Some F1 News and other triviality

[Gerard]

The European Minardi F1 team has signed a preliminary contract with Dutchman Christijan Albers to conduct testing duties for the team in 2001 and also to do duty as their reserve driver.
Team boss Paul Stoddart said: 'It is clear that young drivers are being snapped up by Grand Prix teams at increasingly early stages in their racing careers and signed to contracts. We know Christijan well from running him in our Formula 3000 team last season and rate him very highly. We decided it would be a wise investment for the team's future to sign Christijan to a preliminary European Minardi F1 contract. What this means in practical terms is that he is free to compete in other racing categories this year, but that we have first call on his services in Formula One, should they be required'.

Finally, the truth is out.
The real reason for Michael Schumacher's success in racing.
The 2000 world champion admitted that he found two four leaf clovers before the final two races of the 2000 season, which he went on to win and as a result clinched the driver's championship for the Ferrari team.
In an interview with The Sun he said: 'Whenever I'm in a field I look for four-leaf clovers. I believe in the luck they bring. Mostly, when I have found one, I have done well in the next grand Prix'.

The FIA confirmed on Friday the reintroduction of automatic gearboxes and traction control at the 2001 Spanish Grand Prix.
According to Formula 1 old timer, Sir Frank Williams, the biggest single technology in a team in 1969, when he started, was a stopwatch and a wheel nut.

According to reports in Focus, 2000 world champion Michael Schumacher will turn to acting in April to play a small role in a German movie, 'Faust and Mephisto'.
Schumacher will play himself in the movie and will be joined by the likes of Boris Becker and Claudia Schiffer

German newspaper, BILD, has invited its readers to come up with an appropriate nickname for Michael Schumacher's 2001 race car.
Included in the suggestions thus far are: 'Schurrari', 'Killer tomato', 'My red horse', 'Silver Killer' and Michael Schumacher's personal favourite 'Schatzi'.

Sources: Autosport.com, Focus, The Sun and BILD.

[Valve Bounce]

Schatzi is good. And Schitzi is even better. Of course we all know that Schat is the past tense of schit.
Hey Gerard!! Time to put up the thread for first round predictions, n'est pas?? I am just itching to post mine, and also to see who the other guys pick, and who they leave out. I guarrantee that every post will start with TGF or Mika. Except mine

[R]

"Killer tomato"!!!

[djb]

For one, I would not like to see The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes again this year,thankyou very much, it was bad enough the first time around, helicopter crash and everything.

[Valve Bounce]

How about Laxettes?? That makes you go fast.