Latest F1 news in brief
- No more rain likely for Barcelona test
- 1 races more lucrative than any other sport
- F1 power tensions to remain for now
- 'Professional fan' for Alonso unveiled
No more rain likely for Barcelona test
(GMM) Rain affected the final hour of testing as a three-day group session kicked off at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on Thursday.
The first shower fell at about 5pm, despite earlier predictions that the entire day would stay dry.
Forecasts for Friday, day two, show a small chance of rain in the middle of the day, but the F1 team Red Bull late on Thursday declared that its own prediction "is for fine weather all day".
Saturday, the final day, will be cloudy in the afternoon but almost certainly dry.
Following F1 teams' trek to North America, test drivers predominated on Thursday, although Montreal winner Robert Kubica, and his fellow podium-getter David Coulthard, were in action.
Testers Gary Paffett (McLaren), Luca Badoer (Ferrari), Sebastien Buemi (Red Bull), Anthony Davidson (Honda), Nico Hulkenberg (Williams) and Kamui Kobayashi (Toyota) all got rare chances to drive.
Thursday was Renault test driver Romain Grosjean's first taste of a formula one car, and he was a credible two seconds slower than pacesetter Badoer.
"It was interesting to see the difference between a GP2 car and an F1 car which is quite incredible, especially the acceleration and the lateral grip," the Swiss-born Frenchman said.
F1 races more lucrative than any other sport
(GMM) A formula one grand prix is the most lucrative single sports event on earth.
That is the finding of the annual F1 business and financial guide, Formula Money, and experts Deloitte Sport Business.
They report that every grand prix generates about $230m — nearly ten times more than the next lucrative single sports events, American NFL football matches.
However, both the NFL ($6.5bn) and America's Major League Baseball ($5.1bn) earn more overall annual revenue than formula one ($3.9bn), because more events are staged each year.
English Premier League football comes next, with $3bn.
For F1, Deloitte Sport Business combined sponsorship revenue, corporate hospitality, broadcast fees and team, circuit and ticket revenue.
F1 power tensions to remain for now
(GMM) Tensions between formula one powerbrokers Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley look set to continue for now.
Following the revelation of Ecclestone's latest letter to FIA club members, it now emerges that Mosley this week cancelled a planned meeting with the F1 chief executive.
As reported on Thursday, Ecclestone in his letter plays down the risk of a 'breakaway' series, explaining that he and the teams simply want a new Concorde Agreement.
Until now, Mosley – the embattled but now secure FIA president – has been unwilling to sign up, and it is rumored that Ecclestone has installed a June 16 deadline for movement on the 68-year-old Briton's position.
Speculation about the ultimatum reportedly follows Mosley's cancellation of an "important" London meeting with Ecclestone, Britain's Times newspaper said.
"Personally Max has been a friend for 40 years and I hope he still is," Ecclestone wrote in his letter this week.
'Professional fan' for Alonso unveiled
(GMM) One of Fernando Alonso's most ardent supporters has won a dream job — to travel to all the grands prix and test sessions with the Renault driver and report his experiences on a blog.
More than 35,000 potential candidates applied for the novel role – an initiative of the Spanish arm of the team's title sponsor ING – via the internet.
This week it emerged that Barcelona-born Alvaro Adema, a 23-year-old journalism student, was selected as the "professional fan" by former Spanish F1 driver Luis Perez Sala and Alonso's manager Luis Garcia, and finally approved by 26-year-old Alonso himself.
Adema's travel expenses will all be paid for, and he will receive a cool 3000 euro per month salary.
"I will explain what happens from the inside; my own experiences as I live the grands prix," he said.
He said his goal is to remain in the formula one paddock full time.
"I've always dreamed of being a formula one journalist, so if I can I would like to stay inside this world when everything ends," Adema added.