Toyota Deal Will Help Us Find Sponsors, Hints Williams
Frank Williams has admitted that it’s much harder to find sponsorship as a fully private team, but gave a clear hint that he expects the situation to improve next year.
Frank confirmed that it will be easier to find money with a manufacturer engine in the back of the forthcoming FW29.
There have been strong suggestions that the Williams engine supply will carry Lexus badging, and would make the team more attractive to sponsors who wish to be associated with a premium brand, especially those based in the USA. Cosworth does not have the same appeal.
Williams expects to continue with a package of medium sized sponsors rather than have one major name dominate the car.
"I think a title sponsorship of the size of that Ron has just secured [with Vodafone] are pretty rare," he said. "It’s a major commitment for any company to commit that much money.
"It shouldn’t really say this, but the way we approach our market next year is different. Not lots of sponsors, but just a slightly different approach. It won’t be a gold plated or chrome plated car or anything like that. I’m just saying we’re not trying very hard to find a $55m sponsor. It’s easier to find others for a bit less than that."
Williams says that the overall look of the team will be the same, but one of his major U.S. sponsors, Budweiser, is likely to leave.
"We still plan to be dark blue and white, and some of the names on the car will certainly be there next year. We hope most of the names will still be there next year.
"Budweiser I think will go. They’ve gone out of Manchester United and lots of other properties, and clearly we’re not setting the world alight. They’re competitive people, but they’ve got considerable pressures on the NYSE. They’re driven by share price in the U.S."
Frank admits that he’s envious of the ease with which manufacturers pull in big names.
"Bernie has a strong view, which several teams including myself have, that F1 will be much, much, much worse off without manufacturers in it. Somewhere down the road they can afford to give out, if they’re persuaded to, some very subsidized or even FOC engines. That’s number one, plus the fact that the five manufacturers – plus Ferrari who are a sort of manufacturer despite what they say – are all present is a lot of prestige, and it tows in their wake.
Despite the rumored Lexus badging of the team's new Toyota engines, Williams believes his cars will have a similar dark blue paint scheme next season.
"Look at the BMW car. They walked into Petronas, they walked into Intel, they walked into O2, they walked into Dell. If you ask Christian Vine [Williams sponsorship boss] or anyone in a normal marketing department, it’s Dell, waste of time, Intel, waste of time. See what I’m saying? Magic worldclass names on one car alone, plus FedEx, and so on. That’s what manufacturers do. If you don’t have a manufacturers’ engine, you get very little attention."
Although Frank’s deal with Toyota is done, there is an intriguing prospect that the price could yet come down, depending on the degree of flexibility for development built into the final rules. In addition Midland’s Colin Kolles has been pushing for a formal promise from the manufacturers that they will offer engines at a good price. That could in turn help the likes of Williams, Red Bull and Prodrive.
"It depends on each manufacturer, and how they view the second team, and what they think the second team could do for them. What the benefit, if there is one, is worth to them. They’ll always spend some money on development. What Max is trying to do is stop them spending so much that their boards pull out."
Williams also confirmed that he doesn’t expect future calendars to rise above 18 races, but admitted anything is possible.
"No way would 20 be discussed, I think. Round about race 17 or 18 you’re at a tipping point which says we’ll really need two completely separate crews. I think if Bernie wanted 20 and we were paid adequately, the teams would step up, it’s good for business.
"Not that it would make more money, but it’s good to have big foot print. That’s how you can sell big deals to potential big sponsors. Nothing gets as big an international footprint as F1."[/i]
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/27948/
