Williams announce title sponsorship deal with Martini

Williams’ cars will feature a revised, though not unfamiliar, white colour scheme this season following a new title sponsorship deal with Italian drinks firm Martini, which will see the team renamed as Williams Martini Racing.

The Grove-based squad, who ran their 2014 challenger, the Mercedes-powered FW36, with a ‘heritage blue’ livery during testing, revealed their new look at a special launch event in London on Thursday.

“We are thrilled to welcome Martini to the Williams family and officially launch Williams Martini Racing,” said Sir Frank Williams, founder and team principal.

“Williams and Martini share a rich history in the world of motorsport, and the values of our two brands and our shared passion for racing make this partnership a natural fit. It will be great to see the distinctive stripes of Martini Racing return to Formula One once again in unison with Williams.”

The Martini brand’s longstanding relationship with motorsport began in 1968 with the creation of Martini Racing and the company has previously sponsored Formula One teams including Brabham, Lotus and Ferrari.

“The decision to partner with Williams was a natural one for us as it provides an unparalleled opportunity for the Martini brand to connect with consumers through one of their lifestyle passions, Formula One racing,” said Andy Gibson, Chief Marketing Officer of Bacardi and President of Bacardi Global Brands, who oversees marketing for Martini.

“Williams Martini Racing provides a powerful, integrated marketing platform and delivers dynamic opportunities that will strengthen the Martini brand.”

The new-look Williams team will take to the track for the first time at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia next week, with their revised driver line-up of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas at the wheel.

“2014 is going to be a fascinating season, with regulation changes of this scale often shaking up the grid and creating opportunities for teams to make a good step forward,” added Williams’ whose team has shown impressive pace and reliability in pre-season testing.

“Over the winter we have proved our ambition by making a number of positive changes; we welcome a new driver pairing, new senior technical personnel, and a number of new commercial partners for 2014. In Martini we have a brand that shares a passion for motor racing and winning championships. This partnership is a milestone in our history and we look forward to working closely with Martini over the coming years.”