News from the Paddock - US GP

McLaren has admitted that it is seeking to hire both Alexander Wurz and Ricardo Zonta as test drivers in 2001. Both are eager to continue racing in Formula One, but if not will work for McLaren in an effort to kick-start their Formula One careers. Wurz has had a particularly poor season, scoring his first points for Benetton this year with fifth at Monza, while Zonta also scored with sixth, heading for unemployment after his years with BAR. An announcement is expected before the US Grand Prix.

Britain’s Formula Renault 2000 champion, Finn Kimi Raikkonen has been testing for the Sauber this week and in his first drive with the team, sensationally beat the time of regular driver Pedro Diniz on Tuesday. He was less than a second behind the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher.

Raikkonen, 20, is only in his first year in motor racing, since graduating from karts. Last year he contested four UK Formula Renault Sport races and won the end-of-season Winter Series. This year, he has raced in Formula Renault, winning seven out of the ten rounds and being crowned champion just two weeks ago.

"Driving the Sauber has been incredible," he admitted earlier this week. "The acceleration was a bit of a shock when I went out onto the track for the first time, as was the speed the corners came up - despite the extra speed the braking points are still the same as in Formula Renault!

"But it’s probably been the best two days of my life. Today, though, I just want to rest, but with every lap I’ve learned more and more about the car so hope that I can do an even better job."

Sauber’s test team manager Jacky Eeckelaert, said that he had been very impressed with the Finn’s performance. "Kimi has been doing a very good job and continues to surprise us with the high standard of his driving. He has given good feedback and acquitted himself very well."

Jean Alesi has admitted that he will be staying with the Prost team next year. He has always said that he will stay with Alain Prost and he said that Alain had told him that he would still be involved with his eponymous team in 2001 and that Jean would still have a drive. Quite who his teammate will be is still not decided. Alesi has called for next year’s car to be designed by John Barnard, who currently supplies the team with specialist parts. The team’s designer, Alan Jenkins, was sacked earlier this year and the team doesn’t have a fulltime technical director. But Barnard isn’t particularly keen to design again, and he prefers his manufacturing business. Jenkins was present at the Italian Grand Prix but is unlikely to be re-hired following a clash with his French engineers.

Bernie Ecclestone has been attacking Silverstone again. While the destiny of the British Grand Prix is in doubt once again, following the British government’s decision to order a public inquiry into the rebuilding of Brands Hatch which was meant to run the race from 2002 onwards, Ecclestone seems adamant that the race won’t go back to Silverstone. Like Max Mosley, he has said that "Silverstone is the worst track on the calendar. We(Britain) should have the best track in the world, but we’ve got the worst. It’s not a case of a repaint job any more. It needs rebuilding." Ecclestone doesn’t believe that Brands Hatch has a chance of hosting the British Grand Prix now, and that its future lies with either Donington(which certainly needs considerable modification before it is suitable for Grand Prix racing) or the much-criticised Silverstone.

Meanwhile, it looks as if Silverstone will run its final Grand Prix in July next year. A deal has been done with the Austrian Grand Prix to swap dates. It is currently pencilled in for July 22. This year, it was given a date in April which turned into a disaster when heavy rain flooded car parks.

Austria was happy to swap dates because July 22 is a national holiday in the country, and it wouldn’t have been good for the crowd. The move also suits the teams because testing has been banned during the four weeks leading up to a race at those circuits which still host major F1 tests, including Silverstone. If Silverstone had hosted its race in May, there would have been almost no usable testing prior to the race. The calendar is unlikely to be announced before October or December.