The Weekly Grapevine

The rumour mill keeps turning

Rumours in Canada suggested that a German-speaking driver held the key to the driver market - and, intriguingly, that driver was not Michael Schumacher, who it seems, is set to remain at Ferrari for another two years. Until end-2008, that is.

That, of course, implies that Kimi Raikkonen will head for Renault, where Flavio Briatore will welcome the current McLaren driver with open arms regardless of price. A powerful aphrodisiac, revenge...

All of which, of course, means that Finland's Heikki Kovalainen - another of Briatore's personally-managed chargers - is out of a race seat at Renault despite having done sterling service as tester this year, for Giancarlo Fisichella has been re-confirmed in the line-up, and three into two simply does not go in Grand Prix racing. So, where to for the latest fast Finn?

All of which drags Christian Klien's performances this year into focus. Red Bull Racing's Austrian protege, the first of a whole raft of junior drivers supported by the lifestyle drinks company to make it into the big time, has, bluntly, failed to deliver in his third season in Formula One, and his current championship position (16th from a single point versus 11th from eight for teammate David Coulthard) reflects just that.

Christian Klien © LAT

The Scot has outqualified Klien five:four this year to date on an adjusted basis, so however F1's golden rule of teammate comparisons is applied, the youngster is driving very much in the elder's shadow. Plus, DC's relationship with Red Bull's genius Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey goes back to 1993, whereas the Englishman has only this year got to know Klien. And, Newey's input counts for rather a lot when it comes to driver selection.

Newey has become increasingly aware of the shortcomings in his company's engine supply agreement with Ferrari, and with sister team Toro Rosso casting about for replacement power for the now-agricultural Cosworth V10 unit the team is running, the time could be right for Red Bull Racing to donate the Maranello-powered RB02 chassis to STR.

That the FIA will allow such donation seems a foregone conclusion; what justification therefore will be forthcoming will be most interesting, particularly after the governing body's president presented some rather peculiar reasons when permitting STR to inherit RBR 2005 engine/chassis package.

Thus two birds would be slaughtered, for Newey, a multi-championship winning engineer with Williams and McLaren, cannot be comfortable being measured against the results of RB02 - whose design was completed before he joined RBR in February this year.

Based on Newey's previous projects, his team would about now be 'freezing' the 2007 chassis' critical parameters, and included in those, are, somewhat logically, engine dimensions. But, what engine?

Ferrari may be able to supply three teams next year - themselves, STR and RBR - and, no doubt, desperately require the income, but does Newey actually wish to constantly be on the back foot when it comes to beating Maranello in a straight fight? Not if his reputation for being the most competitive individual in the pitlane is anything to go by.

So, it is clear, RBR, more specifically Newey, requires a power source other than Italian, and in a perfect world Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz would purchase Cosworth and have his favourite car group - Volkswagen/Audi - provide financial and engineering support.

But 2007 is nigh and Volkswagen this week all but confirmed that 10,000 employees were about to be laid off, so the time is far from right for the motor company to commit to F1, even with high-profile, marketing-led Red Bull.

What, then, are Newey's options? BMW is clearly focusing upon building their own team, and Toyota is internally committed to their own programme, and externally to Williams.

Mercedes? Bad blood is said to flow between the Three Pointed Star and Newey. Cosworth was dumped by the team a year ago, and is in any event too small under its present ownership. Honda is already supplying Aguri, and in any event has greater priorities than providing another team with the wherewithal to beat them.

Which leaves Renault, who a) recently admitted to seeking a customer for engines now that homologation - aimed at reducing development and manufacturing costs - is a certainty, and b) are desperately attempting to place Kovalainen, who is said to be on a 'pay and play' deal negotiated by Briatore the driver manager with Briatore the team boss. Which is why there is a ring of truth to the Red Bull/Renault/Klien/Kovalainen rumours.

Renault R26 V8 © LAT

That Rob White's Renault RS26 engine is amongst the sweetest out there is proven by Alonso's six victories and three seconds in the nine races to date. Yes, the Spaniard is driving superbly; yes, the R26 chassis is incredibly sympathetic to its Michelins; yes, the team epitomizes the word, but without a powerful, economical and reliable engine, their combined efforts would come to naught. The engine has one other extremely desirable attribute: it is available.

So Briatore offers RBR a supply of Renault's best, and parcels Kovalainen into the deal. There is, however, one sticking point: Klien, whose ties to Mateschitz, who in turn enjoys a reputation for loyalty to friends above all else, go back ten years - when the drinks mogul first sponsored his compatriot in karting.

The rumour mill in Canada suggested that Red Bull intend announcing their 2007 plans at the German-speaking Grand Prix closest to the company's global headquarters in Austria - which points to the race at Hockenheim on 30 July.

Klien thus has two races to prove beyond all doubt that he is deserving of a fourth season with Red Bull backing, but, if the truth be told, sources suggest that the decision has already been made to invite him off the driver strength come season's end, and that not even back-to-back wins in Indianapolis and France would change the situation.

Thus in 2007 Renault would have Raikkonen and Fisichella, Ferrari's line-up of Schumacher and Massa remains unchanged, with McLaren-Mercedes running Alonso and keeping Juan Pablo Montoya (on a heavily-reduced package), whilst Honda retain Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. Toyota have Ralf Schumacher for another year, with the team's John Howett last Friday allowing that Jarno Trulli's contract will likely be extended.

Next up in the constructors' championship is Williams-Toyota (Lexus?), who retain Mark Webber (Williams' option on the Australian expires at end-July) and Nico Rosberg, who is on a two-year deal expiring end-2007, with RBR-Renault running Coulthard and Kovalainen as outlined.

STR-Ferrari retains Scott Speed and Tonio Liuzzi, with the line-up of the balance - Midland and Aguri - being TBA, although the former seems forced to use Cosworths after Williams' successful overtures to Toyota, and Anthony Davidson getting the second seat at Aguri as partner to Taku Sato.

And Montoya's inclusion in the list, despite another lack-lustre showing last week in Canada? McLaren desperately require continuity whilst providing Lewis Hamilton with a test seat in 2007 and a full-on race deal the following season. Montoya desperately requires the opportunity of rebuilding his market value - something a good showing against Alonso in equal cars would undoubtedly achieve.

Thus the logic behind the rumour that Montoya has offered his services to Dennis for one year at a cut rate. Poor Klien does not even have that option...

The future of the US GP at Indy

The standard procedure come Grand Prix contract renewal time is as follows:

A year or so before the contract falls due, commercial rights' holder whispers to a favoured media outlet that another country/province/town in the region has expressed an interest in running a Grand Prix. In most cases the 'alternate' venue is a street circuit.

Incumbent promoter scurries about canvassing local political, economic and tourism support for 'his' event, and quantifies the 'benefits' of a Grand Prix for the economy whilst alluding darkly to the consequences of the event going elsewhere.

Politicians, with zero interest in Grand Prix racing - and in all likelihood major proponents of increased motorist taxes - suddenly pick up the cudgels and vow to retain the race, making millions in direct and indirect financial support available to the race promoter.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway pagoda and yard of bricks © Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The politician also agrees to underwrite the hosting fees - which can vary between $15m and $50m, depending upon regions' desperation to host an event, and the relative status of the event in the pantheon of Grand Prix history.

The 'final' Grand Prix arrives at the soon-to-be uncontracted circuit, and Ecclestone sweeps into town, holds a rapid round of meetings at which figures are tabled on a 'take-it-or-leave-it' basis, and said politician reaches for his pen over lunch on race day morning, and shortly before the start an announcement regarding the secure future of the Utopia Grand Prix is made.

Politician gets to award the third-place trophy after the race whilst his wife/mistress enjoys a massage/hair-do/pedicure/manicure in the Paddock Club.

Ecclestone has seemingly honed the procedure over many years, and usually hits the target with the first dart.

This weekend, though, the future of the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis (or anywhere else, for that matter) will be decided, and this time there will be little place for such relatively crude tactics, for the US government couldn't give a damn whether the race happens or not. Or where.

After all, Grand Prix racing is hardly home-grown, and the country's only driver representative (Scott Speed, Esq.) has hardly set the world alight with his performances. Okay, apart from some heated words before the stewards in Australia...

What sets the US event apart from the rest, though, is that Washington simply does not involve itself in the commercial aspects of motorsport. Yes, the country considers the classic Indianapolis 500 race its own, but, should the Hulman-George family-owned speedway collapse in a mountain of debt, Chapter 11 would be filed as though it were a corner shop with greater liabilities than assets.

Yes, the local hoteliers would shed buckets of tears at the race's passing, but politicians would still retain their seats. And, if that be the approach to the 'Indy', imagine the official approach to a Euro-centric race which insulted the nation a year ago.

So, in order to gain Tony George's signature, Ecclestone has had to resort to other tactics after the text-book approach, which six months ago saw rumours of a street race in Las Vegas circulated, failed to even raise a comment from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation's CEO Joie Chitwood. Let alone George.

And, George, of course, holds all the aces: following last year's fiasco, F1 owes the Speedway BIG TIME, and where the grandson of grain farmer Anton Hulman once viewed the race and Ecclestone as vital allies in his Indy Racing League skirmishes with CART, peace talks between the two open-wheeler series are well advanced, and just maybe IMS no longer needs F1 as desperately as it once did.

As such, and in compensation for last year's debacle, George has demanded a rumoured $5m discount off the $20m annual asking fee.

So, Ecclestone has resorted to denigrating the country's attitude towards the sport.

"It does not matter to Formula One if there is no Grand Prix in the US,' he told London's The Times last week. "What do we get from America? Aggravation, that's about all. If you say 'good morning' over there and it's five past 12, you end up with a lawsuit.

"We have never got any sponsors out there. The television has never taken off; we have more viewers in Malta than over there. If they want to continue having a round of the Formula One World Championship over there, I am happy to talk to them, which is what I will do when I get there. But I am not prepared to subsidize a race in America."

Americans have, quite rightly, never taken kindly to slurs - and Formula One does have US sponsors - think DaimlerChrysler, think Budweiser, think Marlboro (okay, they may not be the Ferraris in Indy, but any arguments that the tobacco company is a major sponsor?), think IH Case; then think any of the non-US companies with major interests and 'trans-plants' in the country: BMW, Honda, Renault (Nissan), Toyota, Bridgestone, Michelin, Shell plus the rest.

Consider, then, the inaccuracies in the statements, before even comparing the TV audience ratings previously given out for the US versus Malta.

At the end of the day, F1 needs the US more than the US needs F1, with Ecclestone's negotiating position further complicated by the 'hands-off' attitude of US politicians. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in George's office this weekend listening in on discussions between two notoriously tough negotiators.