Well, surprise, surprise - Richard Branson has made it pretty clear that he is not going to be buying the Honda F1 team after all. Many are saying that this does not amount to a denial of the possibility but the words "Those two provisos would be essential before Virgin entered the sport" seem to exclude any involvement in the near future, regardless of the fact that Branson obviously cannot add - he is referring to three provisos, not two.
Richard Branson
Branson's mathematical difficulties are the clue to what is really going on and how close an escape F1 has had; the sport needs Virgin involvement like it needs a hole in the head. We are adequately supplied with muddled thinkers and liars in the shape of Max and Bernie without adding to their number by the inclusion of Branson.
Consider Branson's green credentials for a start, since he has had the gall to mention this as one of his provisos. His airline alone spews out more poisonous waste every year than F1 could ever hope to do - yet was he hesitant to buy and run the thing in the first place? No, he is content to chatter on about new fuels and so on while his planes continue to produce as much waste as any airline. Hypocrisy on this scale is astounding but hardly evidence of a clear and genuine mind.
The fact that he would only be interested in entering F1 if Bernie remains in charge (let us ignore the fact that Bernie hasn't been in charge of the sport for years) is another indicator of muddled and irrational thinking. Bernie is 78 and cannot continue in his position much longer, no matter how much he would like to; is Branson saying that, even if he were involved in F1, he would withdraw when Bernie goes? No, he means only that Bernie is his buddy and he likes the idea of cozying up to him. Now there's a business plan for you.
We have to wait for the third proviso before we finally get the truth. The real reason Branson is not interested is because, try as he might, he has not been able to think of a way to make F1 pay. He is not alone in that and most participants are aware that it will cost them a great deal to be involved. This seems to have come as a surprise to Branson or he would not have taken a look at the Honda F1 team - yet any fan of a few years standing could have told him.
Those fans are generally in favor of Virgin buying the Honda team, and understandably so, since we all want the grid numbers to remain sufficient to support decent racing. Yet some things come at too great a cost and to have Branson moralizing from the sidelines would be too much to be borne. F1 will become environmentally friendly in its own good time but only if the self-contradictory thinking of people like Branson is ignored. Good riddance to bad rubbish, say I.
As for Bernie's latest assertion that he offered £100m to the Honda team but was turned down, I guess that we can put that one with his claim that all of the team owners were in agreement with his medals instead of points idea. He has said already that it would be illegal for him to invest in the team and so it is no wonder that Brawn and Fry were dubious about accepting a deal that must have been nefarious at best, assuming that the offer was ever made, of course. Sorry, Bernie - I just don't believe you.