Motorsport

Santander are rumoured to leave McLaren-Mercedes team and switch to sponsor their rivals Ferrari for the 2010 season.

It has been reported by Spanish newspaper Publico that Santander is set to pay out €25 million ($39 million) per year to Ferrari compared to the €15 million to €20 million they pay McLaren.

If the planned move goes ahead, this could reunite Santander with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.

The BBC has extended its deal with Dorna Sports SL, the commercial rights holder of MotoGP for five years until 2013. With the acquisition earlier this year of the Formula One broadcasting rights, taking over from ITV next year, the BBC’s extension of its MotoGP contract means it will own the live coverage rights of these two major motorsports.

BBC has renewed its TV rights deal to broadcast exclusive live coverage of motorcycling’s MotoGP series for a further five years.

BBC Sport and Dorna Sports, commercial and TV rights holders of the MotoGP World Championship, have signed an extension to the existing agreement for coverage of MotoGP from 2009-2013.

The deal includes the rights to show all the races – 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP, plus qualifying sessions. All MotoGP races will be shown live on BBC with the 125 and 250 races, and qualifying sessions shown live on interactive TV via the red button and online.

Max Mosley’s High Court case against the News of the World for defamation and invasion of privacy has begun with the FIA president telling the jury that there ‘was not even a hint’ of Nazi behaviour during his encounter with five prostitutes.

The 68-year old Mosley, who won a vote of confidence from the FIA to remain in his post, told the High Court: ‘I can think of few things more unerotic than Nazi role-play.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has retracted his calls for Max Mosley to quit and confirmed his support for the scandal-hit FIA president.

Despite Mosley winning a vote of confidence from the FIA Council earlier this week following the newspaper allegations claiming he was involved in a Nazi-style orgy with prostitutes, the Ferrari F1 team boss had been quoted as calling for the president to step down.

A former winner of the Dakar Rally is planning a new event to replace the prestigious race after it was switched to South America amid security concerns.

Three-time Dakar Rally winner Hubert Auriol is planning a new event across the Sahara which will start in southern Europe and cross Morocco and Mauritania to finish in Dakar taking place later this year or early 2009.

‘This competition will be a great sporting and human event,’ said the 55-year-old Frenchman. ‘It will offer international exposure to this fabulous continent of Africa.’

Ferrari has struck a long-term deal to manufacture and supply all the engines for the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport series from the start of next year.

Ferrari has signed a six-year partnership agreement to manufacture and supply all A1GP engines and will consult on the design and manufacture of all A1GP car chassis for use in the 4th year of the series (2008/09). 

The partnership with Ferrari extends to an exclusive licensing agreement for all A1GP merchandise to use the Ferrari name and phrase ‘Powered by Ferrari’ from January 2008.

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport has appointed Aon South Africa to be its official risk management provider for the 2007/08 season.

Headquartered in Johannesburg, Aon South Africa forms part of Aon Corporation, the world's largest insurance broker.

The new partnership between A1GP and Aon South Africa includes sponsorship at various rounds and began visibly last weekend at the A1GP season opening race at Zandvoort in the Netherlands.

Carl Fogarty, the four-time World Superbikes champion, has been forced to cancel the return of his motorcycling team to the grid next year after failing to attract the necessary sponsorship.

Team Foggy took a year out after losing sponsors Petronas but had agreed a deal to return in 2008, backed by Italian manufacturer MV Agusta.

Commented Fogarty: ‘We hoped the combination of my team and Agusta would be attractive for sponsors. Despite the excitement generated this has not proved to be the case.

Insurance group Aviva is to sponsor two Team Aviva branded cars in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

The Team Aviva cars will be driven by British driver Colin Turkington and Dutchman Duncan Huisman in the last two rounds (Rounds 21 and 22) of the Championship in Macau on 18th November.

Both men will drive a BMW 320si E90 for the races at the 4 mile street circuit in Downtown Macau.