05/09/2005
NEWS STORY
Grand Prix Masters might have secured the rights to run a number of former Formula One World Champions, including Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Emerson Fittipaldi and Alan Jones, in a new one-make series, but it doesn't appear to have won the right to call itself Grand Prix Masters.
According to reports, the new series faces problems, one from (what else) Grand Prix Masters, a Milton Keynes based organisation which runs events for historic Formula One cars, built between 1966 and 1978, and the other, more worryingly, from Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Licensing (FOL).
Ecclestone is exceedingly precious when it comes to trademarks, and though there are several issues - despite what he and his people would have you believe - regarding the terms 'F1' and 'Formula One', there are no such issues with Grand Prix, for FOL has successfully blocked Grand Prix Masters going by that name.
Ironically, according to a report in The Independent by Christian Sylt and Caroline Reid, FOL is blocking Grand Prix Masters - the Milton Keynes lot - from using the name also.
The FOL problem is the last thing that Grand Prix Masters (think one-make) needed, as it was already preparing for battle with Grand Prix Masters (Milton Keynes), which has been used by the management of the series since its original planning began in 2002.
Now, it appears, both of them will have to go back to the drawing board as Ecclestone intends using the name - yes, you've guessed it... Grand Prix Masters - for a new series, due to be held on Grand Prix weekends which will see former F1 stars race Porsche Boxters, reminiscent, to an extent, of the BMW M1 Procar Series ran in 1979 and 1980.
Pitpass previously reported that Ecclestone, in what is seen as a contingency move, has also trademarked GP1.
The battle over the rights to use the term Grand Prix makes the A1 Grand Prix series' ongoing success story all the more remarkable.