The Enstone based team's new ownership – Luxembourg-based Genii Capital – is reportedly close to securing a major sponsor for the 2011 season of Formula One. British magazine Autosport cited some sources from within the team as saying that credit card company MasterCard is on the verge of signing a brand new sponsoring deal with the organization.
However, no information were disclosed regarding the nature of that deal, meaning we don't know the period of time on which the contract would be signed or whether it would be a title sponsorship or not. According to the same sources though, the deal would secure such a financial stability for the team that it would enable it to fight for the title in a few years time.
This leads us to out next topic, which is signing a “franchise driver” - a term used in North American sports to indicate a long-time plan for a player – for the future of the team. According to team principal, that's Robert Kubica, whom the team wants to keep for a long period of time, not only for the 2011 season.
Consequently, the negotiations between the team and the Polish driver are now held for a long-time deal – it appears Kubica is already committed to a one-year extension for 2011. According to the same Autosport, Kubica is ready to sign a multi-year deal with the Enstone organization on one condition: they must convince him that they have the necessary financial status to develop a title winning team in a few years time.
“We definitely want him and we have spoken - and it is up to us to show that we have the ambition and the means to be ambitious. If we do that, then I am sure he will stay. If he doesn't want to stay then he will leave, it is as simple as that,” confirmed Renault's team principal Eric Boullier, as reported by Autosport.
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