Official: Virgin becomes the main sponsor of Brawn GP

Brawn GP has just confirmed a ‘substantial’ partnership with Virgin Group, in a move that could well lead to a revolution in Formula 1.

As planned since the beginning of the weekend, Virgin Group has become the official sponsor of Brawn GP. This is not a sponsorship operation like the others, but for now, the team retains its identity and especially its name.

The agreement was announced during a press conference from the paddocks of the Albert Park circuit in the presence of team principal Ross Brawn and Virgin Group chairman Sir Richard Branson.

The latter, who has been linked to the takeover of the former Honda team, stated that the initiatives taken to reduce costs in the sport, combined with the push from the American company Gevo, in which Virgin is investing, could lead to a greater presence of the Group in Formula 1.

« I am very, very happy to be here today, » said Branson, who made the trip from London directly after accepting the contract.

« A few weeks ago, I said that there were two prerequisites for us to get involved in F1. »

« One is that costs in F1 must decrease. The sport was a bit too expensive for new entrants to join. The second is that F1 must become ‘greener’. »

« As you know, Bernie Ecclestone announced new entrants with much lower costs, which will encourage a large number of new companies to get involved in the sport and make it much more exciting, » he continued.

« We have invested a significant amount of money in a company called Gevo. All the profits we make through our polluting industries, airlines, and railways are invested in an attempt to find a clean fuel. »

One of Gevo’s tasks is to see if a clean fuel can be introduced in F1. And I am excited to work in this sport to try to change it. It is obvious that we are working to create a clean fuel. I hope that supporters will soon attend the events without any feelings of guilt.

Notably, the Brawn BGP 001 cars already carry the Virgin brand in Australia.

« Virgin Group has a significant involvement in many industries that are in synergy with our activities here in Formula 1. The sport, led by the FIA, is making many efforts to respect the environment, » stated Brawn.

« Richard and the Virgin group are well aligned with our future plans. I know he shares our perspective and together we can achieve great things. »