Manor: Virgin link 'speculation'

Eurosport - Fri, 03 Jul 14:53:00 2009

Manor Grand Prix team principal John Booth has refused to confirm reports that Virgin is set to sponsor, buy into and possibly rename the new 2010 Formula One team.

FORMULA 1 Richard Branson Virgin Group - 0

It has been reported and rumoured in recent days that Sir Richard Branson will switch his allegiance from Brawn to Manor next year in a deal that could also involve a 20 per cent shareholding and perhaps even naming rights.

However while confirming that funding has been in place for several months, Booth is not ready to confirm the Virgin speculation, and denied that an equity sale has been agreed.

"The Virgin link is just speculation and I couldn't really comment on it for legal reasons, and it is unhelpful to speculate about Virgin," he told the Yorkshire Post.

Complicating the issue slightly is that Manor's plans were always based on the FIA's £30m or £40m budget cap, which has now been replaced by an agreement with FOTA whose details are unclear.

"Hopefully, it should become clearer in the next couple of weeks. There does seem an intention from all concerned to get the costs under control," Booth said.

"We have only been planning to join Formula One for the last five or six months. Over the years it has not been feasible, you had to be a multi-, multi-millionaire to even consider it.

"But with the budget restrictions it has made it more accessible."

F1-Live.com / Eurosport

Comment 29 - 48 of 48

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  1. phil_willcox_2001, it was a statement of irony in­ response to comment 39. No need to come over all­ pedantic and self righteous. Nobody would post a­ comment like I did unless it was in a certain context.­ Open you eyes. The comment was in response to the­ trivia of post 39.

    From repeatalarm50, on Mon 6 Jul 3:04PM
  2. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    @repeatalarm50, enzo ferrari was always tormented by­ the drivers who unfortunatly died in ferraris, no more­ so than Giles Villeneuve. Any death in any sport is­ sad, and i find it sick u calling him a serial killer.­

    But if u actually want to find a killer, find the­ person that should be responsible for roland­ ratzenbergers crash in 1994 as the car wasnt put­ together properly n some1 should have been prosicuted­ but no1 ever was.

    From Philip, on Mon 6 Jul 1:37PM
  3. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Just know a great cel eb site ___BigTalls CO M___­ where you can me et many big beau tiful wo man and hand­ some guys.

    From Erica S, on Mon 6 Jul 11:03AM

  4. Mourontooy, surely not during Ramadan brainless one.

    From martin.westfield, on Mon 6 Jul 10:40AM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Manor: Virgin link 'speculation'.and no wonder,­ and we know why.

    From touronroute, on Mon 6 Jul 10:13AM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    B Mackenzie,where are Ferrari this year on top as usual­ as one off the worlds greatest employers,and all off­ their own doing.nothing copied,nothing cheated.(ALL OFF­ THEIR OWN)

    From touronroute, on Mon 6 Jul 10:11AM

  7. Yes touronroute and where are Ferrari this year with­ Ferrari knowledge? Oh yes that's right nowhere,­ exactly where you are in life.

    From B Mackenzie, on Mon 6 Jul 9:34AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Enzo Ferrari 9 WDC, 8 CC
    Ron Dennis 10WDC, 7 CC with­­ Ferrari parts

    Lewis­ Hamilton, youngest ever world­­ champion driving a contreversal 80% ferrari 20%­­ mclaren, was let to win to save the biggest­­ embarassment in world of motor racing.
    2009 proves­ this­ point with out the knowledge of Ferrari, WHERE­ ARE­ MCLAREN(KNOWHERE).

    McLaren only­ team to win­ Can-AM,­ Indy, LeMans and multiple F1 world­­ championships. All­ in record time.

    McLaren­­ acknowledged manufacturers­ of 'the' greatest­­ road car,with a copied­ carbon-fibre monocoque­ chassis,and deemed not road­ legal as they(FORGOT)to­ add front indicators.­

    McLaren official rebels­ against the Ferrari­ fake­ royalty.
    McLaren true enemy­ of the FIA, Max,­ Bernie­ and Ferrari.

    Mclaren, the­ rebel team against­ the­ Ferrari fake royalty.­

    Remember all the corruption­­ McLaren have had to­ suffer because Ron Dennis ordered­ plans to be stolen­ from ferrari, but as a true idiot­ didn't know that­ the plans were on all the mclaren­ computers.(­ didn't know) that everybody at mclaren­ knew what­ was on the computers, but the biggest cheat­ in history­ didn't know.

    From touronroute, on Mon 6 Jul 8:05AM

  9. Don't forget Enzo Ferrari let many drivers burn to­ death. Serial killer clone? lol!

    Dennis started as a­ lowly mechanic, that's why he is loved by the whole­ of motorsport.

    Dennis for FIA president.

    From repeatalarm50, on Sun 5 Jul 10:59PM
  10. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Don't forget that Ron Denniss used to ban his­ drivers from wearing sponsorship on their overalls,­ also used to keep all trophies and make the drivers buy­ replicas. An Ecclestone clone?????

    From iain, on Sun 5 Jul 10:21PM

  11. POTTER ,shut up cos ya jelous that site angel is fit­­ and you are'nt. Mclaren is best. can say what ya­­ want, when yav finished Mclaren is still best. so is­­ Hamilton.

    From brucef1lee, on Sun 5 Jul 7:38PM

  12. Enzo Ferrari 9 WDC, 8 CC
    Ron Dennis 10WDC, 7 CC

    Lewis­ Hamilton, youngest ever world champion

    McLaren only­ team to win Can-AM, Indy, LeMans and multiple F1 world­ championships. All in record time.

    McLaren­ acknowledged manufacturers of 'the' greatest­ road car.

    McLaren official rebels against the Ferrari­ fake royalty.

    McLaren true enemy of the FIA, Max,­ Bernie and Ferrari.

    Mclaren, the rebel team against­ the Ferrari fake royalty. Remember all the corruption­

    McLaren have had to suffer under Bernie and Max and­ Ferrari just because McLaren and Hamilton were a­ threat. Never forget. Bernie now admits his admiration­ for Hitler, imagine if we had known that a couple of­ years ago. Still Hamilton became the youngest ever­ world champion, despite everything they could throw at­ him and his team.
    The beauty of the Mclarens.

    The­ Mclaren ruffians are pure and utter class. Ron Dennis­ has the same career record as Enzo Ferrari in terms of­ titles won when they were in charge and McLaren has­ done so much more than Ferrari in such a shorter space­ of time. The beauty of the MP4/4 maybe only matched by­ the beauty of the carbon Williams FW 14B.

    McLaren­ always have the coolest drivers, Hunt, Senna, Hakkinen,­ Hamilton and the best road cars, and the only team to­ have won Can Am, Indy, Lemans and F1 titles. McLaren­ are the true ultra's of world motorsport.

    From woodrowtio, on Sun 5 Jul 7:35PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    mea think a site a angel a bigger a Muppet thana Max­ a­­ sittin a in all a hot onna weekend a scouting from­ a­­ site toa site a thubing a down what hea dont a­ like­ mea­ think a site a muppet i mean a angel isa­ 24hrs a­ day­ onna thumbing a down a very a sad anda­ the bigger­ a­ Muppet than Max anda mr a hamilton asun­ toa gether

    From , on Sun 5 Jul 7:28PM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    mea think a site a angel a bigger a Muppet thana Max­ a­­ sittin a in all a hot onna weekend a scouting from­ a­­ site toa site a thubing a down what hea dont a­ like­ mea­ think a site a muppet i mean a angel isa­ 24hrs a­ day­ onna thumbing a down a very a sad anda­ the bigger­ a­ Muppet than Max anda mr a hamilton asun­ toa gether

    From , on Sun 5 Jul 7:27PM

  15. Hey art_tidesco
    Whilst i do agree with you about smiler­ Branson i think your being a tad harsh on us­ Yorke's:-)))
    I mean if we had the Yorkshire fiscal­ polices in No 11 then maybe this country wouldn't­ be in the $h1t:-))
    Why spend a pound when a Pennie will­ do:-)))

    From MGA, on Sun 5 Jul 6:25PM

  16. If Richard Branson's antics with Button's­ girlfriend in Australia are to be believed John Booth­ is probably more worried if Richard Branson can­ represent the famous 'Yorkshire Values' Manor­ Motorsport espoused at the launch of their F1­ programme.

    Typical Branson to try and get in on F1 on­ the cheap but I do not think he has the money to either­ stay or win, because if he did, his money would be­ safer with Brawn than any Yorkshireman :-)

    From art_tidesco, on Sun 5 Jul 5:54PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    repeatalarm50,where was you today when i needed your­ 45­ quid today for parking,or didn't you bother to­ come­ and see Nigel M,i suppose your all mouth and a t­ v­ supporter.

    From touronroute, on Sun 5 Jul 5:07PM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    repeatalarm50,where was you today when i needed your 45­ quid today for parking,or didn't you bother to come­ and see Nigel M,i suppose your all mouth and a t v­ supporter.

    From touronroute, on Sun 5 Jul 4:35PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    lol...really? I found a place that many players are­ hoo king up with h ot mo dels, seems the club called:­ __T all mingle Co M___, do you hear this before?

    From Gary G, on Sun 5 Jul 2:51PM

  20. touronroute, do you mean you earned money at­ Silverstone flipping burgers or litter picking? You­ don't have a clue about F1 or motorsport in general­ you are one of the worst posters on here purely because­ you have an ego to match your ignorance. You have not­ got a clue about Maths or physics and should just spend­ your time talking about F1 with your old Mum and Dad.

    From repeatalarm50, on Sun 5 Jul 2:14PM
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