Array

26.04.09

To Podium and Beyond!

Virgin Galactic blasts into Formula 1

On the 26th April 2009, Virgin Galactic not only became the first spaceline ever to sponsor a Formula 1 Grand Prix car, but also became the first Spaceline to sponsor a Formula 1 winner! The spectacular double whammy was witnesed by Sir Richard Branson in the searing heat of the Bahrain 2009 Grand Prix as UK’s Jenson Button notched up his 3rd win of the season in the Virgin Galactic branded Brawn GP car. Earlier, racing legend Nikki Lauda and Button’s team mate Reubens Barraccheli had both announced that they had bought tickets to ride on Virgin Galactic spaceships.

We are all delighted that Formula 1 as well as Space, now appears to be “Virgin Territory”

It was particularly appropriate that the Galactic logo should be on the Brawn GP car as Ross Brawn, the celebrated engineer owner of the team, is to Formula One and motorsprort engineering what Burt Rutan is to aviation design and materials technology development in aerospace. They are both inspirational in their use of new and efficient materials technologies of the future which have the capacity to dramatically lower the environmental and energy footprints of both air and road transport.