January 2002

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Manning close to signing for Coloni Arden F3000 refugee Darren Manning is close to signing for Coloni Motorsport, Enrico Rosi Cappellani reports. The British driver visited the Coloni factory at Passignano sul Trasimeno, near Perugia in Italy, today. News is expected to follow shortly, with Enrico Toccacelo likely to be Manning's teammate. The silly season page has been updated.

Nine teams set to enter FC Euro Series; Astromega to run second team Nine teams have been listed on the official FC Euro Series website, including Astromega Racing, a second team of the Belgian F3000 veterans. The teams listed for 2002, including the countries they are based in, are: Astromega Racing (Belgium), Boehm Motorsport (Germany), BraMex (Mexico), Cor Euser Motorsport (Netherlands), Eau Rouge (Belgium), Geva Racing Service (Netherlands), Gielissen Racing (Belgium), Peka Racing (Belgium) and VES Racing (Netherlands). Astromega had earlier planned to enter a second squad in Euro 3000 this season, a move Eau Rouge Motorsport are currently planning according to reports. The FC Euro Series silly season page has been updated.

Formula Super Nissan silly season update; Leinders to move with KTR? The Formula Super Nissan silly season page has been updated with news from Jose Ramon Galan. KTR's switch from F3000 to the new series has been confirmed, with 2001 driver Bas Leinders (7th in F3000) linked to one seat. Drivers linked to Vergani Racing now include Giuseppe Burlotti, Tomas Scheckter (currently a favourite to land a Team Cheever IRL seat), Rafael Sarandeses and Milos Pavlovic. Linked to Venturini Racing (where Luciano Gomide is already confirmed in one seat) is Spanish F3 frontrunner Santiago Porteiro, who is also linked to the squad's 2-litre Formula Nissan series outfit. Victor Ordoñez meanwhile could remain at Meycom, the team for which he competed in the previous two years of Formula Nissan. Esteban Tuero, set to race in the Argentinian TC2000 series (see below), had also been linked to Gabord Competicion. Finally, Polo Villaamil has been linked to a seat at Adrian Campos Motorsport.

Tuero to remain in TC2000? Despite being linked to two teams in Formula Super Nissan, ex-Minardi F1 driver Esteban Tuero will remain in the Argentinian Turismo Carretera (TC2000) championship for 2002 according to an email we have received.

John Village set to sign North American pairing According to today's Autosport, John Village Automotive are likely to sign a North American duo to spearhead the team's series assault, their first to be run under their own name. Team boss John Village said that he has an American and a Canadian who are likely to sign, with the deals set to be completed this week. John Village Automotive had previously run the F3000 Italia / Euro 3000 teams of Edenbridge Racing (1999), Arden Team Russia (2000) and B&C Competition (2001).

Noda sets up IRL team Formula Nippon veteran and former GP driver Hideki Noda has set up a team to race in the Indy Racing League, according to today's Autosport. The Japanese driver will compete in all 15 races for Convergent Racing, formed out of the defunct Team Xtreme squad. Noda, who will drive a G-Force Chevrolet, failed to score any points in Formula Nippon last season with DoCoMo Dandelion.

Durango enter FIA Sportscar series Durango Formula will enter their GMS chassis in the FIA Sportscar Championship this year, Autosport confirms. Mirko Venturi, who drove in Italian Formula Renault for the last two years, and also tested Durango's International F3000 car, is the first driver signed to race the GMS.

Giammaria ruled out of Euro 3000 move Raffaele Giammaria has been removed from the Euro 3000 silly season page. The Italian, who tested for Fortec Italia, will stay in the German F3 championship, switching teams to Van Amersfoort Racing.

RC Motorsport to concentrate on Nissan series Veteran F3 team RC Motorsport have made the decision to quit F3 after 13 years to concentrate on their Formula Super Nissan campaign. Team boss Francesco Rivera told Autosport that the Italian squad plan to return to F3 in 2003. RC Motorsport have raced in the Italian, German and British F3 series.

Big changes on 11-round FC Euro Series calendar FC Euro Series organisers have released an updated 2002 race calendar, available here. There will be 11 rounds rather than 13, with 9 different circuits visited during the season. The series will begin at Zolder on April 28th. With all race meetings changing dates since the provisional calendar was drawn up, there are also a number of additions: Zolder (B), Imola (I), Assen (NL), Rockingham (GB) and Hockenheim (D). Gone are the proposed races at Monza, Silverstone, Brno, Anderstorp, Misano and Estoril. Two circuits, Imola and Hockenheim, will host double-header (2 round) events. With the Rockingham date the series is finally set for its first oval race. Early last year Guy Smith, the development driver for the then ISSC series, set 144mph lap speeds in testing at the then unfinished Northamptonshire circuit, in a circuit data gathering exercise with Team Meritus.

Challenge Initiative will not use FC Euro Series chassis The new Challenge Initiative series (see news, 24.1.02) will not use the Reynard chassis from the FC Euro Series, as stated last week. Instead Reynard will build a separate chassis especially for the series, according to today's Club Autosport. The FC Euro Series chassis was originally considered by organisers.

Hackett to test for European Minardi F3000 Australian F3 champion Peter Hackett will test for European Minardi F3000 next month. The Australian had already tested for the Minardi-affiliated Sighinolfi Autoracing Euro 3000 team at Albacete last December.

Prostar put into bankruptcy Prostar was put into bankruptcy last Thursday by the Commercial Court of Versailles (source: F3000.com), meaning the Prost Junior team, formerly Apomatox, will almost certainly not compete this year as expected.

Briscoe deal signed? Ryan Briscoe has reportedly signed for Super Nova as expected, according to a report at Sutton Images website last week (source: F3000.com). We await confirmation before amending the silly season page.

Webber signs for Minardi Mark Webber has signed to race for Minardi in F1, once again linking up with fellow Australian Paul Stoddart. Webber raced for Stoddart's European Arrows squad in F3000 in 2000, taking third in the championship and rookie honours. Last year he joined Super Nova and a championship challenge was expected, but a string of retirements left him a distant runner-up in the standings. Webber told autosport.com: "Entering Formula 1 is obviously a fantastic stage of my career. It's what the last seven years has been all about. Now the hard work begins. To start this new chapter with someone like Paul, who I have worked with in the past, is a fantastic opportunity. I can't wait to get underway."

Tachikawa tests for Fortec Italia Formula Nippon front-runner Yuji Tachikawa tested for Fortec Italia Motorsport at Magione, Italy, yesterday (Friday). The Japanese driver completed 107 laps in a Lola B99/50, with a best time of 1:05.880. According to Prorace, Tachikawa, last year's All-Japan GT champion, could race for Vincenzo Sospiri's team next year. Other drivers in the frame for a seat are Fabrizio Del Monte, Salvatore Tavano and Thomas Biagi.

Janis to enter Euro 3000 with Charouz Racing Czech Jaroslav Janis has signed for a new Euro 3000 team, Charouz Racing, according to Prorace. Janis, a former French Formula Ford and Formula Palmer Audi Winter Series front-runner, made his F3000 debut in the International series last year, replacing F1-bound Tomas Enge at Nordic Racing. He also raced in German F3 and in four Formula Renault Eurocup rounds in 2001. The silly season page has been updated.

Blainer returns to B&C Competition Austrian Tomas Blainer will race for B&C Competition in Euro 3000 according to Prorace. He raced for the team once in 2000 when the series was still F3000 Italia. The silly season page has been updated.

17 teams on provisional Euro 3000 entry; new teams named Series organisers have had applications from 17 teams to enter Euro 3000 this year, although grids will be limited to 15 teams (30 cars), Prorace confirms. The silly season page has been updated. Two new teams, Charouz Racing and Eau Rouge Motorsport, plan to enter, along with series returnees Orbit Motorsport. John Village Automotive are set to race on under their own name, having previously run the teams of Edenbridge Racing, Arden Team Russia and B&C Competition. On the driver front, 2000 Barber Dodge Pro Series champion Nilton Rossoni has been linked to Scuderia Fama. The Brazilian made one Indy Lights appearance last season with Conquest Racing.

More drivers linked to Formula 2 Prorace has named a number of drivers linked to the new Formula 2 championship. In addition to confirmed drivers Giovanni Montanari, Paolo Biglieri and Lorenzo Del Gallo, drivers Ivan Bellarosa, Cardinali, Gianmaria Gabbiani, Roberto Petroncini, Massimo Carli, Sergio Ghiotto, Giancarlo Serenelli and Brazil's Sandro Murff are all reportedly planning to enter. One team, at present unnamed, will run two English drivers. Organisers are hoping to field 15 or so of the Lola T96/50s to be used in the series. The Formula 2 silly season page has been updated with the news.

Victory Engineering signs Cioci and Vidot Series regular Marco Cioci and Formula Renault front-runner Julien Vidot have signed to race for Victory Engineering in Euro 3000, source Enrico Rosi Cappellani has revealed. Victory Engineering is a team based at Brescia, which first entered Euro 3000 as Durango Automotive in 2001 under the leadership of Enio Bolsieri (Ivone Pinton's International F3000 team Durango Formula is a separate outfit). Ex-Formula Palmer Audi driver Cioci finished 13th in last year's Euro 3000 championship with Durango Automotive, scoring his first point at Valencia. The Italian made his debut in the series when it was F3000 Italia, with First GP/Traini Corse in 2000. Frenchman Vidot was last year's French Formula Renault runner-up (to Eric Salignon), also taking 10th in the inaugural FC Euro Series. He tested for Durango Automotive earlier in the winter. The silly season page has been updated.

KTR lodges Nissan entry; likely to quit F3000 Belgium's Team KTR looks certain to quit F3000 this year, having lodged an entry for the new Formula Super Nissan series as expected. Kurt Mollekens' team will enter two cars in the Spanish based series, Autosport confirms. Mollekens, who raced for the team in their initial seasons of 1997/'98, said: "We have no contacts left for F3000 drivers with budgets. Every entry in Dallara Nissan [Formula Super Nissan] gets prize money before the season which makes it easier to sell. It costs less than half a season of F3000."

Sarrazin linked to new series; other rumours Former International F3000 driver Stephane Sarrazin has been linked to the inaugural Formula Super Nissan series. The Frenchman visited the factory of new team Gabord Competicion last week. In other silly season news, Angel Burgueño has been linked to the remaining Adrian Campos Motorsport seat, while both Burgueño and Polo Villaamil have been linked to the Meycom team - news thanks to Jose Ramon Galan. The silly season page has been updated.

Mollekens presses for Belgian round Kurt Mollekens, planning to enter his team KTR into Formula Super Nissan this year (see above), is trying to convince series organisers to include a Belgian round, according to Autosport. He wants a race either at Zolder or at Spa-Francorchamps, with the Buenos Aires round likely to be dumped in the light of Argentina's economic crisis.

Astromega tests T2/50; Kiesa, Sperafico, Nguyen tried out Team Astromega ran in testing for three days at Valencia this week, ending today (source: Autosport online). The Belgian team are the first to run the new Lola T2/50 control chassis this year, Nordic having carried out the initial tests of the chassis before Christmas. The team's confirmed signing Mario Haberfeld emerged quickest on 1m22.3s. Astromega tried out three prospective drivers for the remaining seat. Nicolas Kiesa and Rodrigo Sperafico again tested for the team, while Rob Nguyen also took part. The Australian is a Formula Volkswagen graduate, and had already tested an F3000 Lola for Euro 3000 team Ghinzani late last year.

Sperafico in negotiations with 3 teams Coloni F3000 refugee Rodrigo Sperafico is chasing a Team Astromega deal this year, having tested for the Belgian squad again this week (see above). The Brazilian told zaz.com.br that Astromega is seeking two experienced drivers (Mario Haberfeld is already signed) and that he is in negotiations with them and two other teams. He said that he believes everything will be decided by the end of January.

Paffett to choose F3 over F3000? German F3 front-runner Gary Paffett could return to British F3 this season, despite impressing Coloni in testing their F3000 chassis over the winter. His manager Martin Hynes told Autosport: "We are talking to a couple of British teams, a couple of German teams and a couple of Formula 3000 teams. Gary's like every other driver in the world - searching for a budget - except we know he's special." Paffett, who won the British F3 Scholarship Class title in 2000, has been linked to Motaworld Racing.

Horner denies Maslov split rumours Arden Team Russia boss Christian Horner has denied reports in Italy suggesting well funded Russian Viktor Maslov has split from the team.

Winkelhock aims for F3000 in 2003 German F3 front-runner Markus Winkelhock plans to graduate to F3000 in 2003. The Mercedes contracted German told Autosport when asked if he was aiming for F1 or the DTM: "I have definitely got my sights set on F1. The DTM is a good series, but my plan is to win the German F3 title this year and find the money to graduate to Formula 3000 the year after." Winkelhock, son of the late ex-F1 driver Manfred, finished fifth in German F3 last year with Mücke Motorsport, who he stays with for 2002.

Italian F3 organisers want Euro 3000 support slots CSAI are planning to revive the poorly supported Italian F3 series this year, and plan for the series to support the four Italian rounds of the Euro 3000 series, according to Autosport.

Formula Nippon testing dates 2002 The Formula Nippon testing dates for the year have been released on the official website - 1st/2nd March, Fuji Speedway; 7th/8th March, Suzuka; 19th/20th April, Mine; 31st May/1st June, Twin Ring Motegi; 14th/15th June, Sportland Sugo. Thanks to Tooru Kitajima for supplying this news.

Leyjun to enter with Shibahara? Team Leyjun principal Osamu Nakajima stated on the official F.Nippon website that he wants to return to Formula Nippon this year with Shinsuke Shibahara. The team may use a G-Force chassis. News thanks to Tooru Kitajima. The silly season page has been updated.

"Challenge Initiative" series to use Formula Chrysler chassis The Reynard chassis used in the FC Euro Series will form the basis of a new budget series starting in Britain later this year. The Challenge Initiative will use the Reynard chassis minus the front wing, in order to create more entertaining racing and aid overtaking, according to Club Autosport. Langford Performance Engineering 3.0 litre V6 engines will be used, providing 350bhp, while the cars will run on Avon cross-ply tyres. Six to eight races are planned for this year, possibly beginning in August, while in 2003 there should be 20 events. The official website is here.

New team Big1 enter F2; Montanari and Biglieri join A new team set up by Carlo Canali, Big1, will enter the Formula 2 series starting in Italy this year. Giovanni Montanari, experienced in International and Italian F3000, will drive one of the Lola T96/50s, partnered by Argentinian driver Paolo Biglieri, son of 1980s Formula 2 driver Nestor. A third car will also be run by the squad. Two drivers are currently in negotiations for the seat. News with many thanks to Enrico Rosi Cappellani.

Formula 2 calendar updated An updated version of the 2002 Formula 2 calendar has been released. The Imola round, although still subject to confirmation, has been brought forward from an October date to the 28th of April, making it the second round in the championship. The updated calendar is here. News with thanks to Enrico Rosi Cappellani.

EuroLights organisers want CART or IRL prize drive The first champion of the EuroLights series planned for 2003 could receive a prize drive or test in CART or the IRL if organisers can strike a deal across the Atlantic. Bob Berridge of Oval Racing Management said in an interview on Sky Sports' World Motorsport: "We will be attempting to get some form of relationship going across in the States to either CART or IRL and the winner of the championship we're looking to get either a race or a test in CART or IRL." He commented on the immediate plans for this year, adding: "What we're doing at the moment this year in 2002 is just testing the water, getting the car reliable, get it running in testing, and basically depth-sounding the level of interest that we've got, and talk to the teams with a view to getting it up and running in 2003." A full trancription of the short interview, conducted at the new car's unveiling at the Autosport International Show, is available here.

Italian F3 champ del Gallo and team enter Formula 2 The first team confirmed to be taking part in the new Formula 2 series in Italy is the squad of Lorenzo del Gallo, PSM. The team have bought the two Lola T96/50 chassis raced by Draco in this year's Euro 3000 series, where F1 rookie Felipe Massa took one of the cars to championship victory. Italian F3 champion del Gallo will drive one of the cars, with his teammate due to be announced soon. PSM is not related to the new PSM-Racing-Line team entering International F3000 this year. The Formula 2 silly season page has been updated with the news.

Garcia signs for Campos Motorsport As expected International F3000 refugee Antonio Garcia has signed for Adrian Campos Motorsport, to contest the inaugural Formula Super Nissan series. Garcia won the Formula Nissan title for ex-F1 driver Campos in 2000, before moving to Red Bull Junior for last year's F3000 series.

Venturini sign US F3 champ Gomide Venturini Racing have signed Brazil's Luciano Gomide for their Formula Super Nissan team. Gomide won the US Formula 3 championship last year.

Tuero to make single-seater comeback? Former Minardi F1 driver Esteban Tuero could make a single-seater racing comeback this season. He has been linked to a drive with Formula Super Nissan team GD Racing. The Argentinian raced in touring cars in his home country after quitting F1, but has since shown an interest in returning to single-seaters, testing an International F3000 Lola for Durango at the end of 1999.

Meycom enter Formula Super Nissan Meycom will enter this year's Formula Super Nissan series. Last year in the Euro Open Nissan they took fourth in the team standings, with Angel Burgueno taking fifth for them in the drivers' championship.

Formula Super Nissan silly-season round-up - update 2 According to Italian website prorace, a number of drivers have been linked to seats in the new Formula Super Nissan series. Along with Ander Vilariño, two other drivers (Antonio Garcia and Luciano Gomide) have signed deals for the series (see stories above). The drivers linked to Super Nissan teams have been updated in the silly season page, and include reigning Formula Nissan champion Franck Montagny who could again line-up with Epsilon by Graff.

Tachikawa to race in Europe? Formula Nippon frontrunner Yuji Tachikawa could move to Europe for the 2002 season and race in F3000, according to Autosport (Japan), news thanks to Tooru Kitajima. It is not clear whether the Japanese driver is considering the Euro 3000 series or International F3000. Tachikawa finished third overall in Formula Nippon last year for the unfancied Olympic Kondo team.

Formula Nippon silly season round-up The Formula Nippon silly season page has been updated with the predictions of Autosport (Japan), supplied with many thanks to Tooru Kitajima. Team Impul are expected to sign Satoshi Motoyama, with Narain Karthikeyan rumoured; Olympic Kondo has Seiji Ara and Yuji Tachikawa as rumoured drivers; Cerumo has Benoit Treluyer as rumoured drivers; Team Nova has Kiyoto Yamamoto and Dominik Schwager as rumoured drivers; Team LeMans has Takeshi Tsuchiya, Haruki Kurosawa and Schwager as rumoured drivers; DoCoMo Dandelion Racing have Jonathan Cochet, Nicolas Minassian and Hideki Noda as rumoured drivers; finally, Takagi B-1 and Team Leyjun have no drivers linked to them as yet. The final destination of series frontrunner Yuji Tachikawa (see story above) could be crucial in deciding who goes where for 2002.

Vilariño and Racing Engineering graduate to new series Basque driver Ander Vilariño will graduate to Formula Super Nissan this year, where he will again line-up with Racing Engineering, the team that took him to the inaugural Spanish F3 title last year. News thanks to Jose Ramon Galan.

Formula Super Nissan silly-season round-up Two more teams have been confirmed for the new Formula Super Nissan series: Racing Engineering, which won last year's Spanish F3 title with Ander Vilariño (see story above) and Gabord Competicion, a new single-seater team with GT racing experience. Meanwhile two of the 20 cars built by Dallara will go to a British team, the identity of which is not known. According to RPM there is a possibility of building another pair of Dallara chassis, to enable an 11th team to take part. Drivers linked to the series include Angel Burgueno and Polo Villaamil, the latter possibly with Adrian Campos Motorsport. News supplied thanks to Spanish correspondent Jose Ramon Galan. The 2002 silly season page has been updated with the news.

EuroLights Lola B2/55 test programme starts in May The test programme for the new EuroLights chassis will begin in May, with an intensive test programme in June, July and August. The Lola B2/55 will be the control chassis of the new European oval racing series, which will race at Rockingham in England and Lausitzring in Germany. An announcement will be made in September on the new series. A mock-up of a EuroLights chassis was on display at the recent Autosport Show at Birmingham, England, based around the tub of the new Lola B2/50 F3000 chassis.

Briscoe close to Nordic Racing deal Toyota F1 test driver Ryan Briscoe will be placed in an F3000 seat by the Japanese giant for this season. The Australian is expected to sign for Nordic Racing in a deal which could be confirmed this week, today's Autosport reveals. Briscoe said: "It is looking very much like I will be doing F3000. The deal should be concluded at the end of this week. My race programme is decided by Toyota and they see the category as a good option because it follows F1 and I will learn the circuits." Nordic boss Chris Mower didn't confirm that Briscoe was set to sign, but did state that he was close to sign a driver to partner Hungary's Zsolt Baumgartner. Briscoe won the Italian Formula Renault series last year with Prema Powerteam, also finishing fourth in the Eurocup. He also competed in two German F3 rounds for the team, and was rumoured to remain there for a full season if Toyota approved.

KTR to switch to Super Nissan? Belgian team KTR could quit F3000 this season, and compete in the new Formula Super Nissan series based in Spain. Former racer Kurt Mollekens admitted to Autosport that his team might have to pull out of F3000. He said: "Things are becoming more difficult. Drivers don't have the kind of budget a team without major sponsorship requires." If KTR withdraw from F3000, only 10 teams would be likely to compete this season. Prostar and DAMS at present seem unlikely to take part, while only one new team, PSM-Racing-Line, has entered the series.

Coloni want junior F1 team status Coloni Motorsport are hoping to link up with an F1 team and become an official junior team this season, Autosport reveals. They hope a deal will be done before they sign a second driver to partner likely signing Enrico Toccacelo (see below).

Coloni set to sign Toccacelo Coloni Motorsport are expected to sign Italy's Enrico Toccacelo this week, according to today's Autosport. Team boss Paolo Coloni said: "We are extremely close with Toccacelo. The only thing that is missing is his signature on the contract." Toccacelo competed in four races for Astromega last season, replacing Dino Morelli. He also competed in the Euro STC and Russian F3, where he was sixth overall.

Manning in talks with two teams Despite losing his Arden Team Russia seat to Tomas Enge, former All-Japan F3 champion Darren Manning plans to remain in F3000 this year. The BAR tester is talking to both Super Nova and PSM-Racing-Line about a seat this season. Super Nova is expected to sign Giorgio Pantano, while the new PSM-Racing-Line team were expected to sign Dominik Schwager to partner rookie Tony Schmidt. Manning told Autosport: "Arden was on of the teams I was talking to, but Enge's cheque book was bigger than mine." He added: "I've still got a number of options." Super Nova's David Sears denied Manning was necessarily going to be signed and added: "Other drivers on my list include Sebastien Bourdais and Tiago Monteiro. Even Giorgio Pantano is not officially signed."

Firman deal finalised Ralph Firman has finalised a deal to remain at PIAA Nakajima Planning, Autosport confirms. The Briton was offered a renewed contract before the end of last season. He is again joined by Tsugio Matsuda, and the team will run an upgraded version of the Reynard 99F, said to have better aerodynamics and be 20kg lighter than the 2KL.

EuroBOSS organisers want '99 Lolas in field The organisers of the EuroBOSS club racing single seater series are hoping that grids will include the Lola B99/50 chassis replaced in International F3000 this year. Series founder Roger Cowman, a former F3000 entrant, told Autosport: "There are lots of previous generation control F3000 chassis out there for sale and we will allow them to race with any production-based V6 engine. If there were enough cars, we could introduce a separate class." The Lola B99/50 will be used in the Euro 3000 series this year, while the previous generation Lola T96/50 has a new lease of life in the new Formula 2 series being set up in Italy. EuroBOSS, formed as BOSS Formula in 1995, allows old F1, CART, F3000 and Formula Nippon machinery to compete. Last year James Belton won the B3000 class for F3000 cars in a Reynard 93D-Cosworth.

Heidfeld returns to German F3 Sven Heidfeld, brother of former F3000 champion and Sauber F1 star Nick, will return to German F3 this year with Mücke Motorsport. Heidfeld finished third overall in the inaugural season of the poorly-supported FC Euro Series in 2001 with Target Racing. He competed in just four German F3 races for Petutschnig Engineering, having finished 9th overall the previous season with top team Bertram Schäfer Racing.

Formula 2 organisers hoping for 14-16 cars Organisers of the new Formula 2 series to be run in Italy for the Lola T96/50 are hoping that 14-16 cars will be competing in the first race. SPPM claim that six teams have already committed to the series, along with two drivers.

Formula 2 calendar & test dates released Italian Formula 2 organisers SPPM have released the provisional calendar for the new series. The first race will be at Vallelunga on April 7th, followed by Enna-Pergusa, A1-Ring, Adria, Monza, Misano, Imola and Vallelunga. Only the Monza and Imola rounds are still subject to confirmation. Collective test sessions will also be held; the first is confirmed at Misano on 28th February, likely to be followed by more at Adria and Vallelunga. The full calendar can be seen in the Italian Formula 2 section.

Grasser to be Ghinzani test driver? In an article on Gottfried Grasser's website late last year, the Austrian said that Team Ghinzani wants him to act as their Euro 3000 test driver for this season. He claimed that if he performed well in the role then he might have the chance to make a racing debut in 2002. Grasser tested a Team Ghinzani Lola T96/50 alongside Andreas Zuber, 6th in German Formula Renault last year, and Formula VW driver Rob Nguyen at Varano last November. Grasser raced for Ghinzani in German F3 last year, finishing 23rd overall. He commented after the test that the F3000 car suited his style of driving better than F3, although he felt it was too early to graduate to a race seat. He planned to continue in F3 in 2002, but it is not clear where he could now compete. Ghinzani have since signed up Jeffrey van Hooydonk and Robert Doornbos for the German F3 campaign.

Piccolo signs for GP Racing Euro 3000 frontrunner Alessandro Piccolo has signed to race for GP Racing, leaving Sighinolfi after an impressive debut season. The Italian was sixth overall last year, eclipsed in the points race by teammate Salvatore Tavano who won at Zolder. Piccolo had two podium finishes with a best placing of second at Enna Pergusa. It is not clear whether long-time driver Thomas Biagi will return to GP Racing this year. Last season's runner-up has been testing for Fortec Italia Motorsport over the winter, also winning the Bologna indoor sprint for Vincenzo Sospiri's team.

Basso close to GP Racing deal? Negotiations between Martin Basso and GP Racing are reportedly going well. The Argentinian Toyota Atlantics graduate is currently in Italy, although no deal has yet been finalised. Alex Piccolo was today announced as one of GP Racing's Euro 3000 drivers (see separate story above).

Facondini becomes Sighinolfi junior team; Pastorelli to Euro 3000 in 2003? Sighinolfi Autoracing today announced that Team Facondini Racing will be the a Sighinolfi junior team for the coming season of Italian and Eurocup Formula Renault. Nicky Pastorelli, reportedly a Sighinolfi driver, will be placed in the junior team in order to gain experience ahead of an apparent move to Sighinolfi for the Euro 3000 season of 2003. Pastorelli has experience of Dutch Formula Arcobaleno, and tested for Euro 3000 team Draco Racing at the end of 2000.

Durango's Euro 3000 team to change name? According to reports Durango Automotive, the team competing in Euro 3000 under Enio Bolsieri's leadership, want to change their name to Victory Engineering for the 2002 season. Durango Automotive, based in Brescia, are a separate team to Ivone Pinton's squad which races in the International series and is based at Mellaredo di Pianiga. News supplied with many thanks to Sergio Fratus.

Mooncraft signs Igarashi It has been confirmed that Yudai Igarashi will race for Mooncraft this season. The former British F3 driver competed for Team LeMans last year, but failed to score any points. News thanks to Tooru Kitajima.

Michigami joins Hattori at 5Zigen It has been confirmed that Ryo Michigami will partner Naoki Hattori at Team 5Zigen this season. Michigami raced for Mooncraft last season, finishing sixth overall, while Hattori was series runner-up. News thanks to Tooru Kitajima.

Formula Nippon silly season round-up Some additions to the Formula Nippon silly season have been made; PIAA Nakajima are retaining the services of 2001 drivers Tsugio Matsuda and Ralph Firman. German F3 champion Toshihiro Kaneishi may return to Japan and compete for ARTA alongside Juichi Wakisaka. Yuji Ide, who tested for ARTA, will go to Europe and race in French F3. Updates thanks to Japanese correspondent Tooru Kitajima.

Garcia to test Minardi F1 Antonio Garcia will test for European Minardi F1 at Valencia in the coming week. He joins Mark Webber, Christijan Albers and Matteo Bobbi at the test, although Paul Stoddart stated that it will not be a shootout for the race seat alongside Alex Yoong. Garcia raced in F3000 for Red Bull Junior and Durango last season. His name has been strongly linked to a return to Adrian Campos Motorsport for the new Formula Super Nissan series this season.

Mücke aiming for F1 or CART Stefan Mücke, inititially expected to race for the new PSM-Racing-Line team, stated on a German TV documentary recently: "Of course it is my goal to make my way into Formula One or the American CART series, which provides the same top level of racing." (source: autoracing1.com rumors). Mücke looks set to race in the DTM this season, his place in the F3000 team alongside Tony Schmidt likely to go to Dominik Schwager.

Wilson joins Webber on Minardi shortlist Reigning F3000 champion Justin Wilson has joined runner-up Mark Webber on the shortlist to drive for European Minardi F1. According to Autosport team boss Paul Stoddart's primary goal is to sign a driver with experience, either Heinz-Harald Frentzen or Jos Verstappen, to partner Alex Yoong. Frentzen is likely to sign for Arrows, leaving Verstappen as the main rival for the F3000 graduates. Wilson told Autosport: "My manager Jonathan Palmer has talked to a few people and spoke to Paul. He says they could be interested." Meanwhile Christijan Albers, who raced for Stoddart's European Arrows F3000 team in 2000, will test for Minardi's F1 team again at Valencia next week. The Dutchman will carry out durability and component testing in an interim Minardi PS01B chassis.

Enge signs for Arden Team Russia Tomas Enge, third in F3000 last year with Nordic in the year he made his F1 debut with Prost, will return to F3000 this year and drive for Arden Team Russia, confirms autosport.com. Team boss Christian Horner said: "We've come to a decision over the last 24 hours and we've decided to go with a driver who has won races and has a proven track record. It's a risk for Tomas coming back from Formula 1, but we're confident it will be right for him. The move leaves BAR test driver Darren Manning out of a drive, with Viktor Maslov already confirmed in the other seat. "For us it's a critical season," Horner added. "We didn't win races last year when we should have done and it's important to move forward in 2002."

F3000 test for Formula Ireland champion A new series has been set up for this season in Ireland, and the winner will receive an F3000 test according to Autosport. Formula Ireland will use the "twin-skinned" Van Diemen Formula X chassis, which can be easily converted from a single seater open-wheeler to a sports car by changing the bodywork. Two litre 170bhp Ford engines will be used. The series will take place at both Mondello Park and Kirkistown, and begins on May 5th.

Meira stays at ADM Competition Euro 3000 front-runner Vitor Meira will remain at ADM Competition for a second season, it has been confirmed. The Brazilian was fifth in the series last year.

Schwager set to sign for PSM Racing Line Dominik Schwager is set to race for the new PSM Racing Line team this season, returning to the series after competing for Oreca in 1998 as a BMW junior driver. The German was expected to sign this week, according to today's Autosport. Schwager has raced in Formula Nippon and All-Japan GT since leaving Europe. The other seat at Sigi Müller's team will be taken by Tony Schmidt. Stefan Mücke, initially expected to partner Schmidt, is expected to race for Mercedes in the DTM.

Lola win Euro Lights contract; mock-up chassis based on F3000 car Lola have won the contract to build the car for a new one-make single seater series, Euro Lights, which will run on European ovals from 2003. A mock-up of the chassis was set to be unveiled at the Autosport Show in Birmingham, England, today. The car is built around the tub of the new Lola T2/50 used in F3000 from this season. For more information on the series visit the new Euro Lights section. In other Lola news, the Huntingdon marque are planning to challenge Dallara's dominance of F3 by building a car for the 2003 season. The plans follow Rick Gorne's defection from Reynard to Lola.

Haberfeld signs for Astromega Mario Haberfeld has signed to race for Team Astromega in F3000 this season, it has been confirmed. The Brazilian was a disappointing 15th in F3000 with Super Nova last year. Former Stewart F1 team engineer Andy Miller will also join the team, having helped Haberfeld in his British F3 championship win with Stewart in 1998. Miller has not ruled out setting up a British F3 team this season, but will concentrate on engineering Haberfeld. The competition for the second seat at Astromega looks to be between F3 graduate Nicolas Kiesa and Euro 3000 front-runner and former International series racer Alex Müller.

Pereira joins RC Motorsport Carlos Pereira has signed to race for RC Motorsport, Autosport reveals, although no decision has been made on whether he will race in Formula Super Nissan or Formula Renault Eurocup. Pereira is a former Brazilian Formula Ford champion and has also raced in Formula Chevrolet.

Minassian to Formula Nippon? Chip Ganassi Racing Champ Car refugee and former F3000 runner-up Nicolas Minassian is planning to race in Japan this season, according to Autosport. The Frenchman tested for DoCoMo Dandelion before Christmas alongside Jonathan Cochet.

Newton-John tests Spanish F3 car Former Formula Holden driver Emerson Newton-John tested for Spanish F3 team Racing Engineering at Albacete last month, reports Autosport. The American will race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series this year for Dick Bahre.

Brusatin to race in British F3 Former F3000 Italia driver Giandomenico Brusatin will race in British F3 this year with Menu Motorsport. The Colombian raced in the Barber Dodge Pro Series last season, having earlier raced for Martello/Da Vinci in Italian F3000 in 1999 and 2000.

Basso to race in Champ Cars? Toyota Atlantic graduate Martin Basso could race in Champ Cars this year for Dale Coyne Racing, if the team finds the funds to compete. The Argentinian tested for Euro 3000 team GP Racing over the winter, with the support of Giancarlo Minardi, and had announced his plan was to compete in International F3000 or Euro 3000. However, he has a provisional agreement with Dale Coyne and could race in CART if he can find funds, according to Autosport, although other drivers are in the frame.

Enge signed for Arden Team Russia? According to a report in the Super newspaper, Czech Tomas Enge will return to F3000 this season with Arden Team Russia. Neither Enge, who raced for Prost in F1 three times last season, nor his manager would make any comment, but a deal could be confirmed later this week. Enge finished third overall in F3000 last season with Coca-Cola Nordic Racing.

Euro 3000 silly season round-up A few drivers have already committed to the Euro 3000 championship over the winter. Last year's champion team Draco Racing is the only one to have confirmed two drivers for 2002. Formula Renault Eurocup champion Augusto Farfus and German F3 frontrunner Matteo Grassotto [see below] have both been confirmed at the Italian team, which last year propelled champion Felipe Massa into an F1 seat this season with Sauber. Sighinolfi Autoracing have signed Luca Vacis, who finished 14th in last year's championship with Draco. Davide Uboldi's squad, Uboldi Corse, have signed Gabriele Gardel, who was an encouraging 9th overall with GP Racing last year. Many drivers have tested for the various teams over the winter - a round up of testing results can be found here, while the latest predictions for the 2002 entries can be viewed at the silly season page.

International F3000 silly season round-up Only a few drivers have been confirmed so far for the coming season. Reigning teams and drivers champion Nordic Racing have signed Zsolt Baumgartner, a surprise choice considering the Hungarian was a backmarker in a part-season with Prost Junior last year. Petrobras Junior retain their highly rated Brazilian pairing of Antonio Pizzonia and Ricardo Sperafico. Both were race winners in their rookie season, and this year both should be contenders for the championship. Red Bull Junior also continue with the same line-up, Austria's Patrick Friesacher being paired with Brazil's Ricardo Mauricio. Friesacher made a good impression in his rookie season, while Mauricio after returning mid-season looked to have improved on his past form. As ever Viktor Maslov is retained by Arden Team Russia, the Russian driver improving with experience but still unlikely to trouble the points scorers. Finally, one new team arrives in 2002 in the shape of PSM-Racing-Line, formed from a link-up between German F3 teams GM Motorsport and Mücke Motorsport. Tony Schmidt, 10th in German F3 with GM last year, has been confirmed as one driver. Stefan Mücke was set to be the other, but now it looks as though he will be competing in the DTM instead. Two teams on the entry list published by the FIA are unlikely to compete: Prostar, formerly Apomatox, who competed as Prost Junior Team last year, have gone into receivership along with the Prost F1 team, and Dominique Delestre stated he has no wish to continue in 2002. Another French team, DAMS, may well be absent too, Jean-Paul Driot announcing he will only enter if he can find two good drivers with budgets. Latest updates on entries can be found at the 2002 silly season page.

van Hooydonk returns to German F3 In an attempt to relaunch his stalled career, Belgian Jeffrey van Hooydonk will return to F3 next season. The former Witmeur KTR F3000 driver has signed to race for Team Ghinzani in German F3. Van Hooydonk's racing last season was limited to some tin-top Procar outings in Belgium, although he came close to making an F3000 return with Coloni mid-season. He told Autosport: "I had just one F3 season, in '98, before going to F3000. It will be nice to finish what I started."

Grassotto joins Farfus at Draco Italian Matteo Grassotto has signed to drive for Draco Racing, joining Brazil's Formula Renault Eurocup champion Augusto Farfus. Grassotto is a former Formula Renault ace himself - in 2000 he finished third in the Eurocup with JD Motorsport, also taking 13th in the Italian series. Last year he moved into German F3 with Cram Competition, taking 11th in the standings.

Bobbi defects from Nissan circus Italian Matteo Bobbi, 6th in Formula Nissan this year with Adrian Campos Motorsport, will not be moving into the new Formula Super Nissan series next year. Instead he will contest the second year of the Spanish F3 championship with Team Circuito di Valencia. The Italian is due to test for European Minardi F1 at Valencia in January.

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