Heineken upset over F1 deal leak claims Ecclestone

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has all but confirmed reports the Dutch beer brewer Heineken is entering formula one with a major sponsorship deal.

De Telegraaf, a Dutch newspaper, claimed last week the first signs of the five-year, EUR 200-million deal will be trackside advertising in Canada next month.

"Heineken will probably also enter into a partnership with one of the teams as part of the sponsorship agreement with FOM," the report said.

F1 supremo Ecclestone told the Guardian this week: "Apparently it leaked on a website in Holland. Heineken told me they were very, very sorry and that they were p!ssed off."

Heineken, however, is not yet confirming the deal, a spokesman saying only that "As a leading premium brand, we are constantly evaluating potential sponsorship and partnership opportunities. This includes F1 as well as many other sports properties."

"We will not speculate on what we might do in the future as this is commercially sensitive," the Heineken official said.