Latifi was dropped by Williams on the finish of final 12 months after spending three seasons with the workforce, throughout which period numerous his sponsors featured prominently on the automobile, together with Lavazza and Sofina.
Williams unveiled the livery for its new FW45 automobile at its Grove base on Monday, in addition to saying the arrival of a brand new accomplice within the type of iconic model Gulf Oil.
James Bower, the industrial director of Williams, stated the workforce was in a “a number of 12 months industrial plan of how we rebuild” and denied the affect of dropping Latifi’s sponsors was as large as advised.
“There is a notion about misplaced income from current modifications; there is a notion, however the actuality is barely completely different,” stated Bower.
“We’re launching numerous new companions as we go into the season as properly. So I believe we’re in a extra sturdy place than the workforce has been in for for numerous years.
“We’re bold and aggressive when it comes to how we’re available in the market as properly, and the way we’re investing in constructing the Williams model.
“And naturally, having Gulf as a part of a industrial accomplice portfolio for that journey is actually thrilling.”
Williams FW45 livery element
Picture by: Williams
Along with Gulf, Williams additionally unveiled numerous different new partnerships as a part of Monday’s announcement, together with agreements with impartial monetary companies firm Stephens, US beer model Michelob Extremely, and buying and selling firm PureStream.
The workforce is poised for further consideration in the USA this 12 months by advantage of its American driver, Logan Sargeant, who graduates from Method 2.
Requested in regards to the elevated curiosity from American sponsors, Bower stated Williams had already been “investing in numerous areas of our proposition for partnerships”, notably in the USA.
“We even have an workplace in America, in New York,” stated Bower. “We have now a big fan engagement workforce primarily based out of that workplace, which is led by the previous SVP of fan engagement from the NFL, with numerous American sports activities advertising specialists in that workforce.
“We’re investing in fan activations across the US races and property that we had in market. So when these issues come collectively, then with Logan, with Jamie Chadwick on the academy as properly, competing in Indy NXT, it is constructing a type of centre of gravity that’s serving to us commercially.”
