OCTOBER 10, 2005

A deal for Emirates in F1?

There were rumours in Suzuka that the Emirates Airline, which is owned by the ruling family of Dubai, is looking very seriously about a Formula 1 sponsorship deal. This may be related to stories of a second Mercedes-Benz team although we hear that the price tag is so high that it is hard for the Woking company to find any takers.

The team could be run from the old McLaren factory in Woking and the deal would include engines and chassis technology, in much the same way as the supposed second Honda team.

There has been talk of a Dubai team for some time but no sign of any real action but the Emirates rumours are stronger than most and so it will be interesting to see if there might be a 12th team in F1 in 2007. It is highly unlikely that anything will be achieved by next season but if Hond can do it, there is no real reason why McLaren could not given that the team has the facilities.

Such rumours are not new and have been around for at least a year but there is some potential for deals as Emirates likes to use to sport to promote its activities and is heavily involved in the Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup soccer next summer and will be title sponsor of Team New Zealand, which is challenging for the next America's Cup in yachting. This programme will be over by June 2007 and so logically Emirates would be looking for long-term alternatives.