It seems a lot of people are trying to explain the speed of the McLarens and deem it illegal. The latest rumour says McLaren is using the power generated by the brakes to power the oil and water pomps. The advantage would be that the engine is no longer involved, which saves horse power.

Meanwhile they are still going strong. They are two seconds faster than the other teams who are also testing on the Silverstone (England) circuit, with Mika Hakkinen leading the way.

Both Williams drivers had electrical problems with their Mecachrome engines on the Barcelona (Spain) track. Ralf Schumacher was the fastest.

This year's calendar is still provisional. The French Grand Prix, which was scraped, will almost certainly be back. South Africa might replace the Estoril race, which was also deleted. All teams were asked their opinion about it. They must agree unanimously.

Speculations on an US race have again surfaced. Bernie Ecclestone had talks with several interested parties. Las Vegas seems to be the most likely candidate. The date would be 2000.