Riding Brawns coat tails.

F3L · 31 Mar 2009, 08:33 (Ref:2429561)

When you think of all the heartache everyone at Honda F1 / Brawn have gone through. When you think of all the effort and hard work to create the new car over the last four months not knowing who might be the new owner and if you had a job. Should you stay etc. All that as a team and then along comes Branson, stealing the limelight, in the pics, does not even understand motor racing and all for £250,000 per race. Sorry Brawn but this is your first big mistake and also for Mr Branson who has reminded me why I avoid all his products and still will.

Dump Virgin Mr Brawn.

PK Kart · 31 Mar 2009, 08:43 (Ref:2429565)

Sounds like a good bit of business to me, and he is a businessman. What's the problem, did he have Mr Brawn in thumbscrews?

Far rather have people like Branson getting a good value deal than leeches like Fred Goodwin spending what turned out to be public money funding his Jollies.

**Stephen Green** · 31 Mar 2009, 08:43 (Ref:2429566)

At £250,000 per race how many teams in the current climate can afford to turn down such an offer? The car was due to run with no sponsorship after the MBO and given about 1/3 of the staff are being made redundant then a deal worth over £4 million must be a great offer for the team.

JamesH · 31 Mar 2009, 08:47 (Ref:2429569)

Er, so what? Branson is paying £250000 per race. Where else is the money going to come from in this climate?

How many other sponsors 'understand' motor racing? Almost none. They are in it for the same reason as Branson is. Advertising.

At least Branson has some experience in 'speed' related events (well, more than most in fact).

As for the limelight, for £250,000 a race, he can come and take all the plaudits when I race if he wants.

James

ps. You wouldn't want to avoid Virgin business class, that would be mad!

**John Turner** · 31 Mar 2009, 08:53 (Ref:2429574)

Quote:

Originally Posted by F3L

Mr Branson who has reminded me why I avoid all his products and still will.

So, a well thought out, constructive and impartial view, then?

1) The team needs sponsors/financial backing.
2) Branson didn't steal the limelight.

Super Hans · 31 Mar 2009, 08:58 (Ref:2429577)

Quote:

Originally Posted by F3L

When you think of all the heartache everyone at Honda F1 / Brawn have gone through. When you think of all the effort and hard work to create the new car over the last four months not knowing who might be the new owner and if you had a job. Should you stay etc. All that as a team and then along comes Branson, stealing the limelight, in the pics, does not even understand motor racing and all for £250,000 per race. Sorry Brawn but this is your first big mistake and also for Mr Branson who has reminded me why I avoid all his products and still will.

Dump Virgin Mr Brawn.

Yeah Ross, look that gift horse in the mouth right now!

F3L · 31 Mar 2009, 09:02 (Ref:2429579)

£250,000 per race as a title sponsor ? Rubbish

Seems I am in a minority of one here but for me watching the BBC it was too much about Branson and not enough about the team and pain and hard work. Good for him but I see though it.

Armco Bender · 31 Mar 2009, 09:05 (Ref:2429581)

Heard on the radio the Virgin deal was only for about 4 races?.
Fairweather financiers?.

fourWheelDrift · 31 Mar 2009, 09:06 (Ref:2429583)

I too found Branson's attitude a little annoying, at one point I thought he sounded a bit too much like he built the car himself but at the end of the day he is a business man who is simply getting all the mileage he can out of his investment.

I have always felt that he has more integrity than most business men and definitely more vision and imagination. While he is not daft enough to back a loser a proportion of his investment is directed into things he believes in for reasons othe than just ROI which is more than can be said for many of his peers.

Super Hans · 31 Mar 2009, 09:08 (Ref:2429587)

Quote:

Originally Posted by F3L

£250,000 per race as a title sponsor ? Rubbish

Seems I am in a minority of one here but for me watching the BBC it was too much about Branson and not enough about the team and pain and hard work. Good for him but I see though it.

There's nothing to see through.

Q: Why do large corporate entities sponsor racing teams?
A: To promote their company.

Q: Why do racing teams chase corporate sponsorship?
A: For the money.

Armco Bender · 31 Mar 2009, 09:10 (Ref:2429591)

F1 is like prostitution,lie back,think of England and take the money.Everyones using everyone else.

Super Hans · 31 Mar 2009, 09:12 (Ref:2429595)

Quote:

Originally Posted by F3L

Seems I am in a minority of one here but for me watching the BBC it was too much about Branson and not enough about the team and pain and hard work.

Perhaps they should replace the Virgin logo with a photo of a Brawn employee with bags under his eyes and a double espresso.

**John Turner** · 31 Mar 2009, 09:13 (Ref:2429597)

**Stephen Green** · 31 Mar 2009, 09:19 (Ref:2429602)

Quote:

Originally Posted by F3L

£250,000 per race as a title sponsor ? Rubbish

Seems I am in a minority of one here but for me watching the BBC it was too much about Branson and not enough about the team and pain and hard work. Good for him but I see though it.

I think you will find it was made very clear that Virgin was NOT a title sponsor.

Richard Branson attracts publicity in everything he does, mainly because the Virgin brand is linked directly to him. He does a huge amount of advertising for the brands himself and if Brawn GP have managed to get the Virgin brand into F1 then good for them.

PK Kart · 31 Mar 2009, 09:20 (Ref:2429603)

Quote:

Originally Posted by F3L

£250,000 per race as a title sponsor ? Rubbish

Seems I am in a minority of one here but for me watching the BBC it was too much about Branson and not enough about the team and pain and hard work. Good for him but I see though it.

Title sponsor.... Eh?? Must have missed the renaming of Brawn GP to Virgin Racing.......

£250,000 for limited logo space and nothing on drivers overalls or team wear, on an unproven team who had not at the time ever qualified for a Grand prix. Look at the actual space virgin logos take on the car, and room left for other sponsors. It's not like it's plastered all over wings, side pod, engine cover etc is it?

So 4 million ish quid from a relatively minor sponsor, NOT a title sponsor, looks like both Brawn and Branson have done ok to me.

wannab-aracer · 31 Mar 2009, 09:29 (Ref:2429613)

Quote:

Originally Posted by F3L

£250,000 per race as a title sponsor ? Rubbish

Seems I am in a minority of one here but for me watching the BBC it was too much about Branson and not enough about the team and pain and hard work. Good for him but I see though it.

An excellent bit of business for both parties, I think.

We don't know the details of the SPONSORSHIP deal , but didn't Brawn GP offer a years worth of advertising for free in return for backing in 2010 ?

Mr Branson seems to be shot down by many, but for what ? being succesfull ? He's no idiot and neither is Brawn. Committing to a short term deal makes sense. Branson would'nt want to sign a long term deal until the car has proved to be on the pace, he would'nt want his brand being at the back of the grid and who would ?

What exactly do you see through ? It's a sponsorship deal, which at this point in time looks to be very well timed bit of marketing ?

Hats off to Branson for taking the plunge before anyone else in these difficult times.

**Peter Mallett** · 31 Mar 2009, 09:32 (Ref:2429616)

And Virgin may well take it further which I suspect was always the idea. But then again Brawn failed to employ Senna thus anything that is good about them is negated immediately.

What a crap team eh?

leonidas · 31 Mar 2009, 10:16 (Ref:2429646)

I just hope 'Virgin GP' don't have the same reliability problems as Virgin trains! They don't allow bus substitutions in F1!

A lot of people don't like Branson - which is fair enough - but I suspect this was the best deal on the table. Does anyone know of any real alternatives that were on offer?

**Peter Mallett** · 31 Mar 2009, 10:30 (Ref:2429656)

They also have Henri Lloyd as sponsors.

fourWheelDrift · 31 Mar 2009, 10:46 (Ref:2429664)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

They also have Henri Lloyd as sponsors.

That's true but I think their contribution is in kind only, all the team uniforms, shoes etc. important and no doubt worth a few quid but little direct impact on the speed of the car

Super Hans · 31 Mar 2009, 10:50 (Ref:2429668)

I'm surprised that Brawn GP wear Henri Lloyd clothing. As a Mancunian, I'd have thought Ross was against having his team dressed as scousers.

ThaRobster · 31 Mar 2009, 10:58 (Ref:2429675)

So this would be a company paying to have their name on a formula one car? For the publicity it brings?

Shocking, positively shocking.

Burnsie · 31 Mar 2009, 11:40 (Ref:2429705)

Quote:

Originally Posted by F3L

Seems I am in a minority of one here but for me watching the BBC it was too much about Branson and not enough about the team and pain and hard work.

In fairness to Ross, the Brawn team and indeed Sir Richard, this wasn't their doing. The BBC chose to run with a story which may have secured the medium-to-long-term future of the team, and who can blame them. While the £250k per race deal isn't an enormous amount of money in Formula One terms, it will provide a significant budget which will help the team to maintain their current form. If they do so, I'm sure they will have a number of title sponsors knocking on their door before long.

ECW Dan Selby · 31 Mar 2009, 11:47 (Ref:2429711)

I thought Richard was a breath of fresh air tbh...

Selby

jedrinck · 31 Mar 2009, 11:56 (Ref:2429721)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Hans

Perhaps they should replace the Virgin logo with a photo of a Brawn employee with bags under his eyes and a double espresso.

Good one, gets me motivated for another half hour of work.

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