Virgin could prove the Manor born
When Richard Branson announced on Sunday at the British Grand Prix that his Virgin brand would not be continuing to sponsor title favourites Brawn next season, what he did not say was what it would be doing.
Branson told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I suspect next year the price will be astronomical and we may have to look somewhere else with a smaller team."
But the Mole understands things have already gone a lot further than that.
The word on the street is that Branson has already signed a deal with the new Manor team - and that the team will be named after Virgin, which apparently was one of the sticking points in negotiations with Brawn.
For Brawn, this is not brilliant news - they are still looking for the sponsorship that will allow them to compete next year.
But some will also question Virgin's wisdom in abandoning a possible deal with this year's dominant team in favour of a fledgling outfit with no track record.
Manor have been quite successful in the junior categories in recent years, but - as countless other teams have proved in the past - F1 is another matter altogether.
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The team have former Simtek team boss and Benetton chief designer Nick Wirth as their technical director, but he has yet to design a competitive F1 car.
US F1
While Virgin secures its place in F1 in 2010, it appears that another major global brand name will be making its debut in the sport.
The video sharing site YouTube is said to be poised to link up with the new US F1 team, which is being set up by journalist (and former Williams team manager) Peter Windsor and former Ligier technical director Ken Anderson.
Chad Hurley, the co-founder of YouTube, was with Windsor and Anderson in the paddock at Silverstone last weekend, and the Mole is told that the deal is pretty much locked on.
Windsor, who currently works for US channel SpeedTV and British magazine F1 Racing, is the voice you heard on the FIA television interviews with the top three drivers after qualifying and the race - or at least he was until Silverstone.
There, he was replaced by former ITV commentator James Allen, on the basis that it was not appropriate for a future team boss to be conducting interviews with drivers on behalf of the sport's governing body.
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YAY first. anyway good blog,beardy branson should try and stick with brawn but because he isnt, hopefully the new manor team will do well with his sponsorship
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Interesting article, Brawn must now be feeling a little anxious as sponsers aren't likely to come flocking given the current economic climate. Would have to question Branson's motives going to Manor however - it may be the case he is expecting another Brawn story and is this time attempting to jump the gun.
Bad news, however, about James Allen. If we ever get to the point in the season where Lewis Hamilton is in the top 3, it will be like the other two don't even exist........
On a more serious note, a shame to see Peter Windsor not taking this role any more, Peter is an immense F1 journalist (as anyone else who reads F1 Racing or watches Speed TV will know), but I am positive he will do well as USF1 as he knows F1 inside out.
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I really wish Branson would get his nose out of F1, or at the very least, keep Manor F1's name as Manor. I'm sick to death of these teams just becoming corporate show-offs. Saw his interview at the Australian GP when Brawn won, it was like he owned the team. I'm glad Brawn have stuck to their guns by not letting him take control, however, if Manor is renamed, it will be bad news for any fans looking for a true privateer in F1.
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If Brawn win the driver's world champtionship, they will automatically be the most attractive team to sponser. If I was Brawn, I would worry about winning first, money second.
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Got any gossip on BRawn and their sponsors. I've seen numerous amounts of negotiations between Brawn and possible sponsors.
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Peter Windsor was very good at moderating the press conferences, so I was surprised to hear someone else doing it for the British GP. This clears that up, then.
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It would be ironic if YouTube sponsored US F1, considering Bernie deletes F1 videos.
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There's a rumour Manor may not make the grid (only a rumour though), as more money is needed in F1 now that FOTA have got their claws back in, and Branson doesn't like to splash the cash ... But we shall see.
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Lets look at this carefully, Virgin, small underdog Record label who climb his way to the top and always loved a challenge.
Looking to sponsor an F1 Team and has said several times that F1 is too expensive... seems like a cool Branson strategy to me considering that the three new teams next year will get lots of interview space as new-comers and a Manor car will go around the circuit as many times as a Brawn.... and will get extra TV time every time Jenson Laps it!!!
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Oh no, we are turning into america.
Won't be long till we get the VIAGRA team. I'm sure they are.....Up for it!
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I loved it when Virgin announced their sponsorship of Brawn GP, because F1 sponsors are not the easiest things to come by, and such a household name being emblazoned on the cars (like Panasonic for Toyota, and RBS for Williams, and Vodafone for Mclaren) is a very good thing for the sport.
When watching F1 on TV, people like pointing out familiar faces (especially those who are new the sport and like to spot Brandson and Daniel Craig instead of Norbert Haug and Patrick Head). So Branson and Virgin being involved is good good good!
Brawn should have little trouble finding sponsors after this season after what they have achieved...what they must worry about is maintaining form, that will probably dwindle next year, when other teams get a foot on a higher step on the ladder again.
However, renaming Manor is wrong, we dont want to see that...the Virgin name on the car is fine, but not forcing the team to change its name. That is one thing that would not be good.
YouTube (which now has a lack of F1 footage due to copyright claims) will also be good...another household name, another eyecatcher...a "pull factor". Other major companies will see this and follow suit. I really want USF1 to go ahead, and remain in F1 for a while, because I still get the feeling F1 isn't as big in America as it could be.
Hopefully some decent drivers though...not like what Super Aguri did with Yuji Ide, Takuma Sato and Sakon Yamamoto. If USF1 kick off with a preference for junior American drivers, or old croaks like Scott Speed, then they'll end up going the same way.
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...who cares if they have the rename the team?
what are peoples obsessions with team names. people seem to care more about the names remaining in F1, than the actual racing.
as long as F1 cars remain F1 cars (i.e. way faster than any other catergory in motorsport) then who cares what the team is called?
If Virgin is investing the most money in the team.........would it not make sense to call the team Virgin?
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"...who cares if they have the rename the team?
what are peoples obsessions with team names. people seem to care more about the names remaining in F1, than the actual racing.
as long as F1 cars remain F1 cars (i.e. way faster than any other catergory in motorsport) then who cares what the team is called?
If Virgin is investing the most money in the team.........would it not make sense to call the team Virgin? "
Just because someone is investing in your team it does not give them an automatic right to have the team renamed to their brand.
Brawn wants Brawn GP as his own brand, not Richard Bransons Virgin brand and I can completely understand his refusal to rename the team, he'd basically be saying that he's as much sold out to Branson and that Branson owns the team.
As for Branson pulling his money from Brawn and dropping it into Manor, I think he's an idiot, but then I guess he hasn't got where he has by making bad decisions, and even if this is a bad decision, it's not likely to break his piggy bank...
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hahahaha .. Branson's ego gets in the way of common sense.
He has no understanding of the motorsport business and I really hope that Manor racing do not get sucked into the pitful micromanagement that Branson is known for, as if they do, then it will be curtains.
Anyway one would look at Brawn GP as a good investment, so I expect that they will be getting some sponsorship soon.
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Not sure why all the fuss about Manor being rebranded as Virgin. It's hardly the first time (Leyton House had previously been March, Benetton started life as Toleman etc), it won't be the last, and it's all part and parcel of the most commercialised sport on the planet.
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Regarding the name, people seem to be forgetting that the official names of other teams are already sponsor owned. For example, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Panasonic Toyota, etc, but nobody ever calls them that.
Sure Manor could not have this and simply be known as Virgin, a la Red Bull, but its hardly a loss...
Finally, maybe Ross just didnt want to be known as 'virgin brawn' (he's not exactly a stud) :p
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I think is was a simple case of ego. Branson wanted to brand the car as Virgin, but Brawn and BrawnGP declined wanting to keep it as BrawnGP.
It would have made it appear to the worl that it was another 'Virgin (Branson) success', rather than expert work done by the BrawnGP team lead by Brawn himself, who right now must feel like God; His own team leading the driver's and constructor's title in its maiden (Virgin?) season. Too right that he wants his team known as BrawnGP, it's his baby.
He may be in need of extra funding, but he's not THAT desperate!
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Great artical Mr Mole!I think Branson should re-consider what he really wants from F1?, surely he would gain more from staying with Brawn GP than going in with a small team who perhaps might not cut the mustard in F1.
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I heard that rather than Manor, Branson was looking at a joint deal with the new Spanish outfit Defilea and the fair trade coffee people Gently.
Some concerns have been raised about the full team name however...
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and a little bird told me that PartyGaming are going to be sponsoring Brawn next year..
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