BAR ROOM BRAWL

BAR (British American Racing) boss Craig Pollock seems to be trying to upset the F1 establishment before his team has even started a race. Firstly, he is suing Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA as there has been a ruling that BAR will not be allowed to run their two cars in different liveries next season. The team, sponsored by British American Tobacco had hoped to promote two separate brands of cigarette. Secondly, Pollock is supposed to have booked all the available hotel rooms in the area around the Zhuhai Circuit where next year’s Chinese GP is due to be held. Hotels have now been informed by their tourist board that they have to cancel these bookings, which have allegedly been transferred to a Mr. B. Ecclestone!

HATS OFF TO MICHAEL

Writing this on the day before the Japanese GP, we don’t yet know if Michael Schumacher is over-confident or can see the future. Due to a misunderstanding, the McLaren office in Suzuka was sent a parcel on the Thursday which turned out to contain a consignment of hats with the legend: “Michael Schumacher 1998 World Champion!”

SAYONARA GOODYEAR

On Friday, Goodyear’s F1 Operations Manager Perry Bell confirmed that all Goodyear runners have now been sent letters releasing them from their contracts as from the Tuesday after the Japanese GP. This is so that those teams now running on the American rubber can take part in a Bridgestone test session starting that day at Suzuka. With the Japanese company having a tyre monopoly in F1 next season, those teams who have so far used Goodyear are anxious to try the new tyres as quickly as possible, in case their performance characteristics can have an effect on the basic design of the 1999 cars. Both Scuderia Ferrari-Marlboro drivers, Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine will take part in the test. Also released from existing contracts are Williams driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jordan’s Ralf Schumacher. This will allow the two Germans to swop seats for the tyre test and combine it with a first run with their 1999 teams. On the subject of Goodyear, their personnel were not amused when the Williams PR lady went to give them all invitations to a party to be held on the eve of the 1999 Australian GP.

HOT SEAT

In Suzuka on Friday, the FIA demonstrated the new removable seat which will be mandatory for all F1 cars as from the start of the season. The idea for the seat came from FIA Chief Medical Officer, Prof. Sid Watkins, who was concerned about possible spinal injuries resulting from an injured driver being lifted out of his seat. The new seat can be lifted out of the cockpit with the driver still in place. It has been developed by American company Lear, who produce seats and other car interior safety devices for road cars and the Stewart team, which has worked with Lear all season.

MIKA MOBBED

The Englishman who won the Mika Hakkinen Lookalike competition in Monza is here in Japan. Given that the locals think Europeans all look much the same, they found the appearance of this fake Finn rather exciting. Especially so on Saturday morning when he was mobbed by crowds attending the Pit Lane Walkabout. He was busy signing autographs and kissing babies and some of the Japanese fans noticed the real Mika in the back of the West McLaren Mercedes garage. That really confused them!