Yeltsin in Midland move.

Brummie liquor store owners can stop rubbing their hands together right now, the former president of Russia is not contemplating a move to Solihull, but his grandson looks set to be the marketing director for the proposed Midland Formula One team.

Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported on Wednesday that Boris Yeltsin Jr, who is a mere 23 years old, has been hired in the marketing director position according to news agency, Reuters.

Midland F1 is set to make an entry to Formula One in 2006 and matches money from Russian-born Canadian businessman Alex Shnaider to the expertise of chassis constructor Dallara and race team Carlin Motorsport.

"I made a proposal to him one-and-a-half months ago and he agreed almost immediately," Alexander Radunsky, Midland F1's representative in Russia, is quoted in Kommersant as saying. "After all, 'Boris Yelstin' is a brand and that cannot be denied. This potential should be used in full."

Shnaider further told the publication that the team would have a budget of between $100-150 million dollars.

2006 is when the team is expected to grid-up for the first time. "This is a 2006 project," Trevor Carlin told Crash.net in October. "It is physically impossible to be on the grid next year - and it was never the case that that was what we were aiming for."

Mexican Mario Dominguez is in the frame for one of the seats.

"At the moment, we negotiate with one Mexican driver," Shnaider is quoted as saying. "We have struck a preliminary contract with his manager and it looks like he will be racing for us."