Motorsport news in brief

19th November 2006

Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen nearly swapped teams mid-last season, it has emerged. As Renault boss Flavio Briatore’s relationship with the Spaniard fell apart, he tried to woo the Finn before
his Ferrari deal was sealed.

GERHARD Berger, boss of Red Bull B team Scuderia Toro Rosso, says the team will field its own car next season. Rumour had it the outfit would rely on a model penned by Red Bull designer Adrian Newey. Toro Rosso will use Ferrari engines.

ROOKIE Oliver Jarvis scored Britain’s best A1 GP finish of the season so far by coming second in the feature race in Beijing, China. The event was won by Team Italy’s Enrico Toccacello, after Holland’s Jeroen Bleekemolen crashed and German Nico Hulkenberg had gearbox trouble. Jarvis came seventh in the first of the two races, won by Bleekemolen. Qualifying had to be abandoned after
manhole covers started to lift around the street circuit.