FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[bud]

The Virgin logos may soon disappear from the livery of the championship leading Brawn team.

According to The Times newspaper, the glitch in the tie-up with high profile billionaire Sir Richard Branson's brand is the immense success of the Brackley outfit in 2009, and Branson's persisting desire for a low-price deal.

The initial deal, clinched on the eve of the Australian Grand Prix, was for just $250,000 per race, but after four out of a possible five wins, the cost - overseen by Brawn's CEO Nick Fry - has logically skyrocketed.

Branson arrived in Monaco on Thursday, but it is rumoured that he will be a guest of the Red Bull team this weekend.



He then dined on Vijay Mallya's super-yacht in the evening, and The Times believes Ferrari and McLaren are also interested in negotiating with the 58-year-old.

Fry, however, who met with Branson on Friday morning, is unlikely to be overly worried, given that swathes of companies are believed to have registered their interest in backing Brawn GP.

[texasmr2]

Shocking news is all I can comeup with!!

[Ste L]

im speachless really..

nothing i can add, i thought the partnership was going good aswell

[darwin dali]

Yeah, when I read this news I kinda went 'so what'. It didn't have the impact as I expect it to have had if Brawn GP wasn't so successful and hadn't dozens of interested sponsors lined up.

[texasmr2]

Yeah, when I read this news I kinda went 'so what'. It didn't have the impact as I expect it to have had if Brawn GP wasn't so successful and hadn't dozens of interested sponsors lined up.

Brawn achieved their result's without Virgin.

[Jensonb]

Hey, you want on the Bus you gotta pay the fare.

If Branson doesn't like the new price, I'm sure Nick can find someone else

[csrracer]

I think Branson should step it up, He's been wanting to get into F1 for a while and Braun seems to be the perfect team for him to sponsor. I really doubt Branson would put his money into a team that isn't British.

[scotty]

Can't say i'm surprised, i heard Branson was a tightwad, and it's inevitable and justified for Brawn to ask for more sponsorship money.

[Denthúl]

Can't say i'm surprised, i heard Branson was a tightwad, and it's inevitable and justified for Brawn to ask for more sponsorship money.

Actually, if I was Brawn, I'd tell Branson that he could have the rest of the season at £250,000 per race as long as he went further for 2010 and became the title sponsor.

[Jensonb]

Can't say i'm surprised, i heard Branson was a tightwad, and it's inevitable and justified for Brawn to ask for more sponsorship money.

Actually, if I was Brawn, I'd tell Branson that he could have the rest of the season at £250,000 per race as long as he went further for 2010 and became the title sponsor.

Why do that when there are 20 companies willing to step in at a fair price?

[Gaz]

what i don't get is, if brawn has so many sponsors ready to jump in why arnt they on the car?

apart from virgin we've seen that MIG invesments and thats it.

[Frosty]

Hey, you want on the Bus you gotta pay the fare.

If Branson doesn't like the new price, I'm sure Nick can find someone else

Branson was always getting a very cheap deal 250k a race is nothing really

[Jensonb]

what i don't get is, if brawn has so many sponsors ready to jump in why arnt they on the car?

apart from virgin we've seen that MIG invesments and thats it.

There are two reasons. The first is they're all fighting over Title or at least Lead Sponsorship. The other is the Virgin Brand itself. Businesses find it distinctly overpowering as a brand - look at the song and dance that gets made over every little thing they do.

[Hanwombat]

and to think it was all going so smoothly

[madbrad]

I'm sure it was no help to Jenson's image driving around in a car that had a big word "VIRGIN" on it. I wouldn't want to do it.