Virgin to sponsor Brawn GP

Reports from Australia are saying that Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group has struck a deal with Brawn GP to advertise throughout the 2009 season. This will also tie in with the rumours of his involvement in Formula One from an interview with the BBC though at that time, it was thought he was buying the new Honda team.

The deal, according to reports from Ed Gorman at The Times, is expected to be officially confirmed in Albert Park tomorrow, ahead of the first practice sessions.

Until today, the Brawn GP team ran without any branding beyond tyre supplier Bridgetone. However, the team have now signed Henri Lloyd as a smaller sponsor, appearing on the engine cover of the BGP 001.

According to Gorman, a senior source at the team indicated that the cars will carry extensive Virgin branding, though the deal falls short of title sponsorship.

Bernie Ecclestone apparently confirmed that a deal was reached in the last few days, although the specific details are yet to be worked out.