http://en.espnf1.com/virgin/motorsport/story/5405.html

"I wanted four female drivers but we've ended up with four of the best looking male drivers out there."

Please

I hated just seeing his face every GP last year and I hate more every time I hear from him. Sucks for Manor but I really hope they spend some years on the back of the grid so this clown can stop enjoying racing and go back to selling whatever he was selling before.

Just wanna know what most think of him and if you recall any other dudes in recent F1 history who looked to be there only for being on worldwide TV ?

Branson should employ the best drivers, not the best looking drivers.

Quote from PhilS13 :

Just wanna know what most think of him and if you recall any other dudes in recent F1 history who looked to be there only for being on worldwide TV ?

Um, lol.

Like buying Manor totally wasn't as a result of wanting to promote his company.

Motorsport RUNS on people wanting to be on TV...

I honestly think you're taking what he said a bit too seriously. I read it as he was making a bad joke TBH.

Quote from MadCat360 :

Um, lol.

Like buying Manor totally wasn't as a result of wanting to promote his company.

Motorsport RUNS on people wanting to be on TV...

ya lol for you missing the point. ING sponsors Renault yet I haven't seen ING's boss in the garage every freakin race

Promoting a company is one thing promoting himself is something we rarely see iirc.

Quote from PhilS13 :

Just wanna know what most think of him and if you recall any other dudes in recent F1 history who looked to be there only for being on worldwide TV ?

If none of them were interested in fame and being on TV then they could race on Wednesday mornings and have the weekends off.

It's richard branson people... he's a joker...

great entrepreneur and great man.. give him a break

Um... can i just drop a mention for emma kimiläinen, she was a stunningly good driver in the FPA this year... so no good female drivers? maybe not, but some that would be a darn sight better than whoever he signed!!!

No he's not a joke. He's one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, (arguably the most successful), ..Gates, (and others), may be richer but he only ever ran one business - Branson has had a string of hugely successful ones in completely diverse industries.

But he does have a rubbish sense of humour.

Quote from oscarhardwick :

Um... can i just drop a mention for emma kimiläinen, she was a stunningly good driver in the FPA this year... so no good female drivers? maybe not, but some that would be a darn sight better than whoever he signed!!!

Stunningly good? Well that must make the drivers in front of her super human. Let's not lavish praise on a driver just because she's a girl. She's OK in a championship that doesn't attract the creme de la creme of young driving talent (well the best of who can actually afford it).

If i sponsored an f1 team, and had the opportunity to watch every race whilst being wined and dined on exotic foods and champagne, surrounded by scantily clad females, i think i'd be there every freaking race aswell

Quote from dejavu :

if i sponsored an f1 team, and had the opportunity to watch every race whilst being wined and dined on exotic foods and champagne, surrounded by scantily clad females, i think i'd be there every freaking race aswell :d :d

+1

He's not doing it because he likes car or thinks women are good drivers.

$$$

Quote from Rappa Z :

He's not doing it because he likes car or thinks women are good drivers.

$$$

and there's nowt wrong with that

Quote from Rappa Z :

He's not doing it because he likes car or thinks women are good drivers.

$$$

I think he'd have to enjoy the sport to some degree before he puts millions into a team... otherwise its one very expensive piece of advertising that is probably no where near as rewarding/effective as other media out there. Not like he is going to be making money off the team for spoonsoring them.

There's probably few sponsors in F1 who really benefit from the exposure, giving the cost. It was probably pretty effective for brands like Johnie Walker, Malboro, West etc.

I would rather have Danica Patrick on the grid because she is a stunner than some payed driver with less talent than the offspring of Ralf Schumacher and Luca Badoer. Personally I want to see the F1 version of this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS_6HHQ7jOA

I'd hit Danica.


With a brick.

Michele Mouton is the best female driver ever to grace the seat of a race car (albeit rally) statistically she is the best. Though Claudia Hurtgen is pretty quick in a GT car, but shes no Pedro Lamy or Martin Short

Both Tony Fernandes, from the "new Lotus", and Richard Branson, from Virgin, work with aviation. Fernandes has AirAsia and Branson, Virgin Atlantic. Also, Fernandes worked for Branson long time ago.

Tony recently joked that, in his first year ahead an F1 team, his main objective is end the year ahead of Richard. Richard replied that he could see about that, but if he won, Tony work as a Virgin Atlantic stewardess, and the reciprocal would be true.

Fernanded accepted the challenge and said "But knowing Richard, the real challenge will be to prevent him from asking our guests, 'coffee, tea or me?'".

Man, gotta love these new teams. I hope they're gonna put some colors in this grey-suit-Formula-1 we're having lately. And that means Red-Bull is not alone anymore.

Perhaps I phrased my thoughts incorrectly. Its not all that loony to want to put someone in the drivers seat that's going to attract tons of attention.

If Brason is nuts for doing this think about Mercedes and if they get schumi back. IMO he may very well suck but the media will be unbelievable no matter how slow he is. But that's not important to the thread so lets not stray off topic.

Quote from PhilS13 :

ya lol for you missing the point. ING sponsors Renault yet I haven't seen ING's boss in the garage every freakin race

Promoting a company is one thing promoting himself is something we rarely see iirc.

Yes and that is quite unfortunate, even if they don't sponsor Renault any more. More CEOs should be as involved as Branson is.

You seem to be taking the piss on the basis of him making the most of his investment. Remember when F1 used to be more personal than just another big name corp on the side of a car? Is it such a bad thing that someone wants to keep that alive? Last year in every interview he seemed very happy with the whole situation, and appeared to have a genuine affection for the sport. It was refreshing and humanizing, and that's darn good business.

Quote from PhilS13 :

ya lol for you missing the point. ING sponsors Renault yet I haven't seen ING's boss in the garage every freakin race

Promoting a company is one thing promoting himself is something we rarely see iirc.

1. I would imagine quite a few sponsors frequently attend race meetings. You just don't seem em

2. Virgin is Branson and Branson is Virgin. By promoting himself he is promoting Virgin

Yeah I see your point...

Kind of a i'm-a-cool-CEO driven company image. Guess I just prefer standard promotion ways and I'm not getting the humor in how his drivers looks matter.

I think what Red Bull does is amazing promotion but I don't recall Mateschitz saying silly stuff like above.

There has been only ONE(wasn't it?) female driver in the whole(right?) history of F1. And he wanted 4?!?

O_0

No, there have been several female official F1 drivers. Only one scored points, and not all even managed to qualify (in the days of pre-qualifying).