Autoblog

While Formula One has been a relative constant for the past several decades, the various feeder series running up the ladder to the pinnacle of international motorsport seems to always be in flux. The FIA recently announced plans to revive the old Formula 2 series with a new low-cost format to compete with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's contemporary GP2 championship, but Bernie isn't about to let himself be dominated by Max Mosley without putting up a good fight.

To that end, Ecclestone is now reported to be working on launching a new GP3 series. The new feeder series would sit one step below GP2, which itself has supplied a crop of new talent – including Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Heikki Kovalainen, Nelson Piquet Jr. and Timo Glock – to the F1 grid every year since its inception in 2005. GP3 would compete directly with the fractioned Formula 3 – under which separate series operate around the world without a single united championship – and swallow the International Formula Master's series established last year. While Mosley's discredited vision of a low-cost Formula 2 would cap annual budgets at 200,000 euros per car (compared to the 800,000 euro cost of the F3 Euroseries), GP3 could keep things down to the more realistic 450,000 euro budget required in the aforementioned IFM.

Bottom line: there's a war of racing series going on between Mosley and Ecclestone, and racing fans could stand to benefit from the competition.

[Source: F1-Live]

Rumors have been circulating that CVC, the commercial rights holders to Formula One, have considered selling the series. But before that could happen, they would have to give Bernie Ecclestone the boot.

The reports were fueled by comments made by Max Mosley, the embattled president of the FIA, who related to reporters that conversations about the subject had taken place with executives at CVC. According to Mosley's conclusion, CVC would consider selling Formula One if a huge offer were made – possibly by an Arab consortium – but Ecclestone would need to be replaced because "the whole business depends on a man who is 78 years old". However, CVC issued a strong statement at this past weekend's race in Hungary that it had no immediate plans to sell F1 and was pleased with its performance as well as that of Bernie Ecclestone.

[Source: Autosport, Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty]

Despite Bernie Ecclestone's initial support of his colleague Max Mosley, Ecclestone is now publicly urging the embattled FIA president to cancel his planned trip to Bahrain to oversee the grand prix there this coming weekend.

The humiliation which Mosley apparently pursued in a disturbing sexual escapade involving multiple prostitutes in a sado-masochistic nazi-themed orgy was outdone only by the embarrassment which resulted from the public revelation of the episode in the British tabloids. Following the news breaking, Mosley declared he would proceed as normal as if nothing had happened, but Ecclestone says his colleague should think again. Citing public opinion and predicting that the royal family in Bahrain "wouldn't like it" if he came to their country, Bernie expressed concern that the news at the event would be dominated (pardon the expression) by Mosley's scandal instead of remaining focused on the race itself. Mosley's "business as usual" approach may require some further thought, to say the least. Thanks for the tip, Schwag of Tulsa!

[Source: The Times of London, Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty ]

Reports emerging over the weekend indicate that GP2 has been purchased by CVC Capital Partners for a reported $300 million. Dang.

What's GP2, you ask? It's a second-tier "feeder" racing series started in 2005 to give up-and-coming drivers a place to display their skills on a worldwide scale and a place for F1 teams to find new talent. The series was intended to replace the ageing Formula 3000 series, and has so far proven fairly successful. Nico Rosberg won the title in the series' inaugural season, and he's racing in F1. Lewis Hamilton won the championship last year and went head-first into title contention the next season in F1. Timo Glock won the crown this year, and will be heading to Toyota F1 next season. (Heikki Kovalainen and Nelson Piquet Jr. also made the jump to F1 through GP2.) Sounds like the idea has met its potential so far.

So who, then, is CVC Capital Partners? It's the private equity firm with a history of turning international racing series around into successful ventures. Contrary to popular perception, it's actually CVC that manages Formula One, having purchased the rights from Bernie Ecclestone and his associates in 2005 (although Bernie then bought an undisclosed portion of the CVC subsidiary running the show). Prior to effectively buying F1, CVC turned MotoGP into the successful two-wheel racing series it is today.

While it remains to be seen what tangible effects the deal with bring to bear on the series – it was Bernie who co-founded GP2, after all, and CVC already held the TV rights – it's bound to bring GP2 even closer to F1 in the coming seasons. The bottom line is that if you want to know who is next year's F1 rookie, watch GP2.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Next year's Formula 1 calendar could contain an unprecedented 20 races. One of those races will be held for the first time on the island state of Singapore, and according to Bernie Ecclestone, it will be held at night. Both IRL and NASCAR have night races, so why not Formula 1? The reasons aren't just for spectacle, either: a night race in Asia will be more convenient for viewers in Europe and the US, and after all, for Bernie this is all about television revenue.

A few drivers, most notably current F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso, are against night racing. Alonso apparently imagines a number of horrors happening at the same time: "What if it rains? All those painted lines. What if the lights go out?" However, Singapore is a notoriously fastidious state that will work overtime to make sure its first F1 race and the first ever night race come off safely. It has also indicated that the race will be held at night only so long as everyone has faith in the safety of the event. Ecclestone, as usual, doesn't appear to be worried -- he's sure the race will happen after dark, saying "I think that we can stop discussion about the possibility of holding this race during the day."

[Source: Fox Sports]

Who ever would have thought a Will Ferrell movie would ever be considered "prophetic," even jokingly? The absurd story of a French racing driver switching over from F1 to stock cars as the last remaining challenge is coming to life again and again. But unlike Jacques Villeneuve (or Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya), Jean Alesi isn't gunning for NASCAR. The former Formula One star is the first big name to sign on to the Speedcar Series.

The new racing league will pit 24 drivers against each other in identical 600-hp stock cars in 18 races over 9 weekends across Asia. We hope to get a glimpse at the cars in a few days when Alesi hits the Virginia International Raceway for the first test session on March 5-6. What we know now is that the specially-built cars will feature a tubular fiberglass chassis and power from 600-hp engines built in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The inaugural season of the Speedcar Series, which is backed by F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, kicks off in November and runs through April 2008.

[Source: Speedcar Series via F1-Live]

Despite all the ongoing rumors of this country and that preparing bids for F1 czar Bernie Ecclestone, few of them are anywhere near that stage. As track designer Hermann Tilke has pointed out, many of the speculative locations lack circuits that would be ready to host grands prix.

Tilke has to his credit the designs of most of the new F1-spec race tracks around the world, including Malaysia, Bahrain, Istanbul and Shanghai.In addition to those, he's working on Abu Dhabi's. The overwhelming likelihood is that Tilke Engineering would be commissioned to draw up the plans for any new track if prospective organizers are serious about their F1 bids.

In an interview with British publication Autosport, Tilke said that Mexico, India, Russia, South Africa and Greece are a long way from making their Formula One dreams realities. Mexico, he says, is stalled with political problems, India and Russia are merely topics for discussion, plans for a return to South Africa are "dormant" and the Greek bid has "fizzled out." That leaves plenty of room for progress on each front, but then again, there are a lot of countries vying for Tilke's talents...and for Bernie's attention.

[Source: F1i]

Click on the image above to view more pictures from the event.

As promised, organizers put on quite the spectacle on Saturday when the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was officially announced. Tens of thousands of people reportedly turned out for an F1 demonstration on the streets of the gulf emirate that featured all the big-name drivers, including Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa. No big surprise that Ferrari sent both its driving aces to the event, but Spyker's absence seems conspicuous. Abu Dhabi crown corporation Mubadala Development is a minority shareholder in both teams.

Follow the jump for the rest of the story plus the official press release.

Related posts:

• Bahrain is still in the race, and the race is still in Bahrain
• Update: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix announcement may come Feb1
• F1 circuit to join Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi
• Abu Dhabi to build Ferrari World theme park
• Ferrari theme park in Abu Dhabi

[Source: AbuDhabiGP.com]

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) and its President Max "My Way or the Highway" Mosley seems determined to bully into submission the five members of the Grand Prix Manufacturers Association, who have threatened to set up a series in competition with Formula 1. On Wednesday, the FIA's motor sport council rubber stamped Mosley's plan to force teams to commit to participating in the 2008 Formula 1 championship by the end of March. A very interesting exchange of letters between the GPMA and Mosley before and after the council meeting shows that Mosley is playing hardball, and enjoying it.

Only teams who have pledged fealty to Mosley signed up for the 2008 season will be able to participate in discussions which will affect the rules package that goes into effect for the 2008 season. Despite the GPMA's 11th hour objections in its letter (pdf link) to Mosley,  the motor sport council's Wednesday meeting also approved the FIA's rules package (which will be the basis for discussion with the teams). Among other controversial elements of the package is a plan to freeze engine development for 3 years, starting in 2008. [More after the jump]