M-Sport Launch 2009C squad

No sooner had the teams packed up after the season finale at Paul Ricard and M-sports 2009C plans swung into action. Whereas most teams headed for home the UK-based squad headed straight to Bahrain for a major unveiling of the new team branding.

Team owner Matt Lewis was on hand to explain “When we were first founded we relied heavily on heavily on our sister team for support but last year we starting introducing sponsors to stand on our own two feet. Our impressive performance and feature race win here last season went down well with the locals which has led to our first major sponsor deal with Bahrain based international and regional airline Gulf Air.”

Sporting a smart new livery the M-sport driver squad ran demonstration laps in the various cars.

It certainly is a departure for the leading British team after many a cold and wet pre-season unveiling at Silverstone, but is this new direction a signal of an end to the long standing partnership between M-sport and SDL, “no absolutely not, SDL were a key piece in our teams formation and although our designs last year went down differing routes, this year we have a similar approach even though it was arrived at independently.”

As usual though, scratch below the surface and all is not what it seems... Once back in international airspace the usual M-Sport suspects could be found in the first class bar on the flight home and were a little more forthcoming…  “The boss came back from a SDL meeting in Seattle recently and said we have to find funds before De Loyer looses the plot completely and realises his family fortune has evaporated into his racing saga and the taxman comes knocking. SDL, sure they are there and the bond remains but have you seen what is going on with their new cars? I don’t know what they are on over there but it must be good stuff.”

Claims from within the team that some of the famous SDL gold Zeppelins have been found to contain illegal vegetation are thought to be unfounded. When SDL press office was asked to respond to the allegation that the Gold zeppelin distribution network was a cover for more sinister operations, especially bearing in mind its star driver is currently serving time behind bars for related offences… only a no comment could be obtained, reportedly from De Loyer himself but nobody could see through the press room smoke haze enough to be sure.

Jo King – Auto news daily