SEPTEMBER 17, 2004

Is there a buyer out there?

There seems to be little doubt that there are a variety of companies which might be interested to step in and take control of the company currently known as Jaguar Racing. There has been plenty of speculation in recent weeks over names as it is an open secret that the team was on the market. Red Bull was in talks about a deal for a long time but Ford decided it was not keen on the association with the Austrian drinks company. Red Bull could come back again but we think the most likely course of action will be that the team will end up in the hands of the Canadian steel company Dofasco, which is planning its own F1 programme and had been planning to build the team from nothing. Buying Jaguar for a nominal sum will give Dofasco a head start in terms of people, equipment and financial benefits. The management of the team might change if Dofasco wants someone else in control (although there is nothing wrong with the current engineering-led group) and much will depend on who gives the Canadians advice, as they clearly do not have much experience in the sport. The firm needs to be very careful from whom it takes advice as there are huge vested interests involved.