Hollis Sponsorship Bulletin

Having virtually ruled out a title sponsorship deal with Brawn GP, there are reports that Richard Branson’s Virgin may choose to sponsor the Manor F1 team – which debuts on the circuit from next year. Manor is already established on circuits such as F3 – but the move into F1 would greatly increase its international exposure. Virgin will be hoping Manor might have the same immediate impact as Brawn.

Meanwhile, the threat of an F1 breakaway appears to have receded following a meeting between FIA president Max Mosley and the eight rebel teams. Although the two sides seem to have different versions of how the meeting went, the upshot is agreement over matters such as budget caps and governance of the sport. For sponsors, the compromise is good news – since a split in F1 would have destroyed one  of the sports sector’s key communications platforms.