FEBRUARY 8, 2002

Kirch offers F1 deal to manufacturers

THE Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported this morning that the Kirch Group has approached the car manufacturers with an offer to get them involved in running SLEC, the company which owns the commercial rights to Formula 1 racing. The approaches have been rejected. The car manufacturers are planning to start their own World Championship in 2008 and see no point in doing a deal with Kirch. The only thing which might make it worthwhile for the manufacturers is that it would bring the 100-year deal with the FIA, which would save them having to negotiate a similar arrangement at a later date. Having said that the manufacturers may consider that such a deal is not necessary as long as they are involved in F1 there is unlikely to be a rival series.