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2006
F1 DRIVERS / TEAMS:
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BARRICHELLO
LEAVES FERRARI AFTER 6 YEARS
joins BAR-Honda |
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MASSA
joins Ferrari |
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ROSBERG
joins Williams |
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SPEED
joins Toro Rosso |
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IDE
joins Super Aguri
NEW
JAPANESE F1 TEAM: SUPER AGURI
Drivers: Takuma Sato & Yuji Ide (ROOKIE)
Principal: Aguri Suzuki |
F1
TEAM & DRIVER CHANGES - 2006 SEASON:
- 11 teams
- HONDA
BUYS BAR
- BMW BUYS
SAUBER
- RED BULL
BUYS MINARDI (RENAMED TOSSO ROSSA)
- ALONSO
TO JOIN McLAREN FROM 2007
- BARRICHELLO
JOINS BAR-HONDA
- MASSA
JOINS FERRARI
- RED BULL
TO BE POWERED BY FERRARI ENGINE IN 2006
- TOYOTA
& WILLIAMS SWITCH TO BRIDGESTONE TYRES
- NEWEY MOVES
FROM McLAREN TO RED BULL
Chief Designer of
McLaren will become chief technical officer at Red Bull. He has won
6 world titles (4 with Williams & 2 with McLaren).
- HEIDFELD
JOINS THE NEW BMW TEAM
28
year old German driver Nick Heidfeld has signed a 3 year contract to
drive for the new BMW team (Ex Sauber) from 2006.
HEIDFELD: "this represents the fulfilment of a big dream. I've
experienced at first hand the commitment and resources BMW puts into
its F1 project ... I'm not expecting a miracle during the first season
after a new start in 2006, but I'm confident that the new team will
be successful in the long term."
BMW (Mario Theissen): "We are very pleased that Nick will be with
us in what will undoubtedly be a difficult initial phase. He is not
simply a fast and courageous driver, he is also an analytical and meticulous
worker."
- ALBERS
SIGNS A 2 YEAR CONTRACT WITH MIDLAND
(previously Jordan)
Christijan Albers: "I appreciate all I have learned with Minardi
this season, and look on this move as a step forward. It is by far the
most challenging option for the future"
- NEW
JAPANESE TEAM: "Super Aguri Formula One" led by former
F1 driver Aguri Suzuki
- ROSBERG'S
F1 DEBUT WITH WILLIAMS: 20
year old son of former F1 champion Keke Rosberg will make his F1 debut
next season. Nico Rosberg (Germany) will be team-mate to Mark Webber.
In 2002 Rosberg won the Formula BMW championship and was offered a chance
to test drive a Williams BMW F1 car - becoming the youngest test driver
in a F1 car. He won the inaugural GP2 championship this year beating
Nelson Piquest Jr.
ROSBERG: "Winning the GP2 title this season, especially given the
competition, was a satisfying achievement, but of course this development
(F1 DEBUT) is the crowning glory of a great year. I am really looking
forward to starting work at the end of this month and learning as much
from the team as I possibly can ... I'm going to work very hard to be
as good as he was (father Keke Rosberg won 5 GPs) although I don't really
want to compare myself to him ... because he has achieved the top in
motorsports and that's my dream too. I'll work my very best to get there."
WILLIAMS: "I believe I am one of many in Formula One who is genuinely
excited about the prospect of Nico Rosberg ... Given the attention he
commands, I am delighted he has signed with us for next season. His
natural talent in the cockpit is equally matched by his intelligence
out of it, demonstrated by his depth of technical understanding and
communication of data over the months spent as a test driver this season"
- SPEED TO
MAKE F1 DEBUT WITH TORO ROSSO:
22 year old Scott Speed will become the first American to drive F1 since
Michael Andretti in 1993.
"It's certainly a feeling of excitement. To bring F1 closer to
the American public is exciting. It's going to be incredible to be on
the grid in America and at Indy with all of the support behind me. I'm
really looking forward to it."
- VITANTONIO
LIUZZI CONFIRMED AS DRIVER FOR TORO ROSSO
- KLIEN CONFIRMED
AS DRIVER FOR RED BULL
- KOVALAINEN
BECOMES TEST DRIVER FOR RENAULT F1:
2005 GP2 championship runner-up will be the official test driver for
the Renault team.
BRIATORE (RENAULT): "He has demonstrated he is a talented,
aggressive driver in the GP2 Series, and he has impressed our engineers
during his tests"
- ROBERT
KUBICA BECOMES TEST DRIVER FOR BMW SAUBER
- GARY PAFFETT
BECOMES TEST DRIVER FOR McLAREN
"I'm
really excited about this opportunity and the challenges ahead. This
is the culmination of my continuous relationship with McLaren and Mercedes-Benz.
For my efforts to be officially recognised by one of the most successful
Formula One teams and reaching my goal of getting a regular Formula
One seat is a fantastic feeling."
- ALEX WURZ
BECOMES TEST DRIVER FOR WILLIAMS
He
moves from a test drive role at McLaren Mercedes
- ANTHONY
DAVIDSON STAYS WITH HONDA AS 3RD DRIVER
"I'm really looking forward to starting the 2006 season with the
team in its new guise as the Honda Racing F1 Team. I have enjoyed five
years with the team during which time I have made a positive contribution
to its development ... They are committed to F1 for the long-term and
absolutely focused on winning the world championship"
- KARTHIKEYAN
BECOMES 2ND TEST DRIVER FOR WILLIAMS
28
year old Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan who was dropped by Jordan/Midland
will act as 2nd test driver for Williams in 2006.
"having tested for Williams late last year, joining the team was
the best option for me and I am delighted that we can finally confirm
this ... I am looking
forward to testing the FW28 and making a contribution to Williams' competitiveness
this season."
DEPARTURES:
- DEC 2005: Designer
Gustav Brunner leave Toyota
- DEC 2005: The
founder of Minardi team, Gian Carlo Minardi leave the team (now Torro
Rosso under Red Bull ownership)
NEW &
RENAMED TEAMS IN 2006 F1 SEASON:
- BMW
- formerly Sauber
- HONDA
- formerly BAR
- MIDLAND
- formerly Jordan
- Squadra
Toro Rosso
- formerly Minardi
2006
FORMULA 1 GP TEAMS: 11 teams
BMW
SAUBER, Michelin
- DRIVERS:
Jacques Villeneuve, CAN (replaced mid season by Robert
Kubica)
Nick Heidfeld,
GER
Robert Kubica, POL - started the season as test
driver; promoted to full time drive mid season, replacing Villeneuve
Sebastian Vettel, GER, became test driver mid season
- MANAGEMENT:
Peter Sauber - owner
Willy Rampf, Technical Director
Stephen Taylor, chief designer
HONDA,
Michelin
- DRIVERS:
Jenson Button,
UK
Rubens Barrichello,
Brazil
Anthony Davidson, test driver
- MANAGEMENT:
Nick Fry, CEO
Gil de Ferran - Sporting Director (appointed April 2005)
Geoff Willis - Chief Tech Director
Hugh Chambers, Marketing Director
Mike McGuire, Commercial Director
FERRARI,
Bridgestone
- DRIVERS:
Michael Schumacher,
Germany, 2003 champion (contracted till end 2006)
Felipe Massa, Brazil
Luca Badoer, Italy - test driver
Marc Gené - test driver
- MANAGEMENT:
Jean Todt, Team director (till end 2006)
Ross Brawn, Tech director
Paolo Martinelli, Engine director
Rory Byrne, Chief designer
Luca Baldisserri, Engineering
MIDLAND
F1, Toyota,
Bridgestone
- DRIVERS:
Christijan
Albers (NED)
Tiago Monteiro (POR)
Markus Winkelhock - test driver replaces Pastorelli*
(*Nicky Pastorelli loses sponsor)
Fabrizio del Monte, Italy - test driver (from April 2006)
- NEW MANAGEMENT:
Alex Shnaider - Owner
Colin Kolles - Managing director / Team Principal
Christian Geistdorfer - Marketing director
Adrian Burgess
- Sporting director
Johnny Herbert
- Sporting Relations Manager
Gary Anderson, Race and Test Engineering
McLAREN
MERCEDES, Michelin
- DRIVERS:
Juan Montoya,
Colombia
Kimi Raikkonen,
Finland
Alexander Wurz,
Austria - test driver (height: 1.82m)
Pedro de la Rosa - test driver
Gary Paffett - test driver
- MANAGEMENT:
Ron Dennis - CEO/Manager
SQUADRA
TORO ROSSO, Cosworth,
Bridgestone
- DRIVERS:
Vitantonio Liuzzi, ITA
Scott Speed, USA
Neel Jani , test driver
- MANAGEMENT:
Franz Tost - Team Principal
RED
BULL, Ferrari, Michelin
- DRIVERS:
David Coulthard,
UK
Christian Klien, AUT
- MANAGEMENT:
Christian Horner - Sporting Director
Adrian Newey, chief technical officer
Günther Steiner - Technical Director
Mark Smith - Deputy Technical Director
Anton Stipinovich - Head of development
(ex Jaguar team members: Mark Gillan - Head of Vehicle Performance
, John Hogan - Sporting & Commercial Director, Ian Pocock - Director
of Engineering
Steve Nichols - Chief designer, Ben Agathangelou - Head of Aerodynamics)
RENAULT,
Michelin
- DRIVERS:
Fernando Alonso,
Spain
Giancarlo
Fisichella, Italy
Heikki Kovalainen - test drivers
- MANAGEMENT:
Renault, owner
Jean-Jacques His, MD
Flavio Briatore, Team Managing Director
Bob Bell, Technical Director
Pat
Symonds, Engineering Director
*SUPER
AGURI F1, Bridgestone
- DRIVERS:
T Sato, JPN
Yuji Ide, JPN
Sakon Yamamoto, JPN (replaces Ide)
- MANAGEMENT:
Aguri Suzuki, Team Principal
Mark Preston, Chief Technical Officer
TOYOTA,
Bridgestone
- DRIVERS:
Jarno Trulli,
Italy
Ralf Schumacher,
Germany
Ryan Briscoe - test driver
- ENGINE:
RVX-06 2.4-litre V8
- MANAGEMENT:
Tsutomu Tomita, Team Principal
Gustav Brunner, Chief Designer
Luca Marmorini, Tech Director Engine
Mike Gascoyne, Tech Director Chassis (ex Renault)
WILLIAMS
Cosworth, Bridgestone
- DRIVERS:
Mark Webber,
Australia
Nico Rosberg,
Germany
Alex Wurz - Austria; test driver
Narain Karthikeyan - India; 2nd test driver
- MANAGEMENT:
Frank Williams, Owner
Patrick Head, Director
Sam Michaels, Technical Director
Gavin Fischer, Chief Designer
Geoff Willis, Chief Aerodynamist
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