(from autosport) British Formula Three race winners Ultimate Motorsport are in talks with Red Bull chiefs about buying a shareholding in Scuderia Toro Rosso. Toro Rosso co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz has put his half of the team up for sale and is hoping to complete a deal this winter. Although several parties have expressed an interest in purchasing those shares, sources claim that Ultimate Motorsport are in the advanced stages of putting together a serious offer. Funding for the operation would come from Angolan oil company Sonangol. Ultimate Motorsport team principal Barry Walsh confirmed to autosport.com that he was in discussions with Toro Rosso, but was unwilling to go into too many details until matters were finalised. "We are in negotiations so I can't reveal too much about it until everything is final," he said. "We always set out with Formula One as the target. I would only have got involved in the project in the first place if I was confident we could take it all the way to F1, that is the aim. "If our plans go the right way, I'd like to think we could be on the grid for 2009. The aim is to have the whole structure, with the academy from karting, through Formula Three and the World Series, and Formula One at the top." Ultimate took their first ever victories in F3 at Snetterton last weekend.
Why is it that I have bad vibes about this? Ultimate Motorsport has just a few years of existence and only clinched their first F3 win last week end . Already they want to tackle F! !!! What Toro Rosso needs in future is a partner that has chassis design experience, to conform to FIA constructors rules. It doesn't seem that Ultimate will bring any technical know-how in the deal. Is this another team condemned to linger at the back of the field once the ombilic cord with Red Bull is severed?
The same Ultima as those who build the Ultima GTR? Anyway, their first F3 win is still fresh and their sponsor is an oil company from Angola? Doesn't get more fishy than that! Hope that both Sebastians can escape in time. However, it looks like a nice place for Nelsinho...
No, the Ultimate Motorsport guys have nothing in common with the Ultima kit car as far as I know. They use Mygale chassis in F3. They are no constructors.
