Commercial Director leaves Brawn GP

Brawn GP's commercial director, David Butler, has left the team, joining Tribe Management as a director and member of its senior management board. Butler joined then Honda Racing F1 in October 2007 and played a pivotal role in forming Brawn GP, setting commercial program for the seasons ahead.

While Brawn GP's bills for 2009 have been paid by an generous payment from Honda, the team have struck some deals with sponsors, notable Henri Lloyd and Virgin, at knock down rates. The team are on the lookout for a title sponsor but, despite CEO Nick Fry's claims that there are multiple offers on the table, none has yet been signed.

Butler has been replaced by Bastien Hibon, formerly creative director at Friends of the Earth and in charge of their climate change campaign 'The Big Ask'. Born in Paris and brought up in Geneva, Hibon worked at Ogilvy PR with the then BAR F1 team.