Repsol Honda deal in works

There are rumors in F1 circles that BAR is bidding for a major sponsorship deal with the Spanish oil company Repsol. The apparent intention is for the team to run Fernando Alonso as one of the drivers after his current contract with Renault runs out. This makes a great deal of sense and may tie in with other rumors which are currently circulating which are suggesting that British American Tobacco, the parent company of the team, is moving towards selling the team to Honda. Until recently Honda has consistently said it does not want to be a team owner, but attitudes are changing and being a team owner would give Honda more control over decision-making and would also give it more political clout in F1 circles. Honda would also be looking to protect its investment because once tobacco advertising is banned in F1, there is no point in BAT being involved (and shareholders will no doubt be pointing that out to the BAT board). Grandprix.com