More silly season: Heinz-Harald Frentzen is bound ...

Published on 22 July 1998 by Verstappen Info Page

More silly season: Heinz-Harald Frentzen is bound to leave Williams at the end of this season due to his disappointing performance or accept a pay cut. The German is now linked up with Prost, where he might be joined by Jean Alesi. Williams will also almost certainly have to replace Jacques Villeneuve who is close to a deal with BAR. Villeneuve might be replaced by Alessandro Zanardi but Juan Pablo Montoya and Johnny Herbert are also mentioned as replacements.

Like every year Nigel Mansell is also rumoured to return to Formula 1. He has spent time with the Stewart team this last Grand Prix and this seems fuel for speculation but a Ford spokesman said: "There is absolutely no truth to the stories at all and there is no plan to put Mansell in the Stewart car. His contract is exclusively with Ford in the BTCC."

The circuit at Estoril near Lisboa in Portugal could become a permanent Formula 1 testing circuit. This would be part of a deal that insures the return of the Portuguese circuit to the Formula 1 calendar. Construction work has started again at the circuit after a £10 million injection from the Portuguese government to bring the circuit up to par with the latest standards.