirmed he is still very much in the frame to make his own comeback to F1, and is continually training to keep himself race-fit in the event he can be called up.

The 1997 World Champion came close to making his own comeback on the 2010 grid with the ever-optimistic Andrea Moda Stefan GP outfit, but the Serbian team wasn’t granted an official entry when USF1 collapsed at the eleventh hour.

Stefan GP has since reapplied for the vacant team berth for the 2011 season, and confirmed it had left voicemail messages was “in talks” with a host of twelve drivers from which it would select its driver line-up.

Moss: Schumacher is ‘past it’

RichardsF1    Formula 1     Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Stirling Moss

From one old-timer to another, it would seem!

A recuperating Stirling Moss is certainly not among the chorus of drivers and other F1 figures who are in support of Michael Schumacher’s F1 comeback.

Having picked up a rather paltry 10 points in comparison to his team-mate, Nico Rosberg’s 50, in the opening four rounds of the season, figures such as David Coulthard, Bernie Ecclestone, Martin Brundle and Mika Hakkinen have argued that the seven-time World Champion needs more time to acclimatise before being judged.

Räikkönen won’t rule out F1 return

RichardsF1    Driver Market, Formula 1     Kimi Raikkonen, Red Bull Racing, WRC

Despite consecutive points’ finishes in his latest World Rally Championship outings with the Red Bull Citroen Junior Team, 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen is not ruling out – or ruling in – a return to Formula 1 in the future.

After being booted agreeing to end his Ferrari contract a year ahead of schedule at the end of the 2009 season, the Finn signed on with the Red Bull-backed Citroen squad in the World Rally Championship. After four championship rounds, his tally reads: 2 crashes, 2 points’ finishes.

Say it isn’t so!

RichardsF1    Formula 1    

The head of Spanish motorsport has confirmed that the future of the Valencia street circuit as a Grand Prix venue is very much assured.

Did I just just hear a collective scream of horror? No, it was just me screaming…!

Race attendance figures at last year’s European GP – just the second race to be staged at the port venue – were so low that there were rumours that the venue might be mercifully euthanised taken off the calendar.

As it stands, the event promoter’s contract runs until the 2014 season.

Trulli hoping for a turnaround in Spain

RichardsF1    Formula 1     Heikki Kovalainen, Jarno Trulli, Team Lotus

Jarno Trulli is definitely in need of some improved fortunes!

Having experienced a troubling start to the 2010 season, where he has experienced the brunt of the mechanical problems with the Lotus T127 – and more surprisingly, been outpaced by team-mate Heikki Kovalainen – Jarno is hoping for a more productive Spanish Grand Prix next weekend.

The Barcelona race should mark a significant step forward for the Malaysian-owned team, which is scheduled to debut a host of upgrades to its 2010 challenger that it anticipates will bring about improved competitiveness with its rivals – the team’s Technical Director anticipates an improvement of around a second per lap.