YOONG NEWS IS A REAL SHOCK
WHILE everybody else speculates over where Ferrari refugee Kimi Raikkonen will finally end his career, I think the most shocking news this week is that F1 reject Alex Yoong could become team principle for the new Lotus F1 team.
There are always exceptions to the rules, but when you look back through the F1 history books drivers have always made terrible team mangers, which is why I was surprised when my spies told me the inexperienced Malaysian had been offered the top job.
The new Malaysian-owned Lotus F1 team is said to have given Yoong the tough job of running the team. Yoong, who has made just 14 race starts in his F1 career, takes over after current team principal Tony Fernandes revealed that he plans to step down from the position early next year.
My source said: "This just makes a mockery of the team and is sending out all the wrong messages to the F1 community. If they want to be taken seriously and compete for points next season then there are plenty of other qualified people out there to do the job.
"You only have to look at the previous records of drivers who have become team managers, Gerhard Berger, Alain Prost and off the top of my head only Bruce McLaren has made a good go of it.
"I think this decision is pure lunacy. I can see from a sponsorship point of view why having him involved in the team would commercially be a good decision, but not in that role."
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DESPITE A1 GP BOSS Tony Teixeira declaring all is well and good within the struggling camp, motorsport insiders believe the dogged series is doomed.
With less than a month before the opening round in Australia, a spokesman confirmed exclusively to Vroom on Friday that the cars are still in compound, staff's wages haven't been paid for months and a last minute commercial deal with Ferrari is still being thrashed out.
A1 Grand Prix Operations, a subsidiary of A1 Grand Prix Holdings, was put into compulsory liquidation in June owing millions of pounds. Teixeira said last month he intended on settling all its outstanding creditors before the administration hearing this week - but with just two days to go before the October 6 summons, Vroom understands that this hasn't happened.
A1GP Holdings, the parent company of A1GP Operations, is laying claim to the 25 Ferrari-powered cars in lieu of payment, which are due to touch down in Surfers Paradise for the season opener at the end of this month.
Speaking last week Teixeira said: "Our intention is to settle all our outstanding creditors prior to the administration hearing, and would like to thank them for their patience and support.
"I want them to understand this is a series that is here to stay on the motorsport scene, and they need to know their involvement is with a series that is going from strength to strength."
Teixeira also said the series has signed a new deal with IMG Sports Media to market its worldwide media rights for the next three years, but an A1GP spokesperson told Vroom creditors had still not been paid.
"As far as I know, and this is up until the end of play on Friday, the cars are still in compound. I know Mr Teixeira said these debts would be settled before the hearing on Tuesday but I don't think this has happened."
When asked if the rumours that staff haven't been paid were true the spokesperson confirmed: "No we haven't. We are also counted as creditors and as the company went into insolvency in June no-one has received any wages since then. Everybody is hoping that this will be resolved before the meeting in the next couple of days. It is a very sad situation and we are all just keeping our fingers crossed."
Sources have told Vroom that engine suppliers Ferrari have pulled the plug and asked for its iconic logo to be removed from all letterheads and any association with the series - casting doubt over the championship's long-term future.
The Queensland Government received an unconditional written assurance from A1GP bosses that the series WILL make its first race, but the cancellation of European tests, lack of driver announcements, millions of pounds of unpaid debts all just weeks from the start of the season suggests the category is in serious trouble.
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A DISAPPOINTED James Toseland will return to the World Superbike Championship next season after being dropped by his Yamaha MotoGP team in place of American Ben Spies.
British Toseland, who has two WSB championships under his belt, will do a straight-forward switch with current title contender Spies, replacing his vacated seat in the lower-class WSB Yamaha squad.
The shock departure of the 28-year-old means there will be no British drivers competing in MotoGP next season. "I have put everything into it, but it has not worked out as I would have wanted," said Toseland. "Of course there is some disappointment at losing my opportunity in MotoGP as I believe the challenge was still achievable, but the R1 has proven to be beyond the strongest bikes in Superbike and I know many of the Yamaha WSB guys, so I'm going to pick up where I left off and give 100% to achieving good results with the team.
"Within Superbike there were a few options available to me, however the way Yamaha have treated me since I joined them has been outstanding. They gave me a great opportunity in MotoGP, but now I do wish Ben all the best in his campaign and my aim is to continue Yamaha's success in World Superbike."
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SUPERLEAGUE AC Milan driver Giorgio Pantano hopes to stop Liverpool's' dominant lead at Monza this weekend despite the Reds running away with championship.
The Anfield-based club may be third in the Premier League this season, but over at the footy-themed car racing series, Liverpool's Adrian Valles has a 58-point advantage over the chasing pack.
Experienced Pantano, who has taken the chequered flag at the Monza circuit in both GP2 and F3000, believed his second Superleague victory of the season could be on the cards: "I hope to be fighting for victory this weekend, normally I go quite well there in whatever car I've got so hopefully that will also be the case in Superleague. My experience from those other championships should also help because as you get to know the circuit, and all the little lines, it all adds up to make you go faster.
"A good result will also help with the championship fight, although that depends on what Liverpool do at Monza. I don't really care about just settling for points because I need to close the gap to Adrian Valles if I'm going to have any chance of winning the title. If I win both races, or win one and get a podium in the other, then that's obviously a good result. I'll be giving the maximum I can so we can go to Spain in contention," he added.
"Monza has a lot of long straights, where you can use the push-to-pass, followed by heavy breaking areas so it's easier to overtake there than at some other circuits. It's a place where, if you feel good with the car and it's going well but you're at the back of the reverse grid, there's still a chance you can come through to the front."
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Speaking in Portugal this weekend, when someone asked Valentino Rossi why F1 gets a bigger audience than bikes, the cheeky Italian replied: "A lot of people watch F1...but more than half are asleep."
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