The Old Rumour Mill – March

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Ever hear the one about Michael Schumacher teaming up with Volkswagen to create a new F1 superteam for 2007?

Or Ferrari entering the Indianapolis 500? And the oval track being built at Silverstone?

Sadly they weren’t true – but these stories all made the headlines a few years ago. Here’s what was said.

Michael Schumacher & Volkswagen to launch F1 team in 2007

F1 Racing, March 2006

Eddie Jordan may have the inside line on a lot of deals that go on in Formula One. Sadly this would was more fantasy than fact – which is a shame, because it would have been fantastic to see one of the world’s best drivers team up with one of the most high-profile car manufacturers not currently involved in F1.

The rumour reckoned that Michael Schumacher would front a team backed by Volkswagen, possibly under the name of lucury brand Audi, in F1 in 2007.

Well, they certainly got it right about Schumacher not racing for Ferrari after 2006…

Three-car Ferrari team for Indy 500 ’87

Autosport, 13th March, 1986

In one of his periodic bust-ups with the sport’s governing body Enzo Ferrari pronounced at the beginning of 1986 that his team would begin a limited programme in the American CART championship with a view to racing in the prestigious Indianapolis 500 the next year.

Ferrari had made various threats to quit F1 in the past and had previously missed various races in fits of pique. This too proved to be another one of his more eccentric moments.

F1 to race on Indy oval at Silverstone

Autosport, March 18th and 25th 1993

All kinds of different configurations have been proposed at Silverstone over the years. This rumour claimed an oval circuit would be built linking Stowe and Club as on the pre-’91 circuit, turning right before Abbey and crossing the South circuit, rejoining at Becketts.

At the time the FIA World Council appeared to be moving in the direction of allowing F1 cars to race on ovals. Refuelling was introduced for 1993 and stepped flat bottoms on the cars were planned.

An oval circuit was later built in nearby Rockingham, but the lack of action it has seen in six years suggests that Silverstone were wise not to press ahead with the project.

But if F1 seriously wants to get big in the States, perhaps it should resurrect the idea of running on ovals…

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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One comment on “The Old Rumour Mill – March”

  1. “But if F1 seriously wants to get big in the States, perhaps it should resurrect the idea of running on ovals…”

    Being from the states….. PLEASE NO!

    Indy racing on the ovals in awful, its worse then NASCAR.
    At least the stock cars are heavy enough to where they have to lift off the throttle around the corners…. There would be nothing interesting about this AT ALL. Go to Laguna Seca.

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