SRO seeks £1m sponsor for non-professional car racing

Motor sport promoter the Stephane Ratel Organisation (SRO) is set to launch a non-professional series next season and is looking for a top-line sponsor.

The Fédération International de l’Automobile (FIA) GT3 series will race at all the FIA GT championship’s European circuits, including tracks such as Silverstone and France’s Magny Cours.

The deal, thought to be worth up to &£1m, is likely to involve branding rights on the TV coverage, promotional material, cars and drivers.

The series is aimed at wealthy individuals who are able to afford the cost of running the cars, which will be fielded by teams from marques such as Aston Martin, Ferrari and Maserati.

The move comes as SRO continues its search for a presenting sponsor for the professional series, the FIA GT championship (MW June 23). SRO is now understood to be in talks with two FTSE 100 companies over the deal, thought to be worth &£5m. Both prospects are past Formula One sponsors.

SRO Marketing Services managing director Ian Forbes says/ “You’d be hard pushed to find more glamorous brands than the likes of Ferrari and this kind of ‘brand love’ can do an enormous service to partners.

“If you want to position your brand as more upmarket and give it more appeal, then association with these kinds of brands is a good way to start,” he adds.