Branson is working on a new contract with Brawn

Richard Branson, due to his status within the Virgin Group, has made a new sponsorship offer to Brawn GP.

The Virgin company announced at the Australian Grand Prix that it would sponsor Brawn, and at the time, Branson had stated there was a chance to extend the contract by becoming a somewhat more official sponsor.

« Discussions about these plans are still ongoing, » Branson said Saturday in Bahrain.

It seems that he has set the conditions for the team and is now waiting for a response.

« The team has become very popular since the beginning of the season. We are in negotiations, as well as with other people, but Virgin wants to further strengthen this brand image. »

Team principal Ross Brawn has not ruled out an agreement as early as the Spanish Grand Prix but confirmed that no decision has been made at the moment.

« We are still in discussions, » he explained. « We are trying to find ways to maximize our relationship in the long term. It’s important to understand what both parties want. So, it is still ongoing. »

He added: « The whole team is looking for medium-term commitments, especially in the current environment, so it would be advisable to have our main funding in place for the coming years, as a security measure… »