May 06, 2004
Following recent rumours over Adam Fretter's future at Phoenix F1, team boss Andy Graydon confirmed that he is being replaced for the remainder of the 2004 season.

"I don't need to re-iterate the reasons for Adam's departure from the team, and we don't know whether he wants to drive for another team in the F1VWC" commented Andy. "We had high hopes for Adam at the beginning of the season, but missing the race in Australia, the Qualifying at Imola (and therefore the Race itself) and a pre-season test glitch have all added up to the team deciding to find a replacement. The Phoenix F1 team is all about committment, and we could no longer be sure that he would turn out for future events".

So, who will his replacement be?

"Well, there has been a lot of contact made with our contracted Test Drivers and also with other parties. Antonio will also miss two races in June (due to holiday commitments) so I've had to find an extra replacement for these 2 events. But we are now 95% certain about who will drive at the remaining races of the 2004 season. At this stage, I don't wish to release exact details - although agreement has been reached for all but 3 seats at 3 events."

And what of the rumour that the team-boss will be racing in Spain this coming weekend?

"There is a chance that this may occur. The close proximity of the race, added to other pre-arranged commitments from those drivers contacted, mean that I've notified the F1VWC regarding my being signed up as a Test Driver for Phoenix F1 (thus allowing me to race if required) although I have yet to sign a contract confirming this. I will be attempting to find somebody else to fill the seat in the next 24 hours (I am getting on abit now, and am nowhere near as competitive as I was when I race full time in 2002), but after that stage if there is no confirmation then I could well be donning the helmet and overalls in a race for the first time since the Belgian Gold Cup in 2003".

And finally, what are your expectations for the rest of the 2004 season?

"We are expecting more of a team effort in gaining points on the board for the rest of 2004. Antonio will be our mainstay on the driver front - and his recent result at Imola shows that he is improving race by race (he also assures me there's more to come). But his future partner's are going to challenge both him AND the other teams' drivers for the points scoring positions. We definitely expect to move up the Constructors Championship and challenge the top 3, and I believe that we will have the package from now on to bring that elusive first victory into our grasp."