F1 Teams Secure Further Backing
Ferrari and Williams are the latest Formula One teams to reveal new commercial deals, as a busy winter enters its final stages ahead of the season opener in Australia in March. Ferrari has agreed a sponsorship deal with UPS, while the Williams construction team has signed a new partnership with Experian and extended its relationship with existing sponsor, Randstad.
Logistics company UPS will have significant visibility as part of a multi-year deal with Ferrari, with the company also becoming the official logistics and shipping sponsor of the team.
The agreement is the latest in a succession of new sponsorship deals, following agreements with Weichai Power – the team’s first Chinese partner – while watchmaker Hublot, anti-virus company Kaspersky Lab and energy drinks brand TNT also extended their deals with the Italian giant.
The UPS partnership, which media has speculated to be worth around $24 million a year, was announced ahead of Fernando Alonso’s debut in the team’s 2013 car at Barcelona on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Williams’ new multi-year deal with Experian will see the global information services company’s logo displayed on the chassis side and front wing of the Williams-Renault FW35 car, and appear on each driver’s overalls, their respective helmets, and team personnel kit.
Williams became the final team to unveil their 2013 car on Tuesday, following a marked improvement in 2012, after the worst season in their history the year before.
The British team, who has partnered Finnish rookie Valtteri Bottas with current driver Pastor Maldonado this season, also renewed and upgraded its current sponsorship agreement with Randstad, the global recruitment company.
The new contract has secured Randstad’s partnership with Williams for an eighth consecutive year. As in previous years, Randstad branding will appear prominently on the car’s engine cover and cockpit surround, whilst also appearing on the front and back of all the team’s apparel, as well as the drivers’ caps.
The new season begins in Melbourne, Australia, on 15th to 17th March before heading to Malaysia a week later.
