Vijay Mallya has revealed that he intends to use his connections with the wider business world to assist his new formula one team.
The Indian billionaire recently bought Spyker alongside Michiel Mol, and current rumours indicate that the team could be renamed ‘Pride of India’ in time for 2008.
But although the Indian connection will be obvious, Mallya is already eyeing his shareholding in an American business as a way to move his team up the grand prix grid.
He recently bought a reportedly $120m stake in Epic Aircraft; a manufacturer of light jets and turboprops.
“We can benefit from their knowledge of aerodynamics,” Mallya is quoted as saying by the Dutch magazine Formule 1 Race Report.
In the same way that his airline Kingfisher backs Toyota, it is conceivable that Mallya might also use his Epic Aircraft connection in a sponsorship capacity.
