From Autosport:
Brand Synergy has close links with 1992 world champion Nigel
Mansell
Brand Synergy is linked with attempt to safeguard future of Jaguar
The marketing company Brand Synergy, which has close links with
former world champion Nigel Mansell, is understood to be making a
secret bid to buy the Jaguar Racing Formula 1 team, autosport.com
can reveal.
High-level insiders claim that a consortium associated with Brand
Synergy, which was recently linked with an attempt to save the
British Grand Prix, has lodged interest with the HSBC bank that is
handling the sale of Jaguar Racing and Cosworth.
It is understood that the Brand Synergy bid is for both companies
and is being treated by HSBC as �very serious’. It has been made
clear to any parties wanting to buy the racing team and engine
specialists that they must not only have the necessary finance to
take over the running of the companies but that they must commit to
funding them for several more years.
Jaguar itself has refused to comment about the speculation. Team
spokesperson Nav Sidhu said: �There are ongoing sales discussions
with several parties. Given the confidential nature of these
discussions it would be inappropriate to comment any further at
this stage.�
The new interest from Brand Synergy has come in the same week that
energy drinks giant Red Bull’s bid to buy the team appears to be
falling apart. The company had been favourite to pull off a deal in
the immediate aftermath of Ford’s announcement that it was selling
the team, but the company now appears to be losing patience with
the fact that Ford is not making a sale easy.Red Bull’s motorsport
advisor Helmut Marko told Autosport this week: �I think that Red
Bull taking over Jaguar Racing becomes more and more unlikely. Time
is running out. The problem is that at Ford people are deciding the
future who have no clue about F1 and who do not care about
timescales.�
Jaguar officially has until November 15 to conclude a deal to
safeguard the team’s future, because that is when entries for next
year’s world championship must be lodged. The team has given itself
another fortnight to agree terms with a buyer � after speculation
over the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend that a decision would be made
this week.
Jaguar’s workforce is carrying on work on its 2005 contender as
best it can and those efforts will not cease until Ford actually
decides that it has not found a buyer and will shut the team down.
Brand Synergy’s attempts to buy both Jaguar Racing and Cosworth has
come amid reports this week that Champ Car series co-owner Kevin
Kalkhoven has actually agreed a deal to buy Cosworth Racing.
This week’s Autosport magazine reports that Kalkhoven’s bid will
allow the company to continue its activities in Champ Cars, Formula
1 and other motorsport activities.–
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