DECEMBER 13, 1999

A deal for Alex?

AN opportunity to race in the United States of America has opened up for Williams driver Alex Zanardi.

AN opportunity to race in the United States of America has opened up for Williams driver Alex Zanardi. The Italian, who was listed as a Williams driver on the official FIA Formula 1 entry list, is not expected to remain with the team next season after a very disappointing year in 1999. There is a contract with Williams for next season but our sources insist that Zanardi and Williams are negotiating to terminate this agreement. There do not appear to be any sensible options for Zanardi in Formula 1 but last week's announcement of the formation of Mo Nunn Racing would provide Zanardi with a topline drive - and get Nunn a driver he knows.

The 61-year-old Florida-based Englishman, who used to run the Ensign Formula 1 team in the 1970s and early 1980s, has split with Target Chip Ganassi Racing after eight years and has gone into partnership with PacWest Racing boss BruceÊMcCaw and public relations guru Rod Campbell to form a new team which will run factory Mercedes-Benz engined Reynards from the old PacWest workshops in Indianapolis. The team had been hoping to sign Helio Castro-Neves as the driver but after GregÊMoore's death the Brazilian decided to join Penske Racing. Zanardi would be the perfect candidate for the drive as he is high-profile in the United States of America. He won two consecutive CART titles under Nunn's guidance. The only problem is that Zanardi may not want to return the United States. When he left the United States at the end of last year he said that his primary motivation was to bring up his new child - born in September last year - in Europe. His wife Daniella was also tired of living in the United States and not happy about Alex racing on the high-speed ovals.