Max Mosley, who just left the job as president of the FIA, has written a couple of articles for the Telegraph newspaper in England. In the second article, he claims that he might have prevented BMW and Toyota from leaving Formula 1. Interesting stuff - if you like "might have been" stories (which F1 is full of).

If everything goes according to plan, the F1 season will comprise 19 races next year, including one in South Korea. And a return to Canada. The FIA World Council today published the final version of the 2010 F1 calendar, and it's looking good!

It's early December, so it's time for the annual Motor Sport Business Forum in Monaco. That's where a lot of the team directors and sponsors get together and meet to discuss the state of the motor sport business - mostly F1.

There are some big names on the Riviera at the moment, and among those talking at the forum today were Gerard Lopez and Tony Fernandes, the latter of whom bought into the Lotus team, and the former of whom is trying to buy into the Renault team. Why now?!?!

"The opportunities lie not in making money from the team but rather from using it as a business platform for other opportunities," said Lopes, who was a founding investor in Skype, " Formula One is especially a great business-to-business platform. I've seen it turn even the most seasoned executive into a kid."

Silverstone circuit in England has resolved its problems with Formula One's promoter, and it will once again host the British Grand Prix - and for many years to come. This is good news for anyone who wants to attend the race, as the alternative had been Donington, which was an even more difficult circuit to access than is Silverstone!

"We are delighted that the long term future of the British Grand Prix has been secured and that Formula 1 will be remaining at Silverstone, its natural home in Great Britain, for at least the next 17 years," said Damon Hill, the president of the BRDC, which owns the circuit. "This long term contract will enable us to continue with our plans to develop Silverstone into a world class facility, bringing the venue into line with the very best sports facilities in the world for the benefit of all race goers, teams, drivers and fans."

Let's hope so!

All Sauber has to do now is sign the most recent Concorde Agreement and it will be accepted into the 2010 - and later - Formula 1 championships, according to an announcement made by the FIA today.

"The FIA has written to inform BMW Sauber AG that their application for an entry in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship has been successful," the FIA said. "Subject to their signing the Concorde Agreement, BMW Sauber will be awarded the 13 th entry in the Championship, taking the place of the departing Toyota team."

It has been long expected, now it's a fact: The Canadian Grand Prix will return next year...with a little help from the Canadian federal and the Quebec provincial governments. Can anyone imagine the British or United States governments doing anything like that?

"The governments of Canada and Québec, Montréal and Tourisme Montréal are proud to announce that the Grand Prix du Canada will return to Montréal on June 13 through a $15 million annual investment over the next five years," the local promoter said in a statement. "The Government of Canada and Tourisme Montréal will each contribute $5 million of this amount. The Government of Québec will provide $4 million and Montréal will add $1 million. Montréal and its partners will in return receive 30% shares from ticket sales."

"The Conservative government is proud to award such a significant financial contribution to the nation's foremost recreational tourism event. Through the $25 million in support that we are providing over five years, the FIA Formula One World Championship is coming back to North America here in Montréal."

Cool!

Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have counterattacked the FIA in the French civil courts over the Renault team crashgate affair. The case has been heard now, but a verdict will not be reached until 5 January. They are trying to sue the FIA for $1.5 million and $750,000 respectively and to have their penalties of their respective bans from the series changed. Briatore was banned for life and Symonds for five years. It's a real test case to see what power the FIA has in handing out such penalties.

As expected, Nico Rosberg will race for the new Mercedes Grand Prix team next year, the team announced today. Who will race with him? Another German? A Raikkonen (a species all its own)? Or Michael Schumacher? (Another species all his own.) An announcement is expected soon, or perhaps not, according to Norbert Haug, of Mercedes...

The Williams Formula One team has held out against selling equity to a car manufacturer all throughout this period of manufacturer ownership or part ownership that began a decade ago. But today the team, owned since 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head, announced that it sold a minority share in the team to an Austrian investor named Toto Wolff. It is no surprise to me that Wolff is, like Frank and Patrick, a racer himself. He has raced in German Formula Ford and in several touring car series.

Do you get the feeling there's more news in the off-season than during the F1 season? These days, at least, that seems to be the case. McLaren has just announced that it has hired the reigning world champion Jenson Button away from Brawn to drive for the team in a multiple-year contract. This is especially cool news when you think about how he will be teammate to Lewis Hamilton, and now we will have both world champions from the last two seasons racing against each other next year!