Dubai team set to enter F1

Formula One could see two new teams enter in 2006 after a member of the Dubai royal family announced his intention to launch a team.

The sport is already bracing itself for the entry of Russian-backed Midland F1 in 2006 after businessman Alex Shnaider announced his intention to enter with a car made by Dallara.

Now Dubai could be set to join Midland as a new entrant after talks to buy an existing team, believed to be Jordan, broke down.

The Team Dubai F1 group announced at the British Grand Prix in July they were in the advanced stages of buy-out talks with an existing team.

At the time they planned to rebrand the team Dubai F1 and move their headquarters to the Emirate.

But they have switched their attention to starting a team from scratch and today set out their plans to build development facilities in Dubai to complement a manufacturing centre in Britain.

With the future of Cosworth up in the air, engine supply deals are hard to come by but the group, headed by royal family member Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum, have already begun talks with Mercedes.