Rumors from the German GP
The GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers Association) is having a meeting in Monaco on 1st August to discuss safety issues at F1 test sessions with FIA president, Max Mosley. Currently, with the new one set of tires per race rule, drivers are doing much higher testing mileage to assess tires, sometimes completing up to two race distances per day. The drivers are concerned therefore that safety and medical facilities at these sessions are not up to the same standard as at race meetings. Given that much testing involves unproven prototype components the GPDA believes the risks are actually higher than at a GP weekend.
First we had speculation that former Jordan, Ferrari and Jaguar driver, Eddie Irvine was trying to buy Jordan, with the backing of a Russian conglomerate, but now the talk is that he has switched his target to Minardi. Team boss Paul Stoddart confirmed that he has been approached, but says no real talks will take place until he sees a financial commitment from the Irish ex-driver.
There are plenty of rumors doing the rounds surrounding the Williams team at the moment. On the engine front, it has been suggested the team might switch to Cosworth power, now that current supplier BMW has bought Sauber. The Cosworth deal would only be for 2006, prior to the start of a long term agreement with Toyota kicking off in 2007. On the driver front, there is a feeling that BMW might try and take Nick Heidfeld with them to Sauber. Neither party would comment on this.
Still on the driver front, Jenson Button is in the middle of a "tug of love" between current team BAR and Williams. The Englishman, who began his F1 career with Williams is tied to them with a contract that stipulates he should drive for them in 2006, if this year, he fails to score 75% of the series leader's points tally by the time the season gets to Hungary. But it now seems as though the darling of the British media would prefer to stay where he is. McLaren Mercedes