Google set to buy F1 as well!
The famous internet brand Google could soon be seen on the painted carbon bodywork of a Formula One car.
The company's co-founder Larry Page, one of the world's richest billionaires, was a guest of McLaren title sponsor Vodafone at last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.
Interestingly, the 36-year-old American is a friend of Sir Richard Branson, the British billionaire who has been considering ramping up his Virgin backing of the dominant Brawn team.
Page was married on Branson's own Caribbean island, and the pair have also been linked in various business ventures.
Brawn is not the only team interested in Google sponsorship, however; every major outfit on the grid is believed to have put out the feelers as to how serious Page's interest is.
The prospect of Indianapolis returning to stage a United States Grand Prix in future dwindled yet further this week.
Tony George, CEO of the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway that hosted the Formula One race between 2000 and 2007, is on the verge of being ousted, American media reports claim.
George is credited with bringing F1 back to the US on a novel road course inside the fabled Indy 500 oval, and until recently was keen on penning a new race promotion deal with Bernie Ecclestone.
Contrary to reports, the 49-year-old survived a board meeting on Tuesday, but in a media statement it was pointed out that the venue's interests in the Indy Racing League series ‘deserves the most attention at this point’.
Some commentators had questioned the company's finances amid the global recession and George's investments in other areas, including the road course, press tower and other facilities that were built for F1.
Without a rapid solution to the teams' FIA standoff, Force India and Brawn will be the next current teams to imminently sign up for the 2010 world championship.
Some believe that the current crisis is nearly over and following a Heathrow meeting on Wednesday, the FOTA alliance apparently agreed a compromise that could be accepted by Max Mosley.
But with the Friday deadline looming for next year's entries, any further delays will result in Brawn and Force India - who like Williams see Formula One as their core and only business - also breaking ranks and lodging the 2010 paperwork.
It is understood that, when Sir Frank Williams and team CEO Adam Parr were asked to leave the meeting room on Wednesday, Force India and Brawn did not join the other FOTA members in voting to expel the Grove based team.
As reported on Wednesday, however, the FOTA alliance is unlikely to fracture further, with Mercedes' Norbert Haug and McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh receiving much of the credit for the compromise that is now likely to speed towards a handshake deal.
The deal will involve a 100m euro budget cap next year, before Mosley's €45m figure arrives in 2011.
As a sweetener for the teams, one more staff member per team - like Red Bull's highly-paid Adrian Newey - can be excluded from the cap in addition to the drivers and boss.
FIA President Mosley told La Gazzetta dello Sport this week: "I am willing to compromise, but only if small and new teams can operate with much lower budgets and are not much slower than the others."
The details of the technical compromises are still sketchy, but it is understood that component and informing sharing, and even the sanctioned use of whole customer cars in 2010, could be among them.
Mosley added: "I am very optimistic about a solution. The big and small teams have very different interests and we have to protect everyone.
"Will Ferrari enter by Friday? I think so. I am optimistic and confident. Ferrari is very important for Formula One, but Formula One is very important for Ferrari as well," he added.
2
