Friday August 13th, 1999
Sauber Stay with Ferrari - The Sauber team announced in Budapest that it has reached agreement with Ferrari to continue using the Maranello firm's engines next year. Sauber have used Ferrari power since 1997 and the engines used by the Swiss team are badged as Petronas, the name of the Malaysian oil company and the team's principal sponsor. Using one of the best engines in the paddock does not come cheap as the deal is rumoured to cost Sauber around 25 million US dollars per year. It is because of this tie-up between the two teams that Mika Salo's name has come up as a possible Sauber driver next year. The Finn is in much demand since his brilliant drive as Michael Schumacher's stand-in in Germany a fortnight ago.
Farewell Prince Malik? - There are rumours that the colourful Nigerian businessman Prince Malik ido Abrahim might no longer be a part owner of the Arrows team. At the start of the year he and Tom Walkinshaw owned 50 percent of the shares in the team, the other 50 percent belonging to the investment bank Deutsche Bank Morgan Grenfell. The Prince was supposed to bring additional funding into the team through his mysterious "T Minus" brand, but apparently no money has been forthcoming. Walkinshaw has recently sold or relocated several of his car dealerships and it is thought this has helped him raise sufficient capital to buy out Malik, who was not present in Hungary.
Ferrari Sticks With Shell - Ferrari has strongly denied rumours in the press that Shell would be replaced by Agip as the team's fuel and lubricant supplier. A spokesman said that the Shell deal was still in place and would be so for the foreseeable future.
Could Irvine Go To Jordan? - Although current opinion suggests that Eddie Irvine has already signed for Ford-Jaguar/Stewart, the Irish driver could be heading home for Jordan. The official line from the Irvine camp is that he is still "talking to Ferrari." However, given that he is unlikely to agree to another year as Michael Schumacher's slave boy, Eddie can pretty much pick and choose between the two remaining prize drives at Stewart or Jordan. If we assume that both Ford/Jaguar and Benson and Hedges are prepared to pay the big bucks F1's last remaining playboy craves, then the decision comes down to which team can provide him with the best technical package and a chance of continuing with his new hobby of winning races. The irony of this situation is that having made a small fortune selling Irvine to Ferrari, Eddie Jordan will now be paying an even bigger one to get him back!
Stewart Name Change - The rumour that Stewart will be called the Jaguar team next season has gained further credibility as the agenda for the next F1 Commission meeting includes a request for a name change from the Stewart team. No indication has been given as to what the new name might be.
The Finns Are Coming! - With two Mikas to support - Hakkinen at McLaren and Salo at Ferrari, the Finns have arrived in force in Budapest. This race has always been a popular destination for them, but this time it is a positive invasion. No less than seventeen thousand of them have turned up this weekend and the national airline company Finnair has had to lay on an additional 25 flights.
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