The future looks A1

When Sheikh Maktoum last year announced plans for his A1 Grand Prix championship, a motor racing World Cup, the initial response was that of scepticism. Many agreed that a global series based on races for identical cars each bearing the flag of a different nation would lack support.

But four months away from the first race, at Brands Hatch on 25 September, 16 countries have already signed up and several more are negotiating for representation in the pit lane.

High-profile figures have got involved. Nelson Mandela gave his backing to the South African car which will be identified by the former president's prison number, 46664. Real Madrid footballers Luis Figo and Ronaldo are respectively fronting the Portuguese and Brazilian teams. And John Surtees, the only man to win world championshipson two wheels and four, is heading Britain's entry.

Among other countries committed to the A1 series are China, Pakistan, India, Australia, New Zealand, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and Mexico. Cars in the colours of Japan, the United States, France, Spain and Germany are also expected to line up at Brands Hatch.

Sky Sports has signed to televise the 10 races to British viewers and 28-year-old Sheikh Maktoum claims other broadcasting deals - being handled by Richard Dorfman who oversaw the sale of rights to the last rugby and football world cups - are close to being concluded.

"It is nice seeing things come together," said Sheikh Maktoum when Pedro Lamy, the former Lotus Grand Prix star who will drive the Portuguese entry, finally brought the Silverstone test session to a close.

"People took us lightly at first. There was a lot of cynicism, but I'm an Arab so I'm used to it! We just don't have a culture of motor sport and I don't think people believed that someone like me could make this work."

Despite severe dyslexia, Sheikh Maktoum earned a business degree in America, speaks seven languages, owns a listed oil company and is chief executive officer of Al Fajer, a conglomerate founded by his father who is Dubai's Information Minister.

Sheikh Maktoum also competed as a triathlete and took part in the Land Rover G4 Challenge, a multi-sport competition between nations which gave him the idea for a motor racing World Cup.

Each country in A1 is represented by a team bought as a franchise costing up to £30million. For that, the team owner is supplied with a package that includes two racing cars, spares, fuel, wheels, tyres, transportation in three jumbo jets and merchandising support. He recoups his investment, and hopefully makes a profit, by selling advertising space on the cars and taking a cut of broadcasting fees.

Crucial to the viability of the project is market research which suggests the World Cup concept will attract a big new audience to motor racing.

"The national element will play a big part," said Sheikh Maktoum. " Supporters of the British car will want it to beat the French and Germans, supporters of the Indian car will want it to beat Pakistan and so on."

The series, in which races will take place on every continent, is scheduled for the winter months in order to avoid clashing with the Formula One world championship.

Indeed, Sheikh Maktoum stressed that A1 Grand Prix should not be seen as a challenge to Formula One. "I'm not going up against the world championship, something that has been around for over 50 years. That would be stupid," he said.

But what if the concept proves a commercial success as exciting racing, in cars easily identified with a nation, captures the imagination of the public?

Away from the glitz and glamour of this week's Monaco Grand Prix, Formula One is already wrestling with a raft of problems including a bitter struggle for control of the sport, a cheating scandal, a perception that the racing is boring, and the threatened loss of lucrative tobacco sponsorship.

If public, sponsor and television interest switches from F1 to A1, Sheikh Maktoum really will find himself in the driving seat.