Brawn/Virgin Deal
Discussion
I do not see Virgin becoming a title sponsor either this or next year. Branson will not spend endless amounts for that.
However, my gut feeling is that Sony are in with a chance to become title sponsors - look at the Terminator film tie-in this weekend with Sony backing.
I think both Sony and Mercedes Benz branding could work nicely on a 2010 car... here's hoping.
However, my gut feeling is that Sony are in with a chance to become title sponsors - look at the Terminator film tie-in this weekend with Sony backing.
I think both Sony and Mercedes Benz branding could work nicely on a 2010 car... here's hoping.
I reckon Branson has done it again - got loads of exposure for not a lot of money and a good time had by all along the way, and will disappear from F1 with a stronger brand without having to shell out market rate for it.
By no means the first time he's managed it. You have to tip your hat to him.
By no means the first time he's managed it. You have to tip your hat to him.
When the FOA FOTA dispute is settled sponsors from across the board will start looking at 2010 and beyond. Virgin is NOT an major F1 player but there are a number of possible 'Global sponsors' looking at Brawn and also casting an eye over....Williams, Renault, and BMW who can offer more off track advertising potential and greater depth of marketing knowledge / facility and engineering insight.
FourWheelDrift said:
I thought I would be seeing the Brawns in red & white to reflect the corporate colours of a certain soft drinks manufacturer by now. Or the blue & white of their rivals.
Not heard anything on that one myself, any links for reference? I'd read something a few weeks ago by Brawn saying how Branson just wasn't offering enough cash whilst still wanting the full branding package. Brawn was preferring to hold out for the right sponsor who was in it for the long term rather than rush a deal through with Blondie.
I honestly haven't got a clue but my gut feeling is that Branson has injected a fairly modest amount of money into the Brawn team and obviously got as much exposure as possible from it. He's certainly no fool.
However I don't think he's bold enough with his cheque book to invest the desired sum to be the title sponsor of a Championship leading team.
I'd put my money on Sony right now becoming the 'big logo' on the cars.
However I don't think he's bold enough with his cheque book to invest the desired sum to be the title sponsor of a Championship leading team.
I'd put my money on Sony right now becoming the 'big logo' on the cars.
zoungair said:
Fact ! Unless Brawn get a serious sponsorship package quickly
they only have about two GP's left of funding. They started the
season with about £100 million worth of funding , that doesn't
go far in F1 ,and Virgin are only paying about 250k a GP.
Where do you get your "Fact !"?they only have about two GP's left of funding. They started the
season with about £100 million worth of funding , that doesn't
go far in F1 ,and Virgin are only paying about 250k a GP.
At the start of the season it was reckoned they had £120m in place and were OK for the whole of this season. It was on that basis that they sacked ~250 staff and reduced wages.
Has anything changed? Did they get their budgeting wrong? How concrete is your source?
Oh the other question is how quickly they're using up cash and how much more they can expect.
If they're 2 races away from running out of their initial (say) £100m, 7 races in to a season of 18, they would need another £160m to get to year end.
Seems a lot to me, for a team that's already been pared down a great deal in the interests of cost saving and that has supposedly budgeted to run for the year based almost entirely on Honda's contribution and Bernie's TV cash.
As Ian Phillips mentioned in Practice 1 commentary the other day, a title sponsor in this climate might be offering perhaps $30-40m.
Bernie trying to withdraw the $20m that Honda would have had, obviously creates a hole.
But is the hole big enough to stop them racing after Turkey, and is the contribution from a sponsor enough to make up the shortfall for the season?
If they're 2 races away from running out of their initial (say) £100m, 7 races in to a season of 18, they would need another £160m to get to year end.
Seems a lot to me, for a team that's already been pared down a great deal in the interests of cost saving and that has supposedly budgeted to run for the year based almost entirely on Honda's contribution and Bernie's TV cash.
As Ian Phillips mentioned in Practice 1 commentary the other day, a title sponsor in this climate might be offering perhaps $30-40m.
Bernie trying to withdraw the $20m that Honda would have had, obviously creates a hole.
But is the hole big enough to stop them racing after Turkey, and is the contribution from a sponsor enough to make up the shortfall for the season?
zoungair said:
Fact ! Unless Brawn get a serious sponsorship package quickly
they only have about two GP's left of funding. They started the
season with about £100 million worth of funding , that doesn't
go far in F1 ,and Virgin are only paying about 250k a GP.
Dont get your facts mixed up with assumptions - you can have that one for freethey only have about two GP's left of funding. They started the
season with about £100 million worth of funding , that doesn't
go far in F1 ,and Virgin are only paying about 250k a GP.
zoungair]Fact ! [b said:
Unless Brawn get a serious sponsorship package quickly
they only have about two GP's left of funding.[/b] They started the
season with about £100 million worth of funding , that doesn't
go far in F1 ,and Virgin are only paying about 250k a GP.
Piffle.they only have about two GP's left of funding.[/b] They started the
season with about £100 million worth of funding , that doesn't
go far in F1 ,and Virgin are only paying about 250k a GP.
£100 million in funding - Correct
Virgin at 250k per GP - Correct
How you work out that they've spent £100m to get to and start 5 GP's I have no idea.
One thing concerns me about Brawn.
They supposedly have 20-25 sponsors queueing up to put their name on the car. Brawn want long term partners - sensible.
However, we're now 5 GPs in and still no sponsor of any worth apart from Virgin.
Either they're over-egging the interest (unlikely)
Or, they're holding out for too much cash (more likely)
This happened back in 2004. Apart from the Ferraris BAR, as they were then, were at the front and facing the impending withdrawal of BAT and their tobacco millions. Dave Richards was waxing lyrical about the queue of sponsors he had waiting because they were doing so well.
What did they end up with when BAT finally withdrew? A picture of the sodding Earth....
Edited by Muzzer on Monday 11th May 15:12
zoungair said:
My source comes from someone within F1 , the other bit of info that was given is that the whole team is been touted about ,LOCK,STOCK+BARREL,to
the wealthy Arabs not from Abu Dhabi, but from Qatar .
Lets watch with interest.
"within F1"? Is that within BrawnGP where it may be credible or from somewhere else?the wealthy Arabs not from Abu Dhabi, but from Qatar .
Lets watch with interest.
fivesixseven8 said:
zoungair said:
My source comes from someone within F1 , the other bit of info that was given is that the whole team is been touted about ,LOCK,STOCK+BARREL,to
the wealthy Arabs not from Abu Dhabi, but from Qatar .
Lets watch with interest.
"within F1"? Is that within BrawnGP where it may be credible or from somewhere else?the wealthy Arabs not from Abu Dhabi, but from Qatar .
Lets watch with interest.
zoungair said:
My source comes from someone within F1 , the other bit of info that was given is that the whole team is been touted about ,LOCK,STOCK+BARREL,to
the wealthy Arabs not from Abu Dhabi, but from Qatar .
Lets watch with interest.
Pistonhead folk will be unaware of this, but the rich Arabs are currently buying up big bits of British soccer.the wealthy Arabs not from Abu Dhabi, but from Qatar .
Lets watch with interest.
And F1 is similar to soccer in terms of budget, global profile etc. In fact Roman Abramovich nearly got into F1 instead of Chelsea and visited some races.
We will almost certainly have one lot of Arabs in F1 next year with the Gulf Aston Martins. It would come as no surprise if another lot of Arabs bought into Brawn.
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