"After the Icelandic banking sector collapsed last year, Glitnir bank was taken over by the Icelandic government and Williams has not received sponsorship payments since."

F1 Race of the Noughties (Motor Sport Musings)

Dank puts the case for the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix – which came second in our "Best race of the 2000s" poll.

ACG Speeds to Long Term Supply Agreement with US F1 Team (Advanced Composites)

“Adrian Potts, President of ACG Inc, said: ‘There is an exciting time of change in Formula One racing and this has created the opportunity for new teams to enter the grid. US F1 Team is the sole American entry, and we are proud to support them from our Tulsa facility. I’m confident that the new team has signed up with the very best support and service in the industry, and we will demonstrate that their confidence in us is well placed.’”

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“By persuading The Guardian to publish sensationalist extract from his Court submissions without any mention of the other side of the story, Britaore succeeded in using that newspaper to distract attention from his key role in one of the worst and most dangerous examples of deliberate cheating in the history of sport.”

ACG Speeds to Long Term Supply Agreement with US F1 Team (Advanced Composites)

"Adrian Potts, President of ACG Inc, said: 'There is an exciting time of change in Formula One racing and this has created the opportunity for new teams to enter the grid. US F1 Team is the sole American entry, and we are proud to support them from our Tulsa facility. I’m confident that the new team has signed up with the very best support and service in the industry, and we will demonstrate that their confidence in us is well placed.'”

Robert Kubica’s future in doubt after deal enables Renault to remain on grid (The Times)

"Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One commercial rights-holder, was sure that Renault have retained enough control to keep hold of Kubica and let slip that he believes a deal with Schumacher has been done by Mercedes in any case."

A desert test drive for Schu (Daily Mirror)

"He is expected to test a car from the GP2 feeder series which are almost fast enough to get on the back of a Grand Prix grid."

Katayama rescued from Mount Fuji (Autosport)

"Former grand prix driver Ukyo Katayama was rescued from Mount Fuji on Thursday, but two other men on his expedition are feared dead."

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"Contrary to reports that the sport's most successful racer would be earning just £6million, the German will actually rake in the biggest salary in F1 next season, totalling nearly £20m."

Lotus F1 Racing Driver Announcement Q&As (Lotus)

Jarno Trulli: "We have to set realistic targets for the first year. We are one of the new teams, so we have to prove ourselves and to gain respect in the paddock. We have to establish ourselves as the best of the new teams and see what gap we have between us and the rest."

Max Mosley: how I helped broker deal to keep the peace in F1 and prevent breakaway series (Daily Telegraph)

Mosley’s second article for the Daily Telegraph covers the FOTA breakaway threat which he lambasts the teams for despite being the one who suggested it: "Mistakes? There was perhaps one major error on my part. During the period between the two WMSC decisions in March and April, I should have taken the trouble to visit each of the car company CEOs individually and explain exactly what we were doing and why. Had I done this I think BMW would still be with us and, just possibly, Toyota. It would have been easy to demonstrate that with the cost cap, they could have had the same for far less. But this was never a message their team principals were going to give them."

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"But for me, personally, "spygate" and its consequences marked a new era. The view that I was too aggressive, too confrontational and perhaps even a bully was peddled non-stop. I was blamed (wrongly as it happens) for the size of the fine. So when Formula One confronted a real problem just over a year later I was less well placed to deal with it. And my situation was worsened by revelations about my private life, notwithstanding a big vote of confidence by the FIA and successful litigation against the newspaper responsible."

Massa gratitude for Ferrari’s heartfelt support (Ferrari)

“I want to thank each one of you for your support after the accident. What happened to me this year was unbelievable and I took so much strength from you to recover as quickly as possible. The heartfelt warmth I felt from Ferrari is something I will never ever forget as long as I live. I assure you that my determination to get back on track and to win has never been this strong!”

Hamilton-Renault F1 rumours (Joe Saward’s Grand Prix Blog)

"The latest rumour, however, is more interesting as it suggests that one of those sniffing around Renault is none other than Anthony Hamilton, father of you-know-who."

We’re losing money by keeping F1 at Silverstone reveals Bernie Ecclestone (Daily Mail)

Asked if he could have made more money elsewhere, F1 rights holder Ecclestone said: 'Definitely, a lot more, an awful lot more. There are other places desperate for races but there was no more money in Europe. I got fed up with the whingeing and moaning. It has taken too long, but now Silverstone can get on with it for years to come and make a fortune."

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"The 20-year-old Frenchman has been given an undefined role within the team, but could become test and reserve driver following his maiden Formula 1 outing at Jerez this week." As well as Fisichella, Gene and Badoer? And with testing banned during the season? Ferrari barely need one test driver, never mind four.

Sauber consider making Vitaly Petrov Russia’s first F1 driver (The Guardian)

"Most F1 insiders confidently anticipate that Sauber will be given the go-ahead to take over the 13th place vacated by Toyota following their withdrawal after the final race of the 2009 season in Abu Dhabi."

Jenson Button in pole position to drive away with Auntie’s grand prize (Daily Mail)

"The presence of both Ennis, the heptathlete, and Idowu, the triple jumper, is likely to split the traditionally large athletics vote. That would leave the way clear for Haye to provide Button with his strongest challenge."

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The Yvelines region in France cancels its plans to build an F1 circuit which might have held the French Grand Prix.

Judge in Max Mosley trial, Mr Justice David Eady, hits back at press criticism over privacy cases (The Guardian)

"The high court judge at the centre of a string of controversial privacy cases, including one involving the motor racing chief Max Mosley, spoke out against his critics today, claiming he had been subjected to "personal abuse" by parts of the media."

The Gravity of Renault’s Situation (The Buxton Blog)

"Renault could be about to get the bailout for which its chiefs are desperate. A Gravity buyout could keep the team in F1, give it a young, passionate and hugely talented new Team Principal in Eric Boullier, a brace of talented young testers along the lines of d’Ambrosio and Tung, and the cherry on the cake… Jacques Villeneuve in an incredible return to the F1 cockpit to partner Robert Kubica in 2010."

Manor rebranded Virgin Racing (Virgin Sport)

"Manor boss John Booth and Virgin supremo Richard Branson are due to announce the long-awaited sponsorship tie-up tomorrow."

Jenson Button Supports Super One Awards At Autosport International (Kartlink)

"The UK’s premier national karting series from which the newly-crowned FIA Formula One World Champion learnt his craft, Jenson will present the Super One trophies for the top three drivers across the Cadet, KF1 MSA British Kart Championship, KF2 and KF3 Junior British Kart Championship classes from 3.20pm."

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"The British motorsport industry is improving the Army's chances in Afghanistan, supplying vital parts to cool and protect ageing armoured vehicles struggling in the inhospitable terrain."

Exclusive Interview With JR Hildebrand (Speed TV)

"I would say I’ve built the first part of my career racing in the States, and if you’d asked me a couple of months ago what my plan would be, it would be to try and get myself into an IndyCar and see what I can do Stateside. I think I’m quite confident that I could get quite competitive at that level at this stage. But to get the chance to race in Europe, that’s something that I’d look forward to and heavily consider if the option was there.”

British pair Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton are warned by McLaren: We don’t want any squabbling next year (Daily Mail)

"They’re both team players. They are there to race and the only instruction they’ll receive from me is to respect each other on the track. Other than that, they’re free to race."

Tremblay cheers ‘win-win’ F1 deal (Montreal Gazette)

"The $75-million deal is $100 million less than what Ecclestone initially demanded for a five-year contract when efforts to save the race began in earnest a year ago."

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"Formula 1 star Kimi Raikkonen is understood to be ready to sign a deal with Citroen to drive a C4 World Rally Car on all 13 rounds of the 2010 World Rally Championship." Is Kimi Raikkonen about to get one of the most coveted seats in rallying? It would be a huge coup for the championship which has struggled in recent years.

BMW AG reaches agreement with Peter Sauber regarding sale of the BMW Sauber F1 Team

BMW has given up on Qadbak, which is reassuring because we never heard much about their F1 plans. Can Peter Sauber get the team on the grid for 2010?

Tribunal De Grande Instance (FIA) (N Technology case)

"The Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris has upheld the FIA’s selection procedure for new teams in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and rejected a legal action filed by UK company MSC, one of the unsuccessful candidates."

Briatore, Symonds verdict due Jan 5 (ITV-F1)

"The court said it expected to reach a verdict on January 5." Added to the F1 Fanatic calendar: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/credits-and-contacts/f1-fanatic-calendar/

BBC F1 film wins prestigious award (BBC)

"BBC Sport has won a prestigious Royal Television Society Award for the short film that introduced the coverage of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix." And thoroughly deserved it was too.

The latest on Schumacher, Ferrari and Mercedes (James Alenn)

"By not coming out and denying the Mercedes stories, Schumacher and Mercedes boss Norbert Haug are keeping themselves in positive headlines, building to fever pitch in Germany, which keeps the Schumacher brand strong and neutralises the damage caused to Mercedes by Jenson Button’s defection to McLaren." I'm often sceptical about this kind of reasoning – why would Mercedes want to build expectation to 'fever pitch' and then fail to meet those expectations by signing Nick Heidfeld?

Campos car homologated by the FIA (Autosport)

"Campos Meta 1's car for its debut Formula 1 season has been homologated by the FIA following a series of tests last week."

Schumacher’s manager confirms the driver met with bosses at new F1 team Mercedes (AP)

Willi Weber: "I know that Michael spoke with Dieter Zetsche and Norbert Haug at the season's finale in Abu Dhabi."

A final twist in the road for Brawn (The Independent)

Ross Brawn has an interesting explanation for how Ferrari lost the 1997 championship: "We were involved with races where we would use our drivers strategically. At Suzuka in the late 1990s, Michael [Schumacher] built a lead while Eddie [Irvine] controlled the pace of the rest of the pack. And in 1997 we lost the world championship because [Heinz-Harald] Frentzen held Michael when [Jacques] Villeneuve was pulling away. The FIA won't accept it now, but that's how we did it in those days. This [Nelson Piquet Jnr's premeditated crash in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix] was different. This crossed a boundary nobody had ever crossed before, and in many ways I'm glad it came out and got punished. I can safely say it will never happen again."

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Could he finally be about to make the connection, three years after his last F1 race? It seems to be more speculation than substance at the moment, but the prospect certainly is an appealling one…

Michael Schumacher ‘will drive for Mercedes F1 in 2010′ (BBC)

Eddie Jordan: "It started with a meeting between Michael, Ross Brawn and Daimler chief executive officer Dieter Zetsche at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. At the moment, it is not possible for Michael to drive for Mercedes because he has a consultancy contract with Ferrari. But I understand he was due to meet Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo with a view to him being released – and that it will be approved because it is in the interests of F1. "

New Shareholder (Williams)

"Frank Williams and Patrick Head announced today that they have sold a minority interest in Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited (Williams F1) to an investment company led by Austrian investor Toto Wolff. Mr Wolff also joins the company’s Board."

Bernie Ecclestone ready to drop British Grand Prix (The Times)

“The World Council will meet and we will just pull it off — we will have to. We’ll have no other choice, if we don’t have a contract. We shouldn’t have anything on the calendar unless we have a contract in place.”

Jenson Button contract breach let £12m Brawn deal slip away (Daily Express)

"Just a month after being lifted to the heights of world champion by his team, Button was left in no doubt that he had let them down in a phone call with team principal Ross Brawn at the weekend. That came after a breach of contract when Button was shown around the McLaren factory, a move which shocked Brawn, who thought he was still in the middle of negotiations with Button."

McLaren gain retribution by luring Button with £18m deal (The Times)

"Button is thought to have fallen out with his former team over money with his camp claiming he was being offered £4 million for next year. The team have since said that they were offering £8 million. Either way there seems to have been a breakdown in relations and The Times understands that neither Button nor his advisers have been taking calls from Mercedes’s management for over a week."

Salo and Trulli’s taste of NASCAR (Motor Sport)

"Mika Salo and Jarno Trulli each spent a day this week behind the wheel of one of Michael Waltrip Racing’s Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup cars."

John Surtees pilots electric Ginetta G50EV through Channel Tunnel (Autoblog)

"Motor racing legend John Surtees added a bit of history to all three items by being the first person to drive a production car through the tunnel (usually, it's just trains and service vehicles down there). The F1 World Champion's vehicle of choice was an all-electric, all-sexy Ginetta G50EV."

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"Documents seen by the Guardian reveal that Briatore is asking for a total annulment of the FIA's instruction to its members – race organisers, teams or drivers – not to have any dealings with him. He is also demanding a minimum of €1m (£900,000) in compensation for the damage to his reputation. The case will be heard by France's high court, the Tribunal de Grande Instance, on 24 November. The Guardian also learnt yesterday that Pat Symonds, Renault's former executive director of engineering, will join Briatore's appeal, attempting to have his own five-year ban overturned on the grounds that the FIA, the international motor sport federation, and its World Council conducted the original hearings in an improper fashion."

Tribunal De Grande Instance (FIA)

"The FIA rejects the allegations made in these leaks and confirms that the decision to impose a sanction against Mr Briatore was made by an overwhelming majority of the attending World Motor Sport Council members."

The FIA discusses overtaking (Grandprix)

"The FIA was busy yesterday with an international seminar to examine the issue of overtaking in motor sport. The event was attended by FIA technical experts, circuit designers, technical directors, senior engineers and drivers from F1, NASCAR and IRL as well as other major championships."

Bernie Ecclestone, 79, makes Tatler list of most eligible singletons (Daily Telegraph)

"Mr Ecclestone, who is single again after splitting from his 6ft 2in wife, Slavica, is the oldest person on the Little Black Book list by several decades. However, as the magazine put it: 'A 79-year-old billionaire – what's not to like?'"

Lotus boss craves instant success (BBC)

"The reformed franchise has been funded by Malaysian companies Tune Group and Naza Group and will have a budget of £55 million for next season."

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