Bahrain to take stake in McLaren

McLaren's team principal, Ron Dennis, and Mansour Ojjeh, of TAG Group Holdings, have agreed to sell 30 per cent of the McLaren Group to Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding, a company wholly owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain.

If the deal is cleared by competition authorities, DaimlerChrysler will own 40 per cent, the Bahrainis 30 per cent and Dennis and Ojjeh 15 per cent apiece. Dennis is expected to continue running the team.

There will be a Formula One test session at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia in March to plug the three-week gap between the opening grand prix in Australia on 18 March and the second race in Malaysia on 8 April.