Bernie Ecclestone is backing an Arab driver’s quest to reach the Formula 1 grid by 2009. He wrote a letter to A1 GP driver Basil Shaaban saying “I am happy to see you are going to join GP2. This will be a positive way for you to show your talents to Formula 1 teams”.
However, before he even thinks of GP2 and Formula 1, Shaaban is currently trying to find the $1 million funding he needs so that he can contest the British F3 champioship in 2007. The newspaper Arabian Business has reported that his management is in advanced talks with a number of multinational companies in Dubai and Beirut.
“I am hoping to find in the Middle East those who share my vision to show the excellence of the Arab world on an international scale,” Shaaban commented at a recent news conference.
