Full Throttle

Honda lose Japanese Grand Prix to Toyota:

Honda have lost the Japanese Grand Prix, historically held at the company’s own Suzuka circuit, to rivals Toyota and their Fuji Speedway circuit.

Bernie Ecclestone is claimed to have signed a ‘multi-year contract’ with Fuji Speedway. Toyota-owned Fuji Speedway, which was home to the Japan Grand Prix for 10 years before the race moved to Honda-operated Suzuka in 1987, was reopened in April last year after a two-year revamp which saw significant changes to the circuit.

Dennis to support Hamilton with rival team?

Ron Dennis has revealed he is prepared to pay to get McLaren protege Lewis Hamilton into Formula One with a rival team.
[...]
“It is contractually possible for him to drive for us but if he dominates GP2 he may be attractive to other people as well,” he said.

“McLaren is not in the business of making grand prix drivers, it is in the business of winning races, so it is not impossible but unlikely that the first grand prix car he races will be a McLaren.

“If there is something we can do to help him join another team we will. “The easiest thing is money but we could also supply technical guidance or support or supply engines.”

No Retirement, Schumacher to Race On?

According to reports in the German press, Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher may have now signed a new two-year deal to stick around in F1 until the end of 2008.

After missing the Bahrain win by a paltry 1.2 seconds, the 37-year-old is almost certain to line up at the scarlet team next year alongside McLaren defector Kimi Raikkonen, the reports said.

Schumacher’s manager, Willi Weber, would not confirm the rumour when pressed by ‘Bild’ newspaper. ”We will not be making any statements on this issue before the summer,” he said. ”But it is clear — positive results will not impact negatively on Michael’s important decision.”

Bild also quoted a ‘McLaren insider’ as reporting that Kimi Raikkonen has already decided to leave the team.