Intrigue about "the possibility of an 11th team" entering Formula 1 ramped up on Wednesday when a new name was registered in Britain and the FIA "confirmed it had been sounded out about a slot on the grid," according to Jonathan Noble of MOTORSPORT. After "several weeks" of rumors, an update of Britain's Companies House register "revealed the renaming of a business" as China F1 Racing Team Ltd. The company, which had previously been called Bronze Fortune Ltd., is run by French lawyer Michael Orts, who has "competed in sports car racing in Europe and America." Little "is known about the plans" and Orts was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday. FIA President Jean Todt confirmed the governing body "had been approached by some individuals regarding a future entry." Todt: "There are always rumors, but we have had some interest from some teams." When asked to "give more detail on the number," Todt said simply, "Not many" (MOTORSPORT, 6/21).
NOT HOLDING BACK: In London, Giles Richards reported F1 CEO Chase Carey "explicitly" criticized the sport's previous administration, managed by former CEO Bernie Ecclestone. Carey made it clear his organization "was addressing the shortcomings it had inherited." He was also "particularly critical of the previous management" that he believed had served F1 "poorly." Carey: "This sport has been underserved by a perpetual, short-term, deal of the day focus and one that has lacked a strategy, vision and longer-term plan, and a willingness to invest" (GUARDIAN, 6/20).
AS EXPECTED: CRASH reported Carey said that the decision to host races on three consecutive weekends in the summer of '18 was made "to avoid clashing" with the World Cup final. Carey said that the '18 calendar was "about what we expected" given the pressures of piecing together a schedule that "caters to differing needs both inside and outside of motorsport." He said, "I wouldn't say there were any surprises. There are motorsport events, there are other events, next year we've got a World Cup, some one-time events. In other years you could have an Olympics or something" (CRASH, 6/20).
