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This week's Grapevine brings you
information fresh from the paddock on:
- Clandestine Calendars
- Honda Plans V12 and V10 for 2000
- Picked from the Bunch
- Monaco Tidbits
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Clandestine Calendars
The traditional "day off" at Monaco was livened up with the news that Brands Hatch has got the rights to stage the British Grand Prix from 2002 for five years.
Nicola Foulston, the 31 year old owner of "Brands Hatch Leisure", confirmed that she has signed a contract with Bernie Ecclestone and FOA, to take over the event after Silverstone's current contract expires after the 2001 race. However, the deal is not as clear cut as it looks and Silverstone Circuit was dismissive of the announcement. Foulston has pledged to spend 20 million pounds bringing the famous Kent circuit up to the required standard for Formula One and has already paid Ecclestone a rumoured eleven and half million dollars fee for the first race. This is an annual fee, payable for each of the five years of the contract.
Furthermore, the condition of Foulston's contract with the FOA is, simply, that whatever track is used will meet the standards required by the FIA for hosting Formula One events - including pit facilities, track safety and hosting facilities. This leaves Foulston in the unique position of being able to negotiate a deal with another circuit such as Silverstone, or to extend those of Brands Hatch to meet them.
Silverstone's owners, the British Racing Drivers Club, are expected not to deal with Foulston. Off the record, the Silverstone folk, who did not want to pay Ecclestone eleven and a half million dollars per year for a new contract, (around twice what they currently pay) reckon that the new move will bankrupt Brands Hatch. In the meantime the current venue can just sit pretty for the next three years and see how things develop. Peter Gaze, a spokesman for Silverstone said: "Silverstone is still in pole position to hold the British GP in 2002. Brands Hatch does not have the facilities."
Recent rumours that Foulston has been interested in buying Kyalami have definite ramifications in this scenario, but it is expected that the South African circuit will remain in the hands of its current owners, and host a Grand Prix in its own right in 2002.
On a slightly different note, Formula One's top man and calendar maker, Bernie Ecclestone, bought the French track Paul Ricard, complete with airport and local hotel. He allegedly paid around eleven million dollars for the former home of the French GP, which you might have noticed is the sum Ms. Foulston has had to hand over the stage the British event. Ecclestone already owns Biggin Hill airport, south of London.
 Moreover, it takes very little imagination to see the French Grand Prix relocated to this circuit after the current contract with Magny Cours ends in 2001. If the European Commission didn't have reason to believe there is an unfair monopoly situation in Formula One, that action would certainly seal it.
Honda Plans V12 and V10 for 2000
Originally it was thought that Honda would announce a long term five year contract with British American Racing in Monaco. However, it now seems that the contracts have yet to be finalised and there might be an announcement at the next grand prix in Barcelona. It is rumoured that while on FIA business in the Far East, Max Mosley had a meeting with Honda to express FIA's displeasure with the fact Honda has decided not to enter its own team next year, after having previously reached an agreement with Bernie Ecclestone to do so. Should Honda fail to enter its own team, Ecclestone will be placed in an awkward position after leaving a spot open for them on the grid; certainly the rumoured $11m deposit is forfeit, and the FIA are likely to seek further damages.
With the death of Harvey Postlethwaite, the Honda board has been placed into an awkward position. The company's original intent to bring a complete team into Formula One took a big dent with the loss of the inspirational leader.
Accordingly, based on the huge budget the BAR can draw upon in their quest for Formula One supremacy, Honda has apparently established a deal to provide the power plant from 2000. The Monaco announcement has been put off, pending the outcome of the meeting to discuss V12 power, as the deal is rumoured to be for a V12 unit. The restriction to V10 engines is not expected to happen, with BAR vetoing the change to take advantage of a Honda's rumoured year head-start with the technology.
Jordan is expected to continue running Mugen V10 engines. The company will continue working with Honda to develop the engines, and hope to have an all new plant next year. If rumours are to be believed, the new V10 engine has already run at least on the dyno. Some of the technology destined for that engine has been incorporated into the hybrid unit Jordan are expected to run
in Barcelona.
Picked from the Bunch
The Prost team has placed its financial dealings in the hands of Credit Suisse First Boston, which is an investment bank. Prost will probably therefore try and raise capital for the team by selling shares to a finance house, in much the same way that Jordan did a few months ago, when they did a deal with Warburg Pincus and Arrows did when they sold shares to Deutsche Bank Morgan Grenfell. Alain Prost will keep control of his team whatever happens but he could raise 80 million dollars which would certainly help his team progress.
Alex Zanardi could be joining Jacques Villeneuve for the non-championship event in Hawaii at the end of the year. As this event coincides with the one month ban on Formula One testing, both drivers could be released from their Formula One contracts for this one-off appearance.
Eddie Jordan has been appointed as Tourism Sporting Ambassador for Ireland! "This is a great honour for me and it is a role I am going to enjoy," said the colourful Irishman. "I have endeavoured to use my Irishness to make the Jordan team stand apart from the rest of the field. I look forward to doing whatever I can for Ireland."
Jason Watt could test drive an Arrows around the Spanish Grand Prix, if Arrows Marketing boss, Prince Malik, gets his way. Prince Malik is known for his views that Formula One should cease to be an all-white sport, and sees Jason Watt's performance in the last F3000 race (where he qualified well, before crashing out early in the race) as a good excuse to trial the
youngster.
Top teams are rumoured to run dense planks in an attempt to lower centres of gravity. Technically, it is possible to insert high density materials in the plank, but a highly unlikely measure as it would be both against the rules, and the amounts involved would provide negligible gains to performance.
Williams vows to fight back to regain its place at least as the premier Supertec team, and intends to introduce some new solutions ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The revisions are expected to include a new front suspension layout, modified barge boards, and a new take on the flip-ups in front of the rear wheels. The team is rumoured to be considering the "periscope exhaust" that Ferrari are running, and Benetton intend to introduce, but testing so far has been inconclusive.
Monaco Tidbits
A great pantomime scene was played out in the F1 paddock late on Saturday night. Only one car is actually allowed to park permanently there and naturally it is Bernie Ecclestone's chauffeur-driven vehicle. Sadly, some unfortunate had managed to lock the keys in the boot when the F1's supremo wanted to leave. A whole host of people set to work attacking the boot with scissors, flick knives and other unsuitable tools. Eventually a group of mechanics was called in and four hours later the boot sprung open.
 Monaco has always attracted the stars and with the Cannes Film Festival taking place a mere helicopter hop away, the stars poured in on Saturday and Sunday. Hollywood star Val Kilmer was hanging out with motorcycle racer Max Biaggi in the Ferrari pit, while Jon Bon Jovi was also taking in his first Grand Prix. Meanwhile in the Ferrari motorhome, Eddie Irvine was 'forced' to find time to chat with super-model Kate Moss as well as the Galagher brothers from Oasis. Jackie Stewart's penchant for mingling
with royalty was evident as he had the Duke of Kent in tow. The rest of the glitter guests included model Naomi Campbell, former Grand Prix drivers Gerhard Berger and Niki Lauda, World Rally champion Tommi Makinen, boxer Frank Bruno, the Duchess of York, musician Vanessa Mae, model Melinda Messenger, Prince Leopold von Bayern and of course the Monegasque Royal Family.
McLaren Mercedes driver David Coulthard had a nasty surprise on race morning. Taking his Schwepps drink bottle to the pit lane for the warm-up session, he noticed a strange fishy smell. At first he thought it was because the pits go the length of the harbour and that the fishy smell came from the water. Eventually the awful truth dawned on him. His drinks bottle had been placed in the motorhome fridge, next to a load of raw fish. His trainer is now under strict instructions never to chill his drinks bottle again!
The autograph hunters are getting clever in Monaco. As the drivers have to walk past a grandstand to get to the pits here, the enterprising fans have all bought clip boards and string. Hats, programmes and photos are then attached to the clipboard and then lowered on the string for drivers to sign.
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The Grapevine