» Off with the facial fuzz!

In the days of Ron Dennis’ time at the helm of the McLaren Formula 1 team, its drivers were banned from sporting any kind of facial hair.

And it seems that the team is now heading back in that direction, after signing a new sponsorship deal with Gillette, the world’s leading shaving products brand.

The deal was announced ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, and a beardless Jenson Button was on-hand to do the honours.

The deal will also include the creation of dedicated TV commercials that will be aired during the 2013 Formula 1 championship season, as well as special in-store drivers appearances during the Asian rounds of the calendar.

Gillette is one of a host of brands owned by the Procter & Gamble (P&G) corporation, which also includes McLaren sponsor Hugo Boss.

It is rumoured that P&G could be the sponsor that will replace Vodafone as the team’s title sponsor at the end of the current championship season.