Transfer rumours
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Any rumours online? Post it here. It could be rumours or even truth. Managers? Drivers? Technicians? Even the whole company? Post them here and share your thoughts.
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Schumacher fuels Raikkonen rumours
LONDON (espnstar.com) - Michael Schumacher has sparked further rumours concerning Kimi Raikkonen's alleged signing to Ferrari for 2007 by announcing that he would welcome the Finnish driver as a team-mate.
"I wouldn't have any problem driving with Kimi in a team with Ferrari in 2007," he was quoted as saying by Bild newspaper.
Ferrari and McLaren on Thursday denied a German press report that Finland's Raikkonen would drive for Ferrari in 2007. Schumacher's contract at Ferrari expires after the 2006 season.
"I'm happy in this team," said Schumacher, 36, who has won seven world titles. "I don't want to back out now at a point where we're not doing so well. I can't imagine driving for another team.
"I haven't yet signed for anything for beyond 2006. But I'll do it as soon as the right moment for me comes. The decision will be made in due time.
"I don't have any idea when I'll retire," he said. "But I don't think that I've got a lot of years ahead of me."
Bild reported on Thursday that Raikkonen, who won last weekend's Turkish Grand Prix for McLaren, had signed an advance contract with Ferrari. Raikkonen has won five races this season and said he had no intention of leaving McLaren.
Schumacher will be joined at Ferrari by Brazilian Felipe Massa next season after Rubens Barrichello departs to BAR. Ferrari have suffered a disappointing season in 2005. -
Teams move to quash Raikkonen rumours
LONDON (espnstar.com) - Ferrari and McLaren have both denied a German press report suggesting that Kimi Raikkonen will drive for the Italian Formula One team in 2007.
Citing a "completely secure source"
Germany's Bild newspaper said on Thursday that the Finnish driver had signed an advance contract with Ferrari.
"We already have two drivers under contract for the 2006 season and it is too soon to start talking about the 2007 season," said Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni.
"We have not made any commitments with anybody for 2007."
Raikkonen, who has won five races this season, went further, saying he had no intention of leaving McLaren.
"As I have said on a number of occasions this season already, when asked about the rumours, I'm completely happy with my team," he said in a statement.
"I don't think there is any doubt that we have the fastest package on winning races, I'm still challenging for the world championship, the team is fantastic and I have a great relationship with everybody here so why would I want to consider changing?
"Surely I am in a position that most drivers in Formula One want to be in."
McLaren team boss Ron Dennis added: "Our team is locked in an intense battle for the 2005 Formula One drivers and constructors world championship and everybody within the organisation, including our drivers, are and will continue to be 100 percent focused on this.
"Loyalty from both the team and its drivers have always been a given in our environment. This has been clearly demonstrated by Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard who were with team for nine years.
"We anticipate long-term relationships with both Kimi, who is in his fourth season with us, and Juan Pablo (Montoya).
"Consequently the team is not in discussuion with any other driver, including Michael Schumacher about a possible team McLaren Mercedes race seat." -
Cosworth power for 2006 Williams
Historic Formula One parters to be reunited
The Williams team have confirmed they will use Cosworth V8s next season after signing a wide-ranging partnership agreement with the world-famous engine builders.
Williams have been considering engine options since current partners BMW announced their purchase of Sauber. The new deal will see the team and Cosworth collaborating not just on the engine, but on the forthcoming FW28Â’s entire drivetrain package, including transmission, electronics, software and installation architecture.
Williams used Cosworth’s legendary DFV V8 - still the most the successful engine in Formula One history - back in the 1970s and ‘80s and the Northamptonshire-based company is already well advanced in the development of its 2006 unit, which has routinely exceeded 20,000 rpm during dyno testing.
"Cosworth is a leading global authority on V8 engine technology,” said team boss Frank Williams. “Next year is a brand new start for all concerned given 16 years of V10 engines. Some teams and manufacturers have absolutely no experience of V8s while others enjoy only limited experience. Cosworth, however, have excelled both historically, as well as in contemporary V8-powered international motorsport. The evidence of Cosworth's V8 progress we have seen so far validates completely the expectation we have of enjoying a class-leading package given next season's engine rule changes."
Tim Routsis, Cosworth's CEO commented: "Our experience and track record with V8 engines is unrivalled and we are naturally delighted to be alongside one of the most uncompromising and pure-spirited teams in Formula One. We have been working on the development of next year's V8 since April 2004 and right from the onset, our performance targets have been set very aggressively. We are confident that our blue-chip partnership with WilliamsF1 can augment the record of winning the championship every decade since the 1960s. We have developed the 2006 Cosworth V8-CA engine with nothing but front-running success in mind for both the near and long-term. The involvement of Cosworth's sister company, Pi, has been instrumental in achieving this outcome."
Patrick Head, WilliamsÂ’ Director of Engineering, added: "Williams has made this partnership decision purely on technical merit. Among the range of options we considered, Cosworth are very well advanced with existing development and are committed to taking the potential of this collaboration further. Our engineers have already reflected on the very productive and highly motivated nature of the relationship between our two organisations. We speak the same racing language and both have something to prove next year and there can be no greater motivation to succeed."
Cosworth currently power the Minardi and Red Bull teams, with the latter due to switch to Ferrari customer engines in 2006. -
If Red Bull switches to Ferrari, it would mark the end of an era. All vesties of the Jackie Stewart epoch would have gone.
Stewart-Ford (powered by Ford subsidiary Cosworth) -> Jaguar (Ford-owned & Cosworth-powered) -> Red Bull (bought out by Red Bull and powered by newly-spun-off Cosworth) -> Red Bull (powered by Ferrari) -
There is also talk that Mark Webber and Giancarlo Fisichella might swap places.
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Ah, don't you just love silly season?
Webber's locked into Williams - forget any swaps. Given that Briatore manages Webber, I doubt if he'd be stupid enough to create a conflict of interest between the boy he's managing and his WDC star.
The way Valentino Rossi keeps popping up at Maranello, though, I'm just wondering if he'll drive for them, say maybe in 2007. -
Heidfeld is rumoured to have agreed to return to Sauber next year, when BMW takes over.
I hope Christjian Albers and Robert Doornbos go to better teams or at least stay in F1, both of them are talented fellars...probably more so than Monteiro and Karthikeyan. -
Its just tt their cars arent 'brave' enuff...Originally posted by Kuali Baba:Heidfeld is rumoured to have agreed to return to Sauber next year, when BMW takes over.
I hope Christjian Albers and Robert Doornbos go to better teams or at least stay in F1, both of them are talented fellars...probably more so than Monteiro and Karthikeyan.
Yest really prove tt the Jordans arent weak -
Jordans being bought by Russian company, Midland Co, A construction company.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midland_F1 -
Motor Racing: Button confirms he is staying at BAR
LONDON : Jenson Button will stay at Formula One team BAR beyond the end of the season after buying himself out of a deal he signed to race for Williams from 2006.
Button joins Brazilian Rubens Barrichello in the BAR line-up for next season after negotiating his way out of his dispute with Williams, reportedly at a cost of up to 20 million dollars.
Button, who signed for Willliams in 2004 but subsequently had a change of heart, said he was delighted to be staying put at a team where he believes he could become world champion.
"Since I joined the team in 2003 we've shared some important moments in my career and the team's history," he said.
"There are many more goals for us to achieve together - not least of all winning the world championship. I want to be at BAR-Honda to see that happen - and I believe that it will happen."
Button, whose blond good looks have made him one of the hottest properties in the sport, started his career at Williams in 2000. In August 2004 he signed a deal to rejoin them in time for the 2005 season.
BAR however insisted he was still under contract with them and, after adjudication from Formula One's governing body FIA, Button was ordered to remain with BAR for 2005.
His future plans changed this season as Williams split from engine provider BMW, prompting the 25-year-old to conclude that he would have a greater chance of success by staying with Honda-backed BAR and racing alongside Barrichello, who has been signed from Ferrari and will replace Takuma Sato.
In a statement BAR said: "BAR-Honda is delighted to confirm that Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will be racing together for the team in 2006.
"After three successful years with BAR Honda, Jenson and the team have concluded a multi-year extension to his current contract.
"From 2006 he will partner Rubens, who will join BAR-Honda on January 1 and whose place within the team was confirmed last month."
Nick Fry, BAR-Honda Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are delighted to be able to confirm our 2006 race driver line-up.
"We can now put the uncertainty of the past few months behind us and focus on the future, which looks very exciting indeed. - AFP /dt