Corporate vultures circle around Senna II

Bruno Senna is not yet an F1 driver but heavyweight sponsors are already lining up to make him the richest non-F1 driver in history. The young Brazilian has just signed a deal with Hilton Hotels to be one of its brand ambassadors. Senna Jnr is in good company: Lewis Hamilton is also a brand ambassador for the chain.

It’s clear Hilton are buying potential here, sticking a flag in Planet Senna before their rivals can claim a piece of him. They are also buying into the Senna name.

Is it presumptuous to think that Senna’s Hilton deal might foretell the Brazilian moving to McLaren next season, to be a test driver? After all, Hilton are one of McLaren’s corporate partners - it’s possible that this deal offers a huge clue that Senna will be McLaren’s test driver in 2009. We’ll see.

And a Senna/Hamilton line-up for 2010 would be a marketing man’s wet dream. Move over Heikki Kovalainen?

Lil’ Lewis doesn’t want to upset his sponsors

Lewis Hamilton visited London’s Dorchester Hotel for an event recently. But rather than walk in off the street, like a normal person, he was secretly bundled in via the back door.

Why the shady, superstar treatment? McLaren has a lucrative deal with Hilton hotels, and so Hamilton’s crew were very sensitive about their man being photographed going into a different hotel.

[Popbitch]