08/09/2009
NEWS STORY
While it is wrong to heavily adapt a press release sometimes it is necessary to make a few changes.
Some will use the gist of it and the quotes in order to pass it off as an original news item, while others tend to remove the numerous corporate references that make press releases so bland. Then there are those who merely remove all the superlatives, the hype.
However, when Cosworth announced yesterday that Mark Gallagher had joined the Northampton-based company as leader of its Formula 1 Business Unit we couldn't help notice how the story appeared when it was run on the official Formula One website.
Other than the first few words of the second paragraph, almost all of the article read pretty much the same as the original press release.
However, announcing Gallagher's "crucial role in delivering the performance they will rely on", as per the original, the official Formula One website prefaced it with; "with all three of 2010's new teams expected to use Cosworth power..."
"Expected"? Is there something that the official website knows that the rest of us don't?
Of course, there were rumblings from a few of the potential teams for 2010 that they were more or less forced to use Cosworth powerplants, but only one, Stefan Grand Prix, is taking action, the Serbian outfit having made an official complaint to the European Commission.
Of the other teams that failed the selection process, there were murmurings from Prodrive, while a leaked letter from an outfit still hoping to secure a place on the grid had the team boss complaining: "I was advised by Tony Purnell that for my application to have any chance of success I would need to report Cosworth as my engine supplier for three seasons. I commented that I had a real possibility of obtaining a Renault, Mercedes or Ferrari engine, however, it was made very clear to me that it was considered a 'mandatory' condition from the powers that be (Max) that Cosworth was the engine supplier."
Pitpass is aware of at least two potential teams deeply unhappy with the 2010 selection process and who wanted to take the matter further. However, their involvement in other branches of motor sport, and other potential contracts, meant they were unwilling to rock the boat, at least as far as the FIA is concerned.
Whilst on the subject of engines, with Williams on the verge of switching engine suppliers, there are some who believe that USF1 would be better served by running Toyota powerplants next season.
We hear that that Toyota would be more than happy to supply USF1 - especially with American motorsport fans seeing the name TOYOTA alongside the stars 'n' stripes livery - , while the Japanese engine would be more powerful, more reliable, lighter, less thirsty (very important for weight in 2010 with no fuel stops) and cheaper than the Cosworth.