The McLaren Formula 1 team is "in pole position to get a seat on the board of the sport following the recent sale of a 25% stake in the outfit" which was owned by former Chair Ron Dennis, according to Christian Sylt for the London INDEPENDENT. McLaren is "now on track to join the exclusive club" of Ferrari and reigning champion Mercedes, which "both have a say in how F1 is run through having a director on the board of the sport's parent company." At the end of last month, McLaren announced Dennis would be replaced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa. The owners have been "locked in a bitter dispute" with Dennis over the past five years and it is understood that "this was a hurdle to McLaren taking up an F1 board seat" which it was offered in '12 as a benefit of committing to race in the sport. Now that McLaren has "cleared its shareholder gridlock," the team is "in a position to take up the board seat." A source close to the team said, "I don't think McLaren has made any decisions on it yet" (INDEPENDENT, 7/10).
FORCE INDIA: REUTERS' Alan Baldwin reported F1 team Force India believes the competition is "moving in the direction of a franchise future" under owner Liberty Media, and the Silverstone-based team wants "to be ready for it." Force India Deputy Principal Bob Fernley said, "Liberty are making very clear indications of where they want to take the sport and that could well lead to either long-term licenses or franchises. That to me is where it should be going because that then locks in the teams." F1's current commercial agreements with teams run until '20. Fernley said that a U.S.-style system would lock in the value of "tradeable assets," with 10 teams the "ideal number" and any would-be new entrants having to buy into the existing franchises (REUTERS, 7/10).
