Making the headlines - in brief

By Erica Southey - Motorsport.com

Proton adds financial muscle to Malaysian GP - Proton CEO Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff didn't reveal any details of amounts involved, but was quoted saying: "The support could be direct or indirect". The Sauber drivers were both given Proton Waja's as means of transport.

Jacques Villeneuve will bounce back - Villeneuve, known for spine chilling crashes, especially the latest at the Australian GP, has the vote of confidence from his Team Manager and longstanding friend Craig Pollock and Race Engineer Jock Clear. They are confident that he will bounce back for the Malaysian GP.

HANS to get the green light - It appears that by 2002 the HANS (Head and Neck Support) will be made mandatory for added safety precaution for drivers in case of heavy impacts. HANS is a shoulder rest that extends down the spine of the driver and is attached to the back of the crash helmet.

Irvine out - De la Rosa In? - Eddie Irvine strongly denies rumours of being replaced by current test driver Pedro de la Rosa in 2002. A tell-tale sign is a performance clause in Eddie's contract with Jaguar, and public admonishing to shape up or ship out. The Ulsterman said that Jaguar stated his poor performance was due to mechanical failures on the car's part.