Parente’s Virgin Racing F1 deal goes sour

Alvaro Parente (left) at the Virgin Racing launch last year

Feb.7 (YF1) F1 aspirant Alvaro Parente’s deal with Virgin Racing has apparently fallen through due to one of his major sponsor’s not fulfilling commitments promised to the Portuguese driver.

Parente was revealed as Virgin Racing’s test driver at the team’s launch on 15 December 2009. Since then his backers, Institute for Tourism of Portugal (ITP), have not followed through on an agreement with Richard Branson’s new Formula 1 team.

Parente speaking to “A Bola” sports newspaper said, “ITP decided, for reasons that I or my representatives we are unaware of, not to fulfill the agreement with Virgin Racing F1. My representatives, as well as those of Virgin Racing have tried repeatedly to contact ITP offcials but have never been able to get any reply.”

Parente is said to have a memorandum of understanding with ITP which allowed him to be part of Virgin Racing’s launch, with the relevant contractual paper work to be fulfilled after the event. This has not materialised, hence Parente’s deal with Virgin appears to have come to a premature end.

The Portuguese driver, who has won in both GP2 and A1GP, was expected to take up test duties with Virgin Racing while having access to the team’s F1 simulator. At the time the deal was seen as a major boost for his career.

He said, “The behavior of ITP and consequences have caused damages to my career and means that I will have to start from the beginning in terms of acquiring relevant backing and undergoing negotiations to further myself. It is irresponsible of ITP to shun their commitments in this manner. And for me very aggravating.” Print This Article