Jean Alesi, F1 boss

Former grand prix driver Jean Alesi would become F1 principal if McLaren got a 'b-team' up and racing. German sources claim that the current DTM pilot, who drove for twelve years in formula one for names including Ferrari and Benetton, was instrumental in finding the supposed backer of the project, Japanese company Direxiv.

France's 41-year-old Alesi, committed to the German touring car category for 2006, allegedly has excellent Japanese contacts, and is of course married to a Japanese wife.

It is further claimed that Alesi is keen to promote GP2 driver Olivier Pla, although McLaren protégés Gary Paffett and Lewis Hamilton would also be prime candidates for seats.

There is, however, a serious spanner in the works of any plans to support a 'b' team by supplying them with year-old formula one cars and engines. McLaren's 'F1 CEO' Martin Whitmarsh admits that 'the majority' of teams 'do not agree' with proposed rule changes that would allow just that.