February 2002

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Sperafico breaks record in Misano testing Durango carried out private testing at Misano, Italy today, Rodrigo Sperafico setting a new track record in his new Lola B2/50. The Brazilian set a best lap of 1m19.4s, beating Vitor Meira's previous best from Euro 3000 testing (in a Lola B99/50) of 1:21.05. Alex Müller drove the car which both teammates had used in official Estoril and Barcelona testing, while Sperafico debuted the team's second 2002-spec chassis. Sperafico commented that in the morning he shook-down the car, immediately setting competitive times, but later suffered with a front-right brake problem.

Müller confirmed at Durango It has been confirmed that former BMW Oreca driver Alex Müller has signed for Durango Formula, where he partners Rodrigo Sperafico. The German sealed the deal at official Barcelona testing last week, as did his Brazilian teammate. Müller, a frontrunner in Euro 3000 last season, told Autosport: "It feels good to be back. My realistic hopes are to try and win races this year." The silly season page has been updated.

BSR to enter Dallara Nissan in 2003? According to today's Autosport, top German F3 team Bertram Schäfer Racing could enter the Dallara Nissan V6 series in 2003. It has emerged that BSR considered entering the series this year with their German F3 driver Frank Diefenbacher, but the German's sponsors chose to stay in F3.

No testing from Misano? It appears that collective Italian F2 testing planned for today at Misano was cancelled. The date has been removed from the series' official site. Also, according to the site's calendar, the date of the first round of the championship from Vallelunga on April 7 is still subject to confirmation.

Big1 renamed Symbol? According to Prorace, the Big1 Formula 2 team of Nestor Biglieri has been renamed "Symbol", following their launch in Italy on Sunday. However, as a press release from the actual team this week still named the squad "Big1", we await confirmation on the name change.

Bobbi to be Minardi F1 test driver? Matteo Bobbi is the "official test driver for KL Minardi Asiatech" according to a press release from RPM at the official Open Telefonica site. Bobbi has tested for Minardi, but it has not yet been announced who would be the official test driver. F3000 driver Bas Leinders had been seeking the funds for the drive. Italian Bobbi has signed to race for Vergani Racing in Formula Nissan 2000, the category for the existing Formula Nissan cars, which is joined this year by the new Dallara Nissan V6 series. His career is managed by a group of Italian investors linked to the company Freelab, in collaboration with KL Minardi Asiatech.

Indy Lights cars to race on in Canadian ChampCar 6000 Although not F3000 news, a new series starting this year could be of interest to fans of high level single seater feeder formulae. Canadian ChampCar 6000 will use the '97 spec Lola previously used in the Indy Lights championship, which ended last year. All races will be run on road courses in Canada and North America, with the first race at Shannonville on June 2nd. A number of former Indy Lights teams plan to race, with established teams Brian Stewart Racing, Genoa Racing, Indy Regency Racing and Roaquin Motorsports, all familiar with the equipment, joined by TMR Racing. Brian Stewart Racing and Genoa Racing are also planning to compete in the new Infiniti Pro Series, an IRL support formula seen as the successor to Indy Lights. Canadian ChampCar 6000 joins the bill of the existing Canadian ChampCar Lights series at most races. New Formula Nippon Team Nova driver Kiyoto Yamamoto was runner-up in ChampCar Lights last year, with the L.A. Rainbow team. The series will from this year use the Formula Dream Dome FD99-Mugen RS-X package in the main Championship class, having previously been run exclusively for 1995/96 Van Diemen Formula Renault cars imported from Europe.

Ito signs for new squad "Team 22" There will be a new team in Formula Nippon this year. Team 22, run by Mooncraft, is owned by US Major League baseball player Kazuhiro Sasaki, who plays in a number "22" shirt for the Seattle Mariners. Daisuke Ito will race for the team, the Japanese having finished on the Macau F3 podium in 1999, a first for his country. Ito had already tested for Mooncraft itself this winter. News thanks to Tooru Kitajima. The silly season page has been updated.

Big1 team launches in Italy; four drivers confirmed The new Big1 team of Nestor Biglieri was presented in Pinarolo Po, Italy, last Sunday (24th). Big1 will race in the new Formula 2 series for ex-F3000 Lola T96/50s this year. At the launch it was confirmed that Paolo Biglieri, Giovanni Montanari and Gianmaria Gabbiani will be their three race drivers, while Alessandro Canale was introduced as the team's test driver (source: Nestor Biglieri). Gabbiani was previously linked to a possible GP Racing entry. The silly season page has been updated.

Coloni enters Formula 2 F3000 regulars Coloni Motorsport will enter a team in the Italy-based Formula 2 series this year (source: Prorace). The Italian squad will offer an F3000 test (we believe) to his drivers, while the champion of the series is set to be given a Minardi F1 test. Coloni will enter the series for the Lola T96/50 chassis alongside their International F3000 and planned Euro 3000 campaigns. The silly season page has been updated.

Pörnbacher signs for ADM Armin Pörnbacher yesterday signed to partner Vitor Meira at ADM Motorsport in Euro 3000 this year, team manager Renato Melchioretto confirmed (news thanks to Enrico Rosi Cappellani). The 24 year old Italian from Brunico raced for Team Ghinzani last year. Previously he raced in German F3 and German and Eurocup Formula Renault. He tested for ADM last week, having previously tested for Uboldi Corse at the end of last year. The silly season page has been updated.

Yamamoto signs for Nova Kiyoto Yamamoto has signed to race for Team Nova in Formula Nippon, it has been announced (news thanks to Tooru Kitajima). The team will be renamed Soft on Demand Team Nova, in deference to new title backing from the "Soft on Demand" adult video company which Yamamoto brings to the team. Yamamoto, 19 years old, is a graduate from the Canadian Champ Car Lights series. His teammate is rumoured to be Haruki Kurosawa. The silly season page has been updated.

Motoyama/Tsuchiya not yet confirmed Although on the provisional entry list at the Formula Nippon official site (see news of 24/2), Satoshi Motoyama and Takeshi Tsuchiya have not yet been confirmed at IMPUL and Team LeMans respectively. Both however are close to the drives. The silly season page has been updated, and drivers have been downgraded from confirmed status.

Jaguar junior team in F3000? An email we have received has suggested that there could be a Jaguar affiliated team in F3000 this season, with an unannounced driver having signed for them. It has already been rumoured that a number of F3000 teams are seeking to tie-up deals with F1 teams, but we have not yet heard of any involvement from Jaguar. As such, we are considering this as a rumour until we receive any firm information. Jaguar pulled out of British F3 at the end of last year, the team's forerunner Paul Stewart Racing having competed in junior series such as F3000, F3 and Formula Vauxhall for many years.

Wilson to compete at Sebring Justin Wilson will compete at this year's Sebring 12 Hours, a round of the American Le Mans Series, despite not yet having a regular drive for the year. The reigning International F3000 champion will drive for Ascari (source: F3000.com / J.Wilson Yahoo club).

F3000 TV coverage confirmed The European television coverage of International F3000 has been confirmed, formula-3000.net has announced. Once again Eurosport will be broadcasting the races on the day, with all 12 rounds live. ITV's International Motorsport programme will include highlights as it has since 1997. It is to be shown on non-Grand Prix weekends, starting with highlights of the Interlagos round on May 18th and running until October 19th.

Scheckter joins Cheever IRL squad Former International, Italian and Euro F3000 driver Tomas Scheckter has signed to partner Eddie Cheever at the Red Bull backed Cheever Racing Indy Racing League team. The South African, runner-up to Franck Montagny in Formula Nissan last year, said: "Joining Red Bull Cheever Racing is an unbelievable opportunity. Two months ago, I never would have imagined I would be in this position. I am lucky to be driving in the Indy Racing League with one of the best teams on pit lane." The IRL kicks off this season at Homestead, Miami.

Pavlovic to RC Motorsport? According to an email, Milos Pavlovic has rejoined RC Motorsport for the Dallara Nissan V6 series. The Yugoslav raced for the team when they were a Benetton Junior outfit in the 2000 British F3 championship, finishing 11th. The silly season page has been updated with this news, but we await official confirmation.

Keen linked to Coloni Former KJR Monaco Motorsport driver Justin Keen has been linked to a series return with Coloni (news thanks to reader Phil). Keen, the 2000 Formula Palmer Audi runner-up, competed in the first two F3000 races last season and tested for Arden Team Russia late last year.

Pantano and Müller contracts signed? According to an email, Giorgio Pantano has signed for Super Nova for this season. He has long been favourite to land a drive, although the team have continued to evaluate the Italian along with Sebastien Bourdais and Tiago Monteiro without making any final decisions. The silly season page has been updated, but we await confirmation of the deal. Similarly it looks as though Alex Müller has signed for Durango to partner Rodrigo Sperafico, backing up other reports that have suggested so. Again, we await official confirmation of the news.

Basso signs for GP Racing Martin Basso has signed to race for GP Racing, it has been confirmed. The Argentinian finished fourth in CART Toyota Atlantic last year with Michael Shank Racing. In Buenos Aires on 21st February (Thursday) the local Automobile Club (ACA) announced the agreement in an official press release, confirmed by Corsa magazine, La Nación newspaper and Basso's website (news supplied thanks to Nicolas Korzan). Basso was invited over to Europe to test for GP Racing late last year, with the assistance of European Minardi. He will line up alongside Euro 3000 frontrunner Alessandro Piccolo in Tancredi Pagiaro's squad.

Tachikawa set to race for Fortec Italia According to reports in Japan, Formula Nippon ace Yuji Tachikawa is going to Italy, and is likely to sign for Fortec Italia Motorsport (news thanks to Tooru Kitajima). Tachikawa, third in Formula Nippon last year, tested Fortec Italia Motorsport's Lola earlier this year.

Cochet signs for Dandelion and chases Arrows test drive Former French F3 champion and F3000 driver Jonathan Cochet has signed to race for DoCoMo Dandelion in Formula Nippon as expected. He is also in negotiations with Arrows for an F1 test driver role. He said on his website last Monday (18th): "It's done, it is official: I have signed to Japan. As I told you last time, the proposals to spend the season in the Nipponese Formula Championship were not far from succeeding. Well, now they are finalised and I've spent the last week with Docomo Dandelion. It is of course excellent news because it will allow me to continue my career in single-seaters, in a high level competition because the performances of the cars are between F1 and F3000. To give you a small idea of their power, during the trials carried out on the Suzuka circuit, I finished with a time that was just 6 seconds behind the pole position of Michael Schumacher on the same track last year. It was great to take control of this car and to work with all the team, you can see that from my photograph [see website]." He commented on the Arrows negotiations: "But, my primary objective remains F1 and for the moment, with my agent Didier Poulmaire, we are still in negotiations with the Arrows for a position as a test driver. Not forgetting the Mans 24 hours race, a race that I am truly passionate about. I do not want to miss that this year. That's all the news for now; I am still in Japan this week for other trials. I'll write again very soon." News thanks to Tooru Kitajima. The silly season page has been updated.

Ara to race for Kondo Seiji Ara will race the #3 Kondo Racing Formula Nippon entry this year, according to the team's official site. News supplied thanks to Tooru Kitajima. Ara was 12th overall with Cerumo last year. The silly season page has been updated.

Tsuchiya to race for Team LeMans Takeshi Tsuchiya will race for Team LeMans this season, according to the provisional entry list from the official site (thanks to Nicolas Korzan). Tsuchiya was 8th overall last season and rookie of the year with ARTA. The silly season page has been updated.

Motoyama confirmed at IMPUL Reigning champion Satoshi Motoyama will stay with Team IMPUL as expected, according to the provisional entry list from the official site (thanks to Nicolas Korzan). The silly season page has been updated.

Misano testing day 2 update... Euro 3000 Misano testing times from day 2 (Friday 22nd) have been updated here (source: Prorace). Under improved weather conditions, Vitor Meira (ADM) was quickest on the second day and overall, with 1:21.47 or 1:21.05 depending on the source quoted. Joel Camathias (Famà) was second of only three drivers testing on day 2, with 1:22.21. Armin Pörnbacher (ADM) was third on the day with 1:23.82. More collective testing will take place on March 26th and 27th at Vallelunga, with testing also planned for Albacete.

Misano testing: Basso and Meira impress Argentina's Martin Basso topped the times as seven cars tested at Misano, Italy, ahead of the Euro 3000 season on Thursday (source: Prorace). The former CART Toyota Atlantic frontrunner set a time of 1:23.27 for GP Racing, to finish ahead of Draco's Matteo Grassotto (1:23.44) and ADM Motorsport's Vitor Meira (1:23.54). Also testing were Alessandro Piccolo (GP Racing), Armin Pörnbacher (ADM Motorsport), Joel Camathias (Scuderia Famà) and Augusto Farfus (Draco). Testing continued yesterday (Friday), when Meira set a record lap of 1:21.05 in the Lola B99/50, surpassing the track's previous best time held by Ricardo Sperafico (1:22.48) (source: zaz.com.br). Times have been added to the Euro 3000 winter testing page. Testing will continue next month at Albacete, Spain.

Camathias reunites with Famà Former KTR International F3000 driver Joel Camathias has been testing for new Euro 3000 team Scuderia Famà at Misano (see above). The Swiss, rumoured to be switching to the series, last raced for the team in Formula Nissan in 2000, when he finished ninth overall. He was 16th overall in F3000 last year after scoring points on his Interlagos debut. The Euro 3000 silly season page has been updated.

Pörnbacher tests for ADM Armin Pörnbacher has emerged as a candidate to partner Vitor Meira at ADM Motorsport in Euro 3000 this year. The Italian, who raced for Team Ghinzani last year, tested for the team at Misano on Thursday (see above story). The Euro 3000 silly season page has been updated.

Monteiro yet to sign for Super Nova Portugal's Tiago Monteiro was wrongly reported in a Portuguese press release as having signed for Super Nova. A team spokesperson said yesterday (source: crash.net): "Tiago has not officially signed for Super Nova. A decision and press release regarding our drivers for 2002 will be sent out in the next couple of days." Monteiro is up against Giorgio Pantano and Sebastien Bourdais for one of two seats at Super Nova. All three have tested for the team in the last two weeks. The silly season page has been updated.

Sperafico signs for Durango; team to test at Misano Brazil's Rodrigo Sperafico has signed to race for Durango as expected. The twin brother of Petrobras Junior race winner Ricardo, Rodrigo raced for Coloni for most of last season. Reports also state that Alex Muller will race for the team as expected. Durango will follow up the FIA Barcelona testing by taking two cars to Misano, Italy, on 28th February for a private test. The silly season page has been updated.

Sport Center team could enter Formula 2 According to Prorace, the Sport Center team are planning to enter the new Formula 2 series in Italy this year. Sport Center is run by sporting director Massimo Poli and former Draco engineer Piero Magnolfi, who is technical director. Last year in Italy they competed in the Targa Tricolore Porsche series and the ISCS. The team are currently in negotiations with one Dutch driver and considering some Italian drivers for the other seat. The Italian F2 silly season page has been updated.

Minardi confirm involvement in Formula 2 According to the official site, European Minardi have confirmed their planned support of the new Formula 2 series for Lola T96/50 F3000 machinery. Giancarlo Minardi is currently working towards a deal which would allow the inaugural champion of the series to test a Minardi F1 car.

Toyota contracted Sarrazin unlikely for Nissan series French former F3000 driver Stephane Sarrazin has signed as Toyota's F1 test driver, meaning he is unlikely to race in the new Dallara Nissan V6 series. Sarrazin, who will share testing duties with F3000 rookie Ryan Briscoe, had apparently signed for Gabord Competition for the new "Formula Super Nissan" series, widely considered a direct rival to International F3000. However, Toyota are unlikely to allow him to run in a series run by rival Japanese car company Nissan. Sarrazin has F1 experience as a former Prost test driver and brief Minardi racing driver. He said: "I am really happy to be given the opportunity to test drive for the Toyota team. It is not only a big step for me personally but also a huge boost for my career, and I can't wait to get started."

Sears considers Euro Lights team for 2003 David Sears, boss of top F3000 team Super Nova, is considering entering a team in the new Euro Lights oval racing series which starts next year. Sears said in today's Autosport: "We haven't committed to it yet, but we're looking at it seriously. We're interested. The Americans love our European drivers, but they want them to have oval experience. That's why we would like to get involved." Sears could give his F3000 drivers the chance to run in Euro Lights in the same season, to prepare them for racing on both sides of the Atlantic. The series will run on the two current European ovals, Rockingham in England and EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany, and probably on ovals planned for France and Sweden. Sears said of the series: "You still need a few more ovals built in the next couple of years to really make it work."

Kiesa confirmed at PSM Racing Line Former F3 front-runner Nicolas Kiesa has signed to race for new F3000 team PSM Racing Line, today's Autosport confirms. The Dane signed on Monday after testing the team's red and white painted Lola at Estoril last week. He said: "I signed on Monday and I'm very happy to be here. They are new to F3000 and so am I, but we gelled very well in the test and I'm optimistic for the year." He added: "I love the new F3000 cars - they're great to drive, and my target must be to finish in the top five." Kiesa won the British Formula Ford championship in 1999, before joining the Benetton affiliated RC Motorsport in British F3 in 2000, finishing sixth in the standings. He stayed with the team for 2001, by then a Prost junior squad, but RC quit the series and Kiesa turned to German F3 with GM Motorsport for 14 races. He now graduates with his teammate from that season, Tony Schmidt, to PSM Racing Line, a team formed by GM boss Sigi Muller in a link up with Mücke Motorsport.

Durango close to Muller and Sperafico deals According to today's Autosport, Durango Formula are "very close" to sealing deals with Alex Muller and Rodrigo Sperafico.

Zonta wants Dallara Nissan race drive F1 refugee Ricardo Zonta revealed that he would like to race in the new Dallara Nissan V6 series, having tested the car this week. The test was to give early impressions to chassis builder Dallara and tyre supplier Michelin, but the Brazilian confirmed that he is looking at the series, despite the fact that it would be a step down the ladder. Zonta told Autosport: "I want to race again. We are thinking about it and the car looks good. You never know. I wanted to get back into F1, but now I am looking for a series where I can race."

Marques was targeted for Dallara Nissan test It has emerged that Ricardo Zonta was called in as a last minute replacement for former Minardi F1 driver Tarso Marques to test the new Dallara Nissan V6 3000 chassis this week. Zonta drove the car after fellow Brazilian Marques was unavailable. Antonio Garcia drove the car on Monday and Zonta on Tuesday, not the days we previously reported by mistake. Garcia completed 25 laps before suffering a blown engine.

Paffett could race in F3000 German F3 frontrunner Gary Paffett could yet race in International F3000 or Euro 3000, according to today's Autosport. The Brit had been talking to British F3 team Motaworld Racing, but Tom Sisley has taken the available seat. Paffett tested for International F3000 team Coloni late last year.

Diefenbacher ruled out of F3000 Frank Diefenbacher will not compete in F3000 this season, despite testing for Team Astromega over the winter. The German will remain in German F3 at Team BSR, to attempt to win the title he lost to teammate Toshihiro Kaneishi last year. He commented to Autosport that: "...Furthermore, I rate F3 higher than F3000."

Barcelona day 2: Friesacher fastest Red Bull Junior driver Patrick Friesacher set the fastest time as official testing from Barcelona finished today. The Austrian was on 1:29.38, eclipsing Giorgio Pantano's best time from yesterday. Rodrigo Sperafico, yet to be confirmed at Durango, was second today with 1:29.47, ahead of Arden's Tomas Enge. Friesacher's teammate Ricardo Mauricio set the fastest time in the afternoon session, but ended up 8th fastest as the morning session was quicker. Sebastien Bourdais took over from Pantano as the shootout for the second Super Nova drive continued [Monteiro has reportedly signed for one seat - see news yesterday], and finished sixth fastest of the 16 drivers out today. Times are available here.

20th February 2002 - Dallara Nissan V6 [previously referred to here as Formula Super Nissan]:

F1 star Zonta and Garcia debut new Dallara Former F1 driver Ricardo Zonta gave the new Dallara Nissan V6 3000 car a run at Albacete this week, breaking the track record with a time of 1m17.8s (163.76 km/h, maximum speed of 242 km/h). F3000 refugee Antonio Garcia gave the car a shakedown before handing over to the Brazilian ex-F3000 champion. Garcia will race in the new series for Adrian Campos Motorsport this year. In two days the duo have given the car a total of 109 laps of running. Former BAR and Jordan driver Zonta said: "This is my very first drive in 6 months - I feel so happy. The car has great potential. There are a few aspects to work with, like the suspension, but we did a lot of work already, testing tyres and driving under race set up conditions. It is a very fast car. The balance must be positive." RPM Racing's [series promoter] Jaime Alguersuari commented: "This is the end of a dream that it has been gestating during the last five years, and is the beginning of a reality that has overcome that dream." The Open Telefonica by Nissan series, incorporating the Dallara Nissan V6 series (originally called Formula Super Nissan), will begin on 12th May at Valencia.

Barcelona day 1: unsigned Pantano fastest Two day official testing from Barcelona kicked off today with Giorgio Pantano fastest on 1:29.94. The Italian, who drove for Astromega last season, has not yet been confirmed at Super Nova but he has long been a favourite for the drive. Petrobras Junior's Ricardo Sperafico was second fastest on 1:30.22, with Coloni's new signing Enrico Toccacelo third. Rookie Tony Schmidt impressed in fifth place with the new PSM Racing Line team. Once again European Minardi F3000 were absent from today's test session, leading to speculation about the team's future. Times are available here.

Monteiro signs for Super Nova Portugal's Tiago Monteiro has signed to race for Super Nova, who will be the official Renault junior team in F3000 this season (see below). Monteiro, 25, raced for ASM in French F3 last year and finished as runner-up to BAR test driver Ryo Fukuda. He has the backing of Portuguese and multinational companies such as Renault Portugal, Iberotel, Santogal Group, Unicer, Brose - Technic fur Automobile, Elf, SG tabacos and Qta da Marinha Golf Conference Resort. He will become a member of Renault's Driver Development programme (RDD), having tested Super Nova's Lola B2/50 for the first time at Estoril last week. He said: "It wasn't a real test, but a shakedown to see if the car is 100% ok. I did 50 laps in Estoril, and I was impressed with the new gearbox - now with six gears - and with the steering wheel, that is much better than the one in the old car [the Lola B99/50]." He added: "My first goal is to learn the Formula One Circuits and try to do my best in each race, as my performance will be assessed by Renault, through RDD". Of his F3000 prospects he said: "I'd like to be the best rookie of the season and try to win some points with regularity. I know it will not be easy because the other drivers have a lot more experience in Formula 3000 compared to myself and they also have the added advantage of already knowing the circuits. Anyway, I will do my best. Monte-Carlo, Spa and Monza are the only circuits I have raced before, which will bring a additional difficulty for this season". Of his promotion to the Renault RDD scheme, Monteiro said: "It is a very important relationship, because I can count on the backup of this make, in the circuits and in the tests, that can be very important to my future" (source: motorsport.com / Renault / dca). Monteiro joins a number of drivers in the junior ranks as RDD drivers. Fabio Carbone and Heikki Kovalainen will race for Fortec in British F3, Eric Salignon and Robert Kubica will race in the Formula Renault Eurocup, while Carlo van Dam will compete in Super A karting.

Pantano or Bourdais to be left in the cold? Only 7 seats remain... The news that Tiago Monteiro has signed for Super Nova (see above) leaves only one seat remaining at Super Nova, which will be disputed between Giorgio Pantano, who topped official test times today (see above), and the highly rated Sebastien Bourdais. One of the pair could be left without a top seat in F3000 this year. Apart from Super Nova, the only remaining unconfirmed seats are at Durango (2 seats), European Minardi F3000 (2 seats), Coloni (1 seat) and PSM Racing Line (1 seat). European Minardi's plans are unclear, the team having missed all of the official test sessions so far this year.

Super Nova get Renault Junior Team status Super Nova will run as the official Renault junior team in F3000 this year (source: motorsport.com / Renault / dca). Tiago Monteiro has signed to race for the team (see above), and will be a member of the Renault Driver Development (RDD) programme. Durango have carried Benetton Junior Team status for the past two seasons, initially in Italian F3000 and last year in the main FIA series. Last year Super Nova, who ran Benetton's test driver Mark Webber, claimed Durango had no right to the status, after Renault had bought out Benetton, the Benetton family having originally made the agreement with Durango. Super Nova had been linked to Renault junior status last year, but although their livery incorporated the blue Benetton colours, no official tie-up was established until now.

Biagi signs for Team Ghinzani Euro 3000 ace Thomas Biagi will race for Team Ghinzani in the Euro 3000 championship, autosportnews confirms. The Italian was runner-up last year with GP Racing after a long spell with the team, losing out to Sauber F1 rookie Felipe Massa. Ghinzani team owner and ex-F1 driver Piercarlo Ghinzani commented that Thomas reminded him of how he was at the same age, with the same desire to compete in F1. Thomas stated that he wants to improve on last season, which suggests that his intention is to win the championship this year. Last year Team Ghinzani took Alex Müller to third in the championship. Biagi had previously been linked to Fortec Italia Motorsport, having tested for them and won the Bologna Motorshow indoor event this winter.

Saelens plans more F3000; Belgian to drive F1 2-seater in Melbourne David Saelens has stated that another season of F3000 is likely this year, after being unable to find the necessary budget for a Minardi F1 contract. The Belgian, who raced for European Minardi in F3000 last year, will fly to Melbourne on Wednesday to drive the Minardi 2-seater F1 car around the city's streets in a promotional event ahead of March's Australian Grand Prix. Saelens commented of the drive: "You have to be crazy not to accept such an offer, especially when you're getting paid to do it." (News with thanks to Geert Barentsen). Maintaining his links with Paul Stoddart's outfit, it appears Saelens could still be a major contender to retain his F3000 seat. Saelens has also been strongly linked to a Formula Super Nissan (or Dallara Nissan V6) drive with F3000 defectors KTR.

Leinders: "it's only a matter of money" for F1 test deal Belgium's Bas Leinders remains a strong contender for the F1 test driver seat at Minardi. The F3000 frontrunner said: "The contract is ready to be signed, it's only a matter of money now." (news thanks to Geert Barentsen). He will not however be travelling to Malaysia for the team's 2002 launch. Leinders is otherwise expected to race for KTR again this year, the team moving into Formula Super Nissan (or Dallara Nissan V6).

Kiesa waits for PSM Racing Line decision on Monday Dane Nicolas Kiesa will find out tomorrow (Monday) if he is to drive for the new PSM Racing Line team this season (source: kiesa.com press release). He was seventh fastest of 18 drivers in the combined two-day FIA Estoril testing times last week. Kiesa commented: "The test went very well considering this was the first time I have driven for PSM Racing Line, the set-up of the car was good right from the start. Now I must wait to see if I can continue with the team for the whole season, I very much hope this will be the case and we can get on with the testing programme before the first race in Brazil." Earlier reports had linked Kiesa to European Minardi F3000, who were absent from the Estoril tests and have not yet signed any drivers.

Pereira to race in Formula Renault Brazil's Carlos Pereira will race for RC Motorsport in the Formula Renault Eurocup and selected Italian Formula Renault rounds, Prorace confirms. After signing for RC Motorsport, the Formula Chevrolet graduate was a possibility in their new Formula Super Nissan team, but has decided to compete in the junior category instead. He feels that it is important to learn as many European tracks as possible, something which the Eurocup offers. The Formula Super Nissan silly season page has been updated with this news.

Formula 2 revised testing dates There have been some changes to the official testing dates for the new Formula 2 series set up in Italy. The Misano date of 28th February remains, as does the two-day Adria test in July, but a test at Vallelunga pencilled in for September has been dropped according to the calendar on the official site. The change has been added in the Formula 2 section.

Mosley: F1 teams should give Wilson a chance FIA president Max Mosley has criticised Formula 1 teams for failing to give F3000 champion Justin Wilson a fair chance in F1. The Brit remains without a drive for 2002, having impressed in his test for Jordan last year without being offered any further chances. Mosley said of F1 teams: "If they gave him a trial he would be very quick and would probably be quicker than some of the F1 drivers. But I suppose it's inconvenient because he's 6ft 3in and they just can't be bothered. It's a great pity."

Mosley: F3000 cars could bolster F1 grids FIA president Max Mosley has revealed that contingency plans exist which could allow F3000 cars to join F1 grids, should entries dwindle in the future. Mixed grids of F1 and F3000 machinery have been considered in case the global recession leads to a sharp decline in the number of F1 entrants. Prost Grand Prix went into liquidation recently, and the current financial climate means other minnows could follow suit. There are also fears that a number of F1 manufacturers could pull out at the same time if they are not happy with the returns on their investment. The Concorde Agreement held between F1 teams ensures that a minimum of 16 cars must take part in each race, while similar requirements for minimum entrants are believed to be included in TV contracts. Mosley told Autosport: "There have to be 16 F1 cars and if there are fewer than that we would have to take steps, probably to allow F3000 cars in. It happened in the 1960s when there were mixed grids of F1 and F2 cars." The new F1-style narrow track F3000 regulations would make such a "last resort" move more feasible than in the past.

Tavano linked to ETCC seat Euro 3000 race winner Salvatore Tavano is one driver in the frame for a Ravaglia Motorsport seat in the European Touring Car Championship alongside Jordi Gene. The Italian is up against Norman Simon, Peter Kox and Fabrizio de Simone for the remaining works BMW seat, Autosport reports. Tavano finished fourth overall in Euro 3000 with Sighinolfi last season, winning at Zolder.

DAMS aiming to compete in Super Nissan Having confirmed that they were quitting F3000 last week, French veterans DAMS have announced plans to compete in the new Formula Super Nissan series. Boss Jean-Paul Driot told Autosport: "We are now talking to major sponsors for Dallara Nissan." He also blamed costs, the lack of any financial returns and the poor uptake of F3000 drivers to F1 for his decision to quit the series.

Estoril official testing day 2: Enge fastest overall as Arden impresses Arden's Tomas Enge emerged fastest in the second day of official testing from Estoril, his time of 1m28.121s the best set in the two official days and the preceding day of unofficial testing. Teammate Bjorn Wirdheim also impressed, topping the today's afternoon session and finishing second on the final timesheets for the day. Enrico Toccacelo was third today for Coloni, ahead of that team's former driver Rodrigo Sperafico with Durango. Astromega's Rob Nguyen suffered a blown gearbox, while Super Nova and sister team Petrobras Junior were said to have suffered transmission problems. Times are available here.

Big crash for Baumgartner Zsolt Baumgartner suffered a heavy crash in the final day of Estoril testing today. The Nordic Racing driver went off in the first corner and straight into the barrier, but the Hungarian emerged with only a sore neck. Team boss Chris Mower said that the cause was not driver error. He also praised the new Lola B2/50's structural integrity, telling autosport.com: "It was at very high speed and he went straight into the barrier. With this car's narrow track, the wheels didn't fold back into the sidepods and there is no damage to the monocoque. It is quite impressive compared to the old car [the Lola B99/50]."

Cagliari race update... Today's Autosport reveals more details about the proposed Euro 3000 street race at the Sicilian capital Cagliari. The 1.8 mile track, its final form yet to be decided, will run around the city's second-division football team's stadium. The race has the backing of Cagliari's mayor and local government.

Manning tests F3 Ralt Former Arden F3000 driver Darren Manning helped Team Avanti test the new Ralt F3 chassis at Pembrey last week, completing 110 laps, Autosport reports. Avanti are evaluating whether to use the new chassis from the marque, which is aiming to end Dallara's monopoly on the formula. Matthew Gilmore and Stefano Fabi will race for Team Avanti in British F3 this season.

Enge to race Prodrive Ferrari Arden F3000 driver Tomas Enge will race a Prodrive Ferrari 550 Maranello at Sebring and Le Mans this year, Autosport confirms. He will partner ex-touring car aces Rickard Rydell and Alain Menu.

KTR close to signing Leinders and Saelens According to reports in Spain, F3000 defectors KTR are close to signing last season's driver Bas Leinders and fellow Belgian David Saelens for their Formula Super Nissan effort. News thanks to Jose Ramon Galan.

Tuero to partner Sarrazin? Former F1 driver Esteban Tuero has again been strongly linked to Gabord Competicion, where he could line up alongside Stephane Sarrazin, news thanks to Jose Ramon Galan. The Argentinian was set to remain in the TC2000 series in Argentina according to earlier reports. He had previously been linked to GD Racing in addition to Gabord.

Estoril testing: Enge fastest on first official day Tomas Enge (Arden) topped the times on the first day of official F3000 testing at Estoril, Portugal, today. The Czech set a best of 1m28.82s, outpacing Mario Haberfeld (Astromega) and Sebastien Bourdais (Super Nova). Testing began yesterday (Tuesday) with unofficial sessions, 12 cars venturing out, topped by Alex Muller testing for Durango on 1:29.77. Only 14 drivers went out today, a disappointing turnout for the first major test of the season. Times are available here. Official testing concludes tomorrow.

Kiesa tests for PSM Racing Line as team makes debut One surprise appearance at the Estoril tests into their second day (see above) was Nicolas Kiesa. The Dane has emerged as a candidate for the remaining seat at PSM Racing Line, having tested for the new German team today, and outpacing their driver Tony Schmidt. Kiesa has been ruled out of a Team Astromega seat, although he has been linked to European Minardi.

European Minardi F3000 not testing European Minardi F3000 have not taken part in the two days of testing at Estoril so far.

Wakisaka and Kaneishi confirmed at ARTA Juichi Wakisaka and Toshihiro Kaneishi have been signed by ARTA for this season's Formula Nippon campaign. Wakisaka finished fifth in the championship last year with Aguri Suzuki's squad, while newcomer Toshihiro Kaneishi won last year's German F3 championship with Team BSR. ARTA's Signature-run French F3 team will run Yuji Ide and Renaud Derlot. News thanks to Tooru Kitajima.

Michigami fastest in Suzuka private testing Ryo Michigami was fastest in private testing at Suzuka yesterday. Times below supplied thanks to Tooru Kitajima:

Moro to follow in Meira to Euro 3000? According to formula-3000.net, SudAm F3 champion Juliano Moro will test for Coloni in the International F3000 testing at Estoril next week, but is likely to drive for the team in Euro 3000. The ex-Formula Palmer Audi driver looks set to follow in the footsteps of Vitor Meira, the man he inherited the South American crown from, by moving into Euro 3000. The Euro 3000 silly season page has been updated.

Nguyen signs for Astromega Virtual unknown Rob Nguyen has been announced as a surprise teammate to Mario Haberfeld at Team Astromega. The Australian, of Vietnamese origin, was joint fifth in the Formula Volkswagen series in Germany last year with Team Penker Racing. He made his car racing debut as recently as November 2000, when he began training at the Penker Racing Academy in Austria. Nguyen, 21, tested for Astromega this year, and also tested a Lola T96/50 for Euro 3000 team Ghinzani late last year. The silly season page has been updated.

Asai confirmed at Hocking According to the official site, it has been confirmed that Japan's Akihro Asai will race for Hocking Motorsport in Formula Holden this year. Asai spent two years away from the series, bar a one-off drive last year, competiing in Toyota Atlantic in 2000 and Formula Dream in 2001. Team boss Chris Hocking said: "Aki's proven to be a very quick steerer, and his experiences in Toyota Atlantic and Formula Dream have matured him as a driver, and will stand him in good stead for the coming season. He's fired up about the season ahead, and, as a former lap record holder around the Adelaide Grand Prix circuit, I am confident he will have the speed and skill to stand atop the podium this year." It is believed that an Australian-Japanese distribution company will help fund his 2002 assault. The Formula Holden silly season page has been updated.

Camathias for Euro 3000? According to a recent F3000.com report, it is rumoured that Joel Camathias will step down from International F3000, and could race in Euro 3000 or another series this year. The Swiss driver raced for KTR last year, graduating from Formula Nissan. The silly season page has been updated.

Piccini to Coloni instead of Manning? According to F3000.com, reports suggest Andrea Piccini is ready to sign for Coloni. He would partner Enrico Toccacelo, but Darren Manning was already expected to sign for the team just over a week ago (see news below of February 3rd). Two drivers who impressed Coloni over the winter testing, Gianmaria Bruni and Gary Paffett, could find themselves racing elsewhere, with Bruni linked to a seat in F3000 with European Minardi and Paffett looking at another year in F3. The silly season page has been updated.

Kiesa, Bruni and Hackett favourites for European Minardi? According to F3000.com, reports suggest that Nicolas Kiesa is ready to sign for European Minardi. However, earlier rumours stated the team were said to have signed British F3 frontrunner Gianmaria Bruni and Australian F3 champion Peter Hackett. We await confirmation before confirming any drivers on the silly season page.

Sperafico and Müller for Durango? Rodrigo Sperafico and Alexander Müller are expected to sign for Durango this coming week, the pair set to drive in the official Estoril tests. 2001 season driver Jamie Melo Jr now appears to be an outsider for a seat. The silly season page has been updated.

PSM Racing Line set to sign Schwager and Schmidt According to F3000.com, new team PSM-Racing-Line is set to sign Dominik Schwager and Tony Schmidt as expected. Schmidt is set to race although it is not clear whether a contract has yet been signed. Schwager looked certain for the seat following Stefan Mücke's decision to race in the DTM. PSM-Racing-Line has been formed by German F3 teams GM Motorsport and Mücke Motorsport, both of which continue in the junior series this year.

Changes to Euro 3000 calendar; street course added The Euro 3000 calendar has been updated with some changes. There will be no round at Imola on June 2nd, but a new race at Cagliari, a street course in Italy, will take place on October 6th (source: EURONOVA RACING press release)

Leinders for Minardi test role? According to a thread on the Ten Tenths single seater forum, Bas Leinders has been offered the F1 third driver role at KL Minardi Asiatech. The Belgian must bring 2.5 million euro to the team. It is also rumoured that Christijan Albers, who remained contracted to Minardi after a 2000 season with Paul Stoddart's F3000 team, has received the same offer. Leinders said that he has 65% of the budget required, and would keep on searching. There is a possibility Leinders could race as Alex Yoong is reported to have a clause in his contract meaning he could be stood down if he doesn't perform. Leinders, earlier linked to a possible drive for Anderlecht in the postponed Premier 1 Grand Prix series, has already stated his intention to test in F1 this year. Most recently he has been tipped to follow his 1999 and 2001 F3000 team, KTR, into the new Formula Super Nissan series.

DAMS QUIT F3000 As has been long expected, French team DAMS have pulled out of F3000 (source: grandprix.com). The most successful team of the early 1990s, DAMS won three titles after their 1989 debut, with Erik Comas (1990), Olivier Panis (1993) and Jean-Christophe Boullion (1994). They returned to the top step of the podium at Silverstone last year with Sebastien Bourdais, for the first time since 1997, but boss Jean-Paul Driot decided by the end of the year that he would pull out unless he could find two competitive drivers with budgets. The news means that only 20 cars are currently set to enter in the troubled series next year, with Prost Junior already declared bankrupt and KTR moving to the new Formula Super Nissan series. As recently as 1999, F3000 entries reached peak levels of 42 cars, causing the FIA to put a cap on entry numbers for the following season. DAMS will continue their sportscar programme with Cadillac.

Meira seals ADM contract Vitor Meira finally signed a contract on Thursday to race for ADM Motorsport for a second season as expected. The 24-year old Brazilian told zaz.com.br that the late deal to race last year harmed his campaign, as he was forced to miss the official test sessions. This year he is confident that he will face fewer problems with the car as he can begin work with the team early. Meira was fifth overall in the series with the Italian squad last year.

Wirdheim to Arden as Maslov is dropped Swede Bjorn Wirdheim has signed a two-year contract to race for Arden after the team decided to stand down Russian midfielder Viktor Maslov. Team boss Christian Horner told autosport.com: "Bjorn's signing is the perfect scenario for us. This year it was my priority to have two top class drivers and in Bjorn and Tomas [Enge] I truly believe we have achieved this. Lack of inter-team rivalry has been the weakest part of our team over the last couple of seasons and I feel confident that this signing provides the missing piece. Bjorn has a lot to learn, but he certainly has the pace and with a firm two-year contract in place, I believe he will be a star of the future." Wirdheim showed pace in the competitive German F3 championship last year, finishing ninth overall with Prema Powerteam and winning twice. He was also a star at the Macau F3 Grand Prix showpiece, taking pole and finishing third overall. He has already tested for Durango and Super Nova, but will make his Arden debut in official testing at Estoril next week. He said:"With an experienced team-mate such as Tomas, I have the perfect benchmark and feel confident," he said. "I can't wait to drive the car for the first time at Estoril next week." Maslov will remain linked to Arden, but he is set to concentrate on a sportscar programme instead of F3000. He raced for the team for three seasons, including a part campaign in F3000 Italia in the non-clashing rounds in 1999.

More on EURONOVA team; Sears looks to team for new talent Vincenzo Sospiri, driver/technical consultant for Fortec Italia Motorsport last year, will be Team Manager of the new EURONOVA RACING team making their debut this year, with technical assistance from David Sears' Super Nova team. Sospiri commented: "I have a long relationship with David Sears and the guys who work at Super Nova Racing. It¹s a fantastic organisation and a lot of the key components are still there from when I drove in ¹95, the year we won the FIA F3000 Championship. During my visit to the Team last week I realised the key personnel are excited about the new collaboration". Sears said: "I have known Sospiri since his first days in a racing car, together we have raced and had many victories. These successes are all-important achievements. in 1990 Vincenzo competed in the GM-Opel Lotus series and we achieved our first Championship victory of our careers, as a Team Manager in my case and as a Driver in his. Also in 1995 we succeeded in conquering the first F3000 Championship in the history of Super Nova Racing". In previous years the duo have won 2 Championships and finished runner-up in another. Their relationship has produced a winning total of 10 races, 9 fastest laps and also eight pole positions. Sears added: "When Vince addressed himself into a Team Manager role, it became natural to support him in this new venture. Seeing him working with his usual seriousness, dedication and will to win, I realised on our past relationship, that this new challenge is too much of an opportunity to miss. Furthermore, I'm expecting an important recompense, the chance to find new talents and take them to the highest level of motor racing" EURONOVA RACING will run the Lola T99/50 cars used by Super Nova Racing. They will also gain "top level technical support given by winning engineers". Sospiri continued: "In a one make series the experience in optimising the chassis dynamics is a decisive factor, at least as decisive as understanding and refining the drivers to make them winners. I'm sure the Team is born with the right qualities and it has all the features to win". (source: EURONOVA RACING press release).

Sarrazin signs for Gabord Competicion Former F3000 ace and F1 test/brief race driver Stephane Sarrazin has signed to race for new team Gabord Competicion in the Formula Super Nissan series, correspondant Jose Ramon Galan confirms. The Frenchman raced in International F3000 for Apomatox/Gauloises Formula [Prost Jr] from 1998 to 1999, mySAP.com Team [McLaren Jr] in 2000 and the Prost Junior Team for a one off race last year. His best season was 1999, when he finished fourth overall and won in Budapest. He raced for Minardi in F1 in the Brazilian GP in 1999, but his debut ended in a spectacular crash. The silly season page has been updated.

Burgueño and Ordoñez set to race for Meycom According to Spanish reports, it is 99% certain that Angel Burgueño and Victor Ordoñez will race for Meycom in Formula Super Nissan this year. News thanks to Jose Ramon Galan. The silly season page has been updated.

Villaamil all but confirmed for Campos squad According to a reliable source, Spaniard Polo Villaamil will line up alongside Antonio Garcia at Adrian Campos Motorsport this season. We await official confirmation before confirming his participation in the Formula Super Nissan silly season page.

Sospiri and Super Nova form Euronova Racing Team 1995 International F3000 champion Vincenzo Sospiri has linked up with his old team Super Nova to create a new squad for the Euro 3000 championship. Euronova Racing Team will be run by the Italian, who made a brief Formula 1 debut in 1997 with the short-lived Lola team. Sospiri told autosport.com: "I have a long relationship with David Sears and the guys who work at Super Nova. It's a fantastic organisation and a lot of the key components are still there from when I drove in '95." Super Nova, run by David Sears, will provide technical assistance for Euronova. He said: "When Vince addressed himself into a team manager role, it became natural to support him in this new venture. Seeing him work with his usual seriousness, dedication and will to win, I realised on our past relationship, that this challenge is too much of an opportunity to miss." Last year Sospiri ran the Fortec Italia Motorsport team in the Euro 3000 series. It is not clear whether this team will race on in 2002, or whether they will become the new Euronova team. Fortec Italia had been testing over the winter, recently with Yuji Tachikawa, and also won the Bologna indoor F3000 sprint in December. The Euro 3000 silly season page has been updated.

Toccacelo signs for Coloni Motorsport Italy's Enrico Toccacelo signed to drive for Coloni Motorsport in International F3000 today, Prorace reports. Toccacelo, who raced for Astromega in the second half of last season, was due to travel to the team's base today for a seat fitting. He is managed by Giancarlo Fisichella's manager Giampaolo Matteucci, and the deal with Enzo and Paolo Coloni's team had been long expected. The International F3000 silly season page has been updated.

Formula 2 suppliers & TV coverage announced Organisers of the new Formula 2 series being set up in Italy for old F3000 Lola T96/50s have confirmed a number of technical sponsors/suppliers. Avon will supply tyres as expected. Center Tecno Freno will supply brake discs. Remus, Kingdragon and Snap-On have also confirmed their involvement. The official television station of the series is Nuvolari Motor Channel, which will show race coverage in the following days after the events. TV coverage is also set to appear on main Italian networks and RAI SAT.

Treluyer/Cerumo update... Some extra info following the news that Benoit Treluyer has signed for Cosmo Oil Cerumo has been added to the silly season page, thanks to Tooru Kitajima. The Frenchman is the first from his country to race in Japan's premier series since Jean Alesi in 1989. Treluyer will race a #11 Reynard 01L-Mugen this year, with the #12 seat still available.

Forti to return to F3000 with B&C's Barbieri? Former F1 team owner Guido Forti has told Autosport that he is planning an F3000 return in the Euro 3000 series. The Italian is planning to link up with Beppe Barbieri, who ran the B&C Competition team last year, to form a squad named Bi Effe, after the second initials of both men. Forti stated: "I want to run a team again and it could happen this year. I'm talking to two drivers." Forti completed only one full F1 season on their debut in 1995, with Roberto Moreno and Pedro Diniz at the wheel. After the start of the 1996 season, the team was bought out by the Shannon corporation and soon left the series. Previously Forti Corse had found success in International F3000, including Emanuele Naspetti's four consecutive race wins in 1991. The Euro 3000 silly season page has been updated.

Rodrigo Sperafico close to Durango deal? Former Coloni driver Rodrigo Sperafico is rumoured to be close to joining Durango Formula for this year's International F3000 championship, according to Autosport. Sperafico raced nine times for Coloni last year, having competed for Draco in F3000 Italia in 2000. His twin brother Ricardo will line-up with Petrobras Junior for a second season this year.

Treluyer confirmed at Cerumo Japanese F3 champion Benoit Treluyer will race for Cerumo as expected, Autosport confirms.

Cochet almost certain to race for Dandelion Jonathan Cochet has "all but signed" for Dandelion Racing according to Autosport. The Frenchman, who was Prost test driver and also raced for their junior F3000 team last year, said he is still aiming for an F1 seat. He also commented that F3000 in Europe was too expensive for him.

Lyons to race in All-Japan GT; Manning and Cochet test NSX Richard Lyons has signed to race in the Japanese GT championship for Dome, who will run a factory supported Honda NSX. The Ulsterman will be partnered by Frenchman Sebastien Philippe. Lyons was quickest in a three-day shootout for the seat at TI Circuit, where he was pitted against German F3 champ Toshihiro Kaneishi and F3000 drivers Darren Manning and Jonathan Cochet. Lyons, who had an uncompetitive rookie Formula Nippon season in the Nova G-Force last year, commented that racing in GTs means if he gets an opportunity to race in Nippon he will be available.

Briscoe confirmed at Nordic Australian Ryan Briscoe has been signed by Nordic Racing for this season as expected. The Toyota F1 test driver has been placed in the team by the Japanese marque. Toyota's other young drivers, Franck Perera (fourth in CIK-FIA World Karting last year) and Alex Storckenfeldt (the 2001 Swedish Formula Ford champion) will both race for Prema Powerteam in Italian Formula Renault this year. Briscoe took the Italian title last year with the same team. He also finished fourth overall in the Formula Renault Eurocup and raced a couple of times in German F3 with Prema. He had earlier been linked to a full 2002 campaign with the F3 team. Briscoe said: "F3000 is a difficult class for newcomers, but it is good for the series to have the interest of Formula 1 teams like Toyota. With the new car for this year, there should be a big improvement in the class. For me, it will be good to learn the F1 tracks and be part of the F1 atmosphere." Nordic Racing team boss Derek Mower said: "We were looking at four experienced drivers, but none were available, so we decided to go for a young guy. In our search we realised that whatever Ryan has done, he has always been extremely quick." He added: "If Ryan is successful, other F1 teams will take notice. F3000 is still a genuine training ground for F1." The Nordic Racing line up is now complete, with Zsolt Baumgartner partnering Briscoe.

Formula Holden 2002 dates The calendar for the 2002 Formula Holden championship has been released. Two races will be held at each of seven rounds: 1. Phillip Island (AUS), 12th-14th April; 2. Eastern Creek (AUS), 26th-28th April; 3. Hidden Valley (AUS), 19th-21st May; 4. Oran Park (AUS), 14th-16th June; 5. Mallala (AUS), 2nd-4th August; 6. Winton (AUS), 16th-18th August; plus a 7th round, venue and date to be announced.

Cochet and Treluyer heading for F.Nippon seats According to Japanese reports, Jonathan Cochet is the favourite to get a seat at Dandelion Racing. Hideki Noda was expected to drive, but will instead enter the Indy Racing League with his own team (see 31st January news). Cochet has already tested for the squad, along with fellow Frenchman Nicolas Minassian. Meanwhile, Benoit Treluyer will probably join Cerumo this season. News supplied thanks to Tooru Kitajima. The silly season page has been updated.

Krumm and Ara to Kondo? According to Japanese reports, Michael Krumm and Seiji Ara are likely to drive for Kondo Racing this season (source: Tooru Kitajima). Ara had already been linked to the team but Krumm, who has left 5Zigen, had not been until now. The silly season page has been updated.

Tsuchiya and Kurosawa to LeMans? According to Japanese reports, Takeshi Tsuchiya and Haruki Kurosawa will probably race for Team LeMans this season (source: Tooru Kitajima). The silly season page has been updated.

2002 provisional team entries confirmed A provisional list of teams planning to enter Formula Nippon this season has been announced (source: Tooru Kitajima). The 11 teams are: Team 5Zigen, Team Impul, ARTA, Nakajima Racing, Kondo Racing, Mooncraft, Team Cerumo, Team Nova, Team LeMans, Dandelion Racing and B-1 Racing Team. Team Leyjun have abandoned plans to enter this year (see below). The silly season page has been updated.

Leyjun abandon plans for return Team Leyjun have abandoned plans to return to Formula Nippon this season, having quit the series before the 2001 season (news thanks to Tooru Kitajima). Leyjun had been linked to a return with Shinsuke Shibahara as driver. The silly season page has been updated.

Manning sets world record Former Arden F3000 driver Darren Manning set a new world record this week, driving a Caterham Fireblade backwards at 102.52mph at an airfield in Gloucestershire. For the full report click here (source: F3000.com). BAR test driver Manning is expected to race for Coloni in F3000 this year after two seasons with Arden Team Russia (see 31st January news). If he signs as predicted, Manning is expected to shake-down a Lola T2/50 for Coloni at Magione next week. Manning has also been linked to Super Nova and PSM-Racing-Line.

Fiorio signs up as Nissan series technical director Former Ferrari sporting director Cesare Fiorio has been signed as the technical director of the new Formula Super Nissan series (source: autosport.com). Organisers RPM announced the deal with the Italian yesterday. Fiorio, who initially made his name with the Lancia rally team, will work in collaboration with the Spanish motorsport governing body RPM and will also be responsible for the series international relationships. In addition to the new series for V6 Nissan-powered Dallara chassis, RPM will continue to run the old style Formula Nissan with its Coloni chassis and 2.0 litre engines, plus the Spanish Junior 1600 Trophy, a rebranded Tatuus Renault 1600 single-seater series. Fiorio had recently been linked to a possible buyout of the Prost F1 team, having previously worked with them as Ligier.

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