AUGUST 2, 1999

Stewart seeks name change

THE agenda for the next Formula 1 Commission which has been circulated to race teams in recent days features a request for a change of team name for Stewart Grand Prix.

THE agenda for the next Formula 1 Commission which has been circulated to race teams in recent days features a request for a change of team name for Stewart Grand Prix. The agenda does not reveal the name by which the team wishes to be known but well-informed speculation suggests that Ford - which owns Stewart - will want it to be known as Jaguar. It may be that the company will try some form of combination name such as Ford Racing Jaguar so that it can promote more than one brand at a time. In the case of a combination name the racing team title could easily be different from the name of the engine.

Ford President Jac Nasser visited the German Grand Prix and had talks with a number of F1 people. He insisted that no decision has yet been taken and would not rule out the possibility that the team would be a Jaguar operation. This seems rather odd as it makes little sense to ask for a name change if the company has not yet decided the strategic role of each brand. It is more likely that a decision has been taken and that Nasser is delaying revelations in an effort to make more of an impact when the package is fully in place.