Sponsors must decide on 2011 F1 seat – Aleshin

Mikhail Aleshin is a contender to make his F1 debut next year with Force India, according to Finland’s Turun Sanomat.

His father and manager Peter revealed last month he is in talks with Vijay Mallya’s Silverstone based team as well as Lotus and Virgin about 2011.

The 23-year-old, who would be the second Russian in F1 after countryman Vitaly Petrov, recently secured the Renault World Series title and a test with the Renault team in Abu Dhabi later this month.

But he told the Sovetsky Sport newspaper that he does not have the full EUR 10-15 million in sponsorship that he needs to buy a seat for 2011.

“Now it’s the sponsors’ turn to decide,” said Aleshin, who is already backed by state-owned Gazprom and the tyre company Cordiant.
 © RIF | GMM