Bathgate Driver Heading for F1

West Lothian already has one internationally known Motorsport Champion in Bathgate's Dario Franchitti the double Indy Car Champion. But it won't be him that may be lining up on the F1 grid this year.

Though to keep it in the family his young cousin Paul Di Resta impressed in testing at Jerez last month. The 23-year-old is a member of the Mercedes Young Driver Development Programme, and has already won a European Formula 3 title and been runner-up in the German Touring Car Championship with Mercedes. He has said he has been in talks with Force India who will be using Mercedes engines, adding:

"I would say we are about 90 percent there. We are in the final stages of finishing off for the programme they have set and hopefully we can build a very long and strong relationship for me to try and race with Force India in the future."

So we may well have a Bathgate driver in both the Indy Car and F1 series this season.

Donnington Cloud Set For Silverstone Lining

Later today it is widely expected that the 2010 Fomula One British Grand Prix will be announced as taking place at Silverstone. After a couple of years of the circuit that has hosted the British Grand Prix since 1987 first looking to lose the event to Donnington, then potnetially Britain losing its spot on the F1 circuit altogether when the financing fell through, it now seems certain that it will be as you were in Northamptonshire and not a shift to Leicestershire..

The Silverstone circuit is like the heart of F1 around it are various of the works factories of many teams not just those that play our National Anthem when they win the constructors prize at a Grand Prix and with them are many of the makers of parts. If Bernie Ecclestone had followed through on his veiled threat that he didn't need there to be a British Grand Prix there might very well have been ramifications for employment.

However, last night Bernie seemed happy with the deal that was presented by the Silverstone owners. He was irratated with the length of time it took him to come to a deal though saying:

"It's been a long and tiring nonsense. They could have done this whole thing months and months ago."

But maybe from their long experience of dealing with the billionaire the circuit cheifs wanted to build in a little security if they stepped up to become the saviour of the British GP. Having aparently settled on a 10 year deal it would appear that they have got that little bit of security to make investing in improving the facilities

Update: This has now been confirmed with a 17 year deal agreed.

Blue the Only Colour for Former Benetton Boss Briatore

The most colourful boss on the Formula One Grid Flavio Briatore and his executive director of engineering Pat Symonds are walking away from the Renault Team.

It comes days before the team of the Italian former boss of the Benetton team was to answer questions about Nelson Piquet Jr’s crash in last years Singapore Grand Prix. An incident that required the safety car to come out as there was debris all over the track in the early stages of F!’s first night race. His team mate former World Champion Fernando Alonso had come into the pits early two laps before an took on a big fuel load. Under the safety car conditions he gradually climbed up the field to take a surprise win in that race.

Briatore and the Renault team had threatened legal action against Piquet and the former World Champion father only last Friday. Now with the two principles accused of asking the driver to deliberately crash his car to help his team mate the suspicions of where the blame falls have shifted.

News reports say that the FIA will still meet to hear the allegations on Monday. The extent of the action taken by Renault to rectify this situation has on any outcome has yet to be seen. There is possible suspension of involvement in F1 being discussed for Briatore, who’s been around the paddock for 21 years, and Symonds who have been through the Toleman, Benetton and Renault stages of the team since the early 80s.

There may have been united colours at Benetton, but Briatore and Symonds are currently blue. Renault have showing they aren’t yellow. The FIA may still be seeing red. There may be a green light at the end of all this for Piquet.